Energy and Utilities

Note: * Denotes Urgency or Tax Levy Legislation.

Energy and Utilities Legislation

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SB 23 (Simitian-D) Energy: renewable energy resources

Makes a number of technical and substantive changes to SB 2X1 (Simitian-D), Chapter 1, Statutes of 2011, First Extraordinary Session, which increases California's renewable portfolio standard from 20% by 2010 to 33% by 2020.
(Died at Senate Desk)

SB 37 (Simitian-D) Energy: State Energy Resources Conservation and Development

Requires the California Energy Commission to conduct a needs assessment for liquefied natural gas terminals and to revise that assessment when new terminal facilities are proposed. Requires proposed liquefied natural gas terminal projects subject to the California Environmental Quality Act to include specified information in an environmental impact report.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 58 (Runner-R) Antelope Valley Fairgrounds EE and PV Synergy Demonstration

Extends the sunset date of the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds EE (energy efficient) and PV (photovoltaic) Synergy Demonstration Program until 1/1/18.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

SB 102 (Correa-D) Telecommunications: customer privacy

Requires a commercial seller of mobile telephony service communications devices (commonly known as "cell phones") that incorporate geotagging, as defined, capability to disclose this capability to a potential purchaser prior to completing a sale of the device. Prohibits the commercial seller from selling a mobile telephony service communications device to a purchaser with the geotagging capability activated or operational without first obtaining the purchaser's consent, in writing, acknowledging that the purchaser has been informed of the existence of the geotagging capability and consents to this capability being activated or operational.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 142 (Rubio-D) Electrical rates

Eliminates the cost caps on California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) rate increases in effect through 2018 and eliminates the rate increase cap for non-CARE customers in the first two rate tiers. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to modify the current tiered residential electric rates no later than 6/1/12 and, through 2014, transition the current rate structure to one that reflects the actual cost of serving those customers.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 148 (Steinberg-D) Energy Resources Program Account: partnership academies

Requires the State Controller annually to allocate $8 million from the Energy Resources Program Account, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for expenditure in the form of grants to school districts to be allocated pursuant to the existing provisions for creating and maintaining partnership academies.
(Died in Senate Education Committee)

SB 175 (Corbett-D) Solar photovoltaic system: public contracts: bid preferences

Provides a 5% bid preference in state contracts for the purchase or installation of solar panels that are manufactured or assembled in the state.
(Died in Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee)

SB 297 (Cannella-R) Renewable energy resources: hydroelectric generation

Revises the definition of an eligible renewable energy resource to include a hydroelectric generation facility of any size, and removes other restrictions regarding which hydroelectric generation facilities meet the definition of an eligible renewable energy resource.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 343* (De León-D) Energy: efficiency

Requires the Public Utilities Commission, in Rulemaking 09-11-014, in consultation with the Energy Commission, the State Treasurer, and the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority, to determine appropriate energy efficiency financing measures, programs, and funding sources for the residential, commercial, and public building sectors in order to achieve the statewide energy efficiency goals for those sectors identified in the California Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan adopted by the Commission.
(Died in Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

SB 370 (Blakeslee-R) Energy: net energy metering

Permits agricultural electricity customers who have installed solar or wind generation systems to aggregate the electricity use of adjacent properties, in order to use the excess generation from solar or wind systems to offset all of the customer's electricity costs.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 372 (Blakeslee-R) Electricity: distributed generation

Requires each large electrical corporation, as defined, and large local publicly owned electric utility, as defined, to identify and designate zones within their service territory that are optimal for deployment of distributed generation, and to provide this information to the California Energy Commission by 12/31/12 and requires the Commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission, to develop guidelines for those electrical utilities to utilize in identifying and designating those zones.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 379 (Fuller-R) Telecommunications: universal service: regulation

Modifies the California High Cost Fund-A program to align the Federal Communications Commission's modification of the federal universal service program to allow high-cost support for the California Independent Telecommunications Companies broadband-capable facilities in rural areas.
Chapter 729, Statutes of 2012

SB 410 (Wright-D) Public Interest Energy Research Program

Extends the sunset of the Public Interest Energy Research Program to 2022.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 440 (Vargas-D) Geothermal energy: power facility and site certification

Authorizes a county, that has in effect an equivalent certification program approved by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to site a geothermal powerplant of up to 100 megawatts under its program.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 467 (Pavley-D) Contracts for energy efficiency products or services

Requires the Department of General Services to issue a master services agreement allowing state agencies to purchase an "energy efficiency information technology product or service," a software- or hardware-based product or service that analyzes the energy use of a building in order to generate energy cost savings that, within 48 months of deployment, are projected to exceed the state's cost of that product or service.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 530* (Wright-D) Direct broadcast satellite television service: tax

Imposes a tax on direct broadcast satellite television providers at a rate of 6% of gross revenues, as specified, until 1/1/20. The Board of Equalization administers the tax pursuant to the Fee Collection Procedures Law and deposits the revenues in the General Fund for transfer to the Local Safety and Protection Account, which is re-established as a continuously appropriated fund. Specifies a procedure for temporarily suspending the imposition of the tax if the revenues collected are being used for unauthorized purposes, and requires the Legislative Analyst's Office, in collaboration with the Board, to conduct a study to assess the impact of the direct broadcast satellite tax.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 564 (Evans-D) Energy efficiency

Requires the Public Utilities Commission, in evaluating energy efficiency investments, to ensure that local and regional interests, multifamily dwellings, and energy service industry capabilities are incorporated into an electrical corporation's energy efficiency program portfolio design, and to encourage participation from local governments, community-based organizations, and energy efficiency service providers in program design, revision, and implementation, where appropriate. Requires an electrical corporation, when developing or revising its energy efficiency program portfolio design, to collaborate with, and seek comments from, county climate protection authorities or other public agencies that are directly authorized to implement regional or countywide climate protection and energy efficiency programs.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 569 (Kehoe-D) Alternative & Renewable Fuel & Vehicle Technology Program

Requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to ensure that projects or programs involving electrical work, as defined, are creating pathways into skilled, high-paying careers. Requires electrical work involved in a project or program to be performed by a licensed electrical contractor or a state-certified general electrician working under a licensed electrical contractor. Requires a project or program involving electrical work to include partnership with one or more existing electrical joint apprenticeship programs in the geographic area of the project or program.
(Died in Senate Transportation and Housing Committee)

SB 594 (Wolk-D) Energy: net energy metering

Authorizes a utility customer to aggregate the electricity use from adjacent properties owned by the customer, to be offset by the energy generated by a single renewable energy system.
Chapter 610, Statutes of 2012

SB 672 (Fuller-R) Electricity: rates: interregional parity

Expands the direct access cap for all customers to the average provided by each investor owned utility through 1/1/12, and eliminates the cap on direct access for all non-residential customers that are non-profit organizations which is undefined.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 682 (Rubio-D) Oil and gas: underground injection of gas

Authorizes the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources in the Department of Conservation to permit the underground injection of a gas and requires the Division to establish standards for the permitting of gas injection.
(Died in Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

SB 843 (Wolk-D) Energy: electrical corporations: City of Davis

Enacts the Community-Based Renewable Energy Self-Generation Program. Provides that the Program authorizes a retail customer of an electrical corporation to purchase a subscription, as defined, in a community facility, as defined, for the purpose of receiving a bill credit, as defined, to offset all or a portion of the customer's electricity usage, consistent with specified requirements.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

SB 854 (Blakeslee-R) Renewable energy resources

Requires an obligated party to procure an amount of renewable energy credits (RECs), as defined, sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the party's renewables portfolio standard (RPS), as defined, procurement requirements. Defines obligated parties would be defined to include an electrical corporation, electric service provider, community choice aggregator, and local publicly owned electric utility. Requires the California Energy Commission to design and implement an accounting system to verify compliance with the RPS by all obligated parties and deletes the separate requirement that it certify the eligibility of RECs associated with deliveries of electricity to a local publicly owned electric utility. Requires every electrical corporation that owns electrical transmission facilities to annually prepare and submit a report to the Public Utilities Commission that contains specified matter and identifies any electrical transmission facility upgrade or enhancement, that is reasonably necessary to achieve the RPS procurement requirements.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 855 (Kehoe-D) Electric service: direct transactions

Modifies the annual maximum allowable total kilowatt hour limit for each electrical corporation to include the total kilowatt hours of new load previously authorized and implemented by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) pursuant to a specified statute. Requires the PUC to adopt a specified schedule to phase in the allowable amount of increased kilowatt hours by 7/1/12, instead of 7/1/10. Changes an existing requirement that the PUC review and modify its currently effective rules governing direct transactions to instead authorize the PUC to perform such review and modification.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

SB 870 (Padilla-D) Energy: Clean Energy Innovation Program: natural gas

Establishes the California Energy Innovation Program for the purpose of funding energy-related research, development, and demonstration (RD&D), contingent on reauthorization of public goods charge funding for RD&D.
(Died at Assembly Desk)

SB 881 (Corbett-D) Renewable energy projects: siting: land use planning

Requires the Office and Planning and Research to compile information relevant to the siting and permitting of renewable energy projects and post that information on the Internet.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 905 (Wolk-D) Telecommunications: universal service

Requires a billing telephone corporation to resolve complaints, billing inquiries, and refund requests from its subscribers and prohibits the billing telephone corporation from referring its subscribers to a service provider, billing agent, or billing aggregator.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 932 (Leno-D) Cellular telephones: notice requirement

Requires cellular telephone retailers to prominently display a notice (1) adjacent to the purchase price at the retail location, (2) on the retailers' Web site, and (3) on the exterior packaging of the phone. Requires the following notice: "This device emits radiofrequency (RF) energy. Do not hold or carry it directly against the body when connected to a network or you may be exposed to levels greater than the safety limit established by the Federal Communications Commission. Consult the user's manual for additional information on safe use."
(Died on Senate Inactive File)

SB 939 (Wright-D) Natural gas surcharge

Repeals the requirement that the surcharge on ratepayers, collected by investor-owned gas utilities regulated by the Public Utilities Commission for natural gas public purpose programs, be remitted to the Board of Equalization, thereby removing the availability of these monies for redirection by the Legislature to the General Fund.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 963 (Cannella-R) Renewable energy resources

Moves current requirements relating to the adoption and implementation of a tariff for electricity purchased from an electric generation facility, to that portion of the Public Utilities Code concerning the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program.
(Died in Senate Rules Committee)

SB 971 (Cannella-R) Renewable energy resources

Revises the Renewables Portfolio Standard Program so that the specified minimum quantities of electricity products required to be procured are based upon a percentage of the utility's net program retail sales of electricity in California, and defines "net program retail sales" of electricity as being the total retail sales of electricity by the retail seller or local publicly owned electric utility within California, minus those retail sales where the load was met by noneligible hydroelectric generation, as defined.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 981 (Yee-D) Public Utilities Commission: commissioners

Restricts when a former public utilities employee can be hired by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) or appointed as a commissioner, and when a former PUC employee can lobby the PUC on behalf of a public utility.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 998 (De León-D) Energy: on-bill repayment programs

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to compel large electrical corporations and gas corporations to establish an on-bill repayment program for eligible energy efficiency, renewable energy, and distributed generation investments.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1000 (Yee-D) Public Utilities Commission: records.

Requires Public Utilities Commission investigation orders, recommendations, and accident reports to be made publicly available pursuant to the California Public Records Act.
(Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

SB 1018 (Senate Budget And Fiscal Review Committee) Electricity procurement: Budget Trailer Bill

Enacts the Energy, Resources, Environmental Protection, and Agriculture Budget Trailer Bill which, among other provisions, (1) allows for the creation of an Electricity Procurement Investment Charge (EPIC) fund for the sole purpose of creating an investment plan for proceeds of the EPIC proceeding at the California Public Utilities Commission. Provides for the elimination of defunct statutes funded under the previous Public Goods Charge. Clarifies that no single program is prioritized in statute for expenditure of funds under the budget act; and (2) removes existing barriers on the funding of the New Solar Homes (NSHs) program thereby providing a steady stream of funding and a signal to multiple markets that California values clean solar electricity and the attendant good paying jobs.
Chapter 39, Statutes of 2012 -- Item Veto

SB 1045 (Emmerson-R) Utilities: metal theft: damages

Provides that any junk dealer or recycler who possesses a fire hydrant, a fire department connection, as specified, or a backflow device or connection to that device or part of that device without a prescribed written certification, from the agency or utility owning or previously owning the material is liable to the agency or utility for the wrongful possession of that material. Specifies that the liability provided is for the actual damages incurred by the agency or utility, including the value and cost of replacing the material, labor costs, and the costs of repairing any damage caused by the removal of the material.
Chapter 393, Statutes of 2012

SB 1086* (Dutton-R) Wireless communication devices: sales and use taxes

Limits "gross receipts" and "sales price" of a wireless telecommunication device to the amount charged for that device when it is sold in a bundled transaction, and defines the following terms: "bundled transaction," wireless telecommunication device," and "wireless telecommunications service provider."
(Died in Senate Governance and Finance Committee)

SB 1122 (Rubio-D) Energy: renewable bioenergy projects

Requires statewide procurement of up to 250 megawatts of renewable energy from small biomass or biogas technologies that utilize low emission technologies.
Chapter 612, Statutes of 2012

SB 1128 (Padilla-D) Energy: alternative energy financing

Expands until 7/1/16, the sales and use tax exemption under the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority program to include "advanced manufacturing," as specified.
Chapter 677, Statutes of 2012

SB 1130 (De León-D) Energy: energy assessment: nonresidential buildings

Establishes the Nonresidential Building Energy Retrofit Financing Act of 2012 and requires the California Energy Commission to establish the Nonresidential Building Energy Retrofit Financing Program by 7/1/13 to provide financial assistance through revenue bonds for owners of eligible buildings to implement energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy generation.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 1160 (Padilla-D) Communications: service interruptions

Prohibits a government entity, and a provider of communications service acting at the request of a government entity, from intentionally interrupting communication service for the purpose of protecting public safety or preventing use of the service for an illegal purpose except pursuant to a court order based on a finding of probable cause.
Vetoed

SB 1161 (Padilla-D) Internet Protocol service providers

Requires authorization by statute or express delegation by federal law expressly authorized by statute for the Public Utilities Commission or any other state department, agency, commission or political subdivision of the state to regulate Voice over Internet Protocol or Internet Protocol-enabled service providers.
Chapter 733, Statutes of 2012

SB 1165 (Wright-D) Public Utilities Commission: intervenor compensation

Expands the intervenor compensation program at the Public Utilities Commission to include school districts, county offices of education, and community college districts.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1207 (Fuller-R) California Alternate Rates for Energy program

Authorizes investor owned utilities to take certain actions on participants of the California Alternate Rates for Energy program.
Chapter 613, Statutes of 2012

SB 1222 (Leno-D) Solar energy: permits

Limits the fees that cities and counties charge for permits related to the installation of rooftop solar energy systems.
Chapter 614, Statutes of 2012

SB 1257 (Hernandez-D) Utility user tax: exemption: public transit vehicles

Prohibits a local government from levying a utility user tax on the consumption of electricity as a motor vehicle fuel for an electric public transit bus.
Chapter 213, Statutes of 2012

SB 1268 (Pavley-D) Energy: energy conservation assistance

Extends the operation of an existing energy efficiency loan program administered by the California Energy Commission that assists local governments.
Chapter 615, Statutes of 2012

SB 1312 (Blakeslee-R) Electrical corporations: procurement plans

Recasts the requirements, which state that an electrical corporation's proposed procurement plan include certain elements, including a showing that the electrical corporation will first meet its unmet needs through all available energy efficiency and demand reduction resources that are cost effective, reliable, and feasible and, in order to fulfill its unmet resource needs, that the electrical corporation will procure resources from eligible renewable energy resources in an amount sufficient to meet its procurement requirements pursuant to the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, to instead require a showing that the procurement plan creates or maintains a diversified procurement portfolio consisting of both short-term and long-term electricity and electricity-related and demand reduction products pursuant to a specified loading order. The first element of the loading order requires the electrical corporation to first meet its unmet resource needs through all available energy efficiency and demand reduction resources, including energy conservation, peak load reduction, load shifting, and demand response resources, that are cost effective, reliable, and feasible. The second element of the loading order requires the electrical corporation to secondarily meet its unmet resource needs through cost effective, reliable, and feasible procurement of eligible renewable energy resources pursuant to the Program and ultraclean and low-emission distributed generation. Recognizes that procurement of variable generation eligible renewable energy resources may require the procurement of additional integration resources, including generation from natural gas powerplants that are able to provide regulation and ancillary services. The third element of the loading order will be procurement of other resources.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 1332 (Negrete McLeod-D) Renewable energy resources: electric utilities

Requires the governing board of a local publicly owned utility to consider avoided costs of distribution and transmission upgrades, the offset of peak demand and all current and anticipated environmental and greenhouse gas reduction compliance costs, and requires that the specified publicly-owned utilities adopt a Feed-in-Tariff by 7/1/13.
Chapter 616, Statutes of 2012

SB 1350 (Leno-D) Public utilities: fines and penalties

Allows the Public Utilities Commission to use fines or penalties levied against a gas corporation to offset the cost of gas safety investments and expenses instead of depositing the fines in the General Fund as required by existing law.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1383* (Hernandez-D) Water utility property: El Monte

Allows the City of El Monte to sell or transfer its public utility water system, without voter approval, subject to specified requirements.
(Died in Assembly Local Government Committee)

SB 1409 (Pavley-D) Energy security: Office of Planning and Research

Requires the State Office of Planning and Research to identify which state agencies must consider energy security and military mission goals, and to serve as a liaison to coordinate effective inclusion of U.S. Department of Defense's in the development and implementation of state energy and environmental policy.
Chapter 617, Statutes of 2012

SB 1455 (Kehoe-D) Alternative and vehicle technologies: funding programs

Extends until 12/1/23, various fees and surcharges related to the clean air, fuel, tire recycling, and vehicle programs of the Air Resources Board (ARB), the California Energy Commission, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, and the State Bureau of Automotive Repair; prohibits ARB from moving forward with implementation of the Clean Fuels Outlet regulation, and instead directs funds from the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund for the construction and operation of a hydrogen fueling network in California; and requires the Commission and ARB to report on the status of the state's alternative transportation fuel use in the Integrated Energy Policy Report.
(Failed passage on Senate Unfinished Business File)

SB 1485* (Kehoe-D) Blended fuels: fuel taxes

Clarifies that gasoline used to make blended fuels (e.g., E85, which is 85% ethanol blended with 15% gasoline) is exempt from California's motor vehicle fuel tax provided it is taxed under the use fuel tax law.
Chapter 493, Statutes of 2012

SB 1493 (Cannella-R) Renewable energy resources

Moves current requirements relating to the adoption and implementation of a tariff for electricity purchased from an electric generation facility, to that portion of the Public Utilities Code concerning the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

SB 1496 (Simitian-D) State Energy Resources Conservation & Development Commission

Requires the California Energy Commission to conduct, update and publish specified assessments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and requires specific analysis be included in an environmental impact report for an onshore or offshore LNG terminal in California.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 1533 (Padilla-D) Electricity: energy crisis litigation.

Extends, from 1/1/13 to 1/1/16, the requirement for the Attorney General to represent the Department of Finance and to succeed the Electricity Oversight Board in any litigation or settlement to obtain electricity ratepayer relief as a result of the 2000-2002 energy crisis.
Chapter 226, Statutes of 2012

SB 1535* (Padilla-D) Water utilities

Prohibits any authority being conferred on the state board to impose any regulatory obligations on publicly owned water utilities for purposes of greenhouse gas emissions related to electricity imported for the publicly owned water utility's own use for the sole purpose of obtaining, transporting, and distributing water to its service area from an out-of-state water source unless the state board allocates to publicly owned water utilities allowances, credits, or other forms of price mitigation received by publicly owned electric utilities.
(Died in Senate Environmental Quality Committee)

SB 1537 (Kehoe-D) Energy: rates: net energy metering

Prohibits the Public Utilities Commission from adopting any new demand charge, standby charge, customer charge, minimum monthly charge, interconnection charge, or other fixed charge that applies only to customers receiving electric service pursuant to a net energy metering contract or tariff until 1/1/14.
Vetoed

AB 15 (V. Manuel Pérez-D) Energy: workforce development

Requires the California Workforce Investment Board, by 7/1/12, in consultation with the Green Collar Jobs Council, to establish the California Renewable Energy Workforce Readiness Initiative to ensure green collar career placement and advancement opportunities within California's renewable energy generation, manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, and operation sectors that is targeted toward specified populations.
(Died in Assembly Labor and Employment Committee)

AB 37* (Huffman-D) Utilities: smart grid deployment: smart meters

Requires the Public Utilities Commission, by 1/1/12, to identify alternative options for customers of electrical corporations that decline the installation of wireless advanced metering infrastructure devices, commonly referred to as smart meters, as part of an approved smart grid deployment plan.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 204* (Halderman-R) Biomass energy facilities and equipment

Establishes a partial sales and use tax exemption for equipment purchased by a "biomass energy facility" for use in its biomass energy production in this state.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 279* (Garrick-R) Wireless communication devices: sales tax

Provides that, for purposes of the Sales and Use Tax Law, "gross receipts" and "sales price" from the retail sale of a "wireless communication device" shall be limited to the amount charged for the sale of the "wireless telecommunication device" when it is sold in a "bundled transaction."
(Died in Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 449 (Mitchell-D) Telecommunications: mobile telephony service

Requires a mobile telephony services provider, upon activation of service, to cause an emergency contact information number, as defined, to be programmed into the subscriber's mobile telephone, unless the subscriber expressly declines, in writing, to have this service performed.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 478* (Hill-D) Gas corporations: fines and penalties

Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to use fines or penalties levied against a gas corporation to offset the cost of gas safety investments and expenses instead of depositing the fines in the General Fund as required by existing law.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 485 (Ma-D) Electric utilities: revenues

Requires the revenues received by an electrical corporation as a result of the allocation of greenhouse gas allowances to electric utilities to be credited to public transportation.
(Died in Senate Rules Committee)

AB 523 (Valadao-R) Ethanol

Prohibits the California Energy Commission, beginning on 7/1/13, from funding corn ethanol production projects under its Alternative and Renewable Fuels and Vehicle Technology Program.
Chapter 183, Statutes of 2012

AB 578 (Hill-D) Public utilities: natural gas pipelines: safety

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to formally respond to certain safety recommendations concerning gas pipeline safety made by the federal National Transportation Safety Board and federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Chapter 462, Statutes of 2012

AB 591 (Wieckowski-D) Oil and gas production: hydraulic fracturing

Requires operators of oil and natural gas wells to provide information on hydraulic fracturing to the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources, for publication on the Division's Web site.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 603 (V. Manuel Pérez-D) Energy: renewable resources: endangered species

Authorizes the Department of Fish and Game, under the California Endangered Species Act, to design and implement mitigation actions - actions to protect, restore, or enhance the habitat of plants and wildlife that can be used to fully mitigate the impacts of the take of endangered, threatened, or candidate species - for proposed wind and geothermal powerplants in the planning area subject to the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan.
(Died in Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 638 (Skinner-D) Fuel resources

Requires the Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission to work to reduce California's onroad petroleum fuel use and to increase use of alternative transportation fuels.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 721 (Bradford-D) Renewable energy resources: solar energy systems

Expands the definition of an eligible renewable energy resource to include a facility that generates, or a renewable energy credit associated with the generation of, electricity from an eligible solar energy system that receives monetary incentives pursuant to specified law.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 723* (Bradford-D) Energy: public goods charge

Extends collection of the Public Goods Charge from utility ratepayers until 2020, and authorizes the California Energy Commission to expend funds from the Public Goods Charge for renewable energy projects.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 725 (Bradford-D) Utility service

Requires the Public Utilities Commission, in consultation with electrical corporations, telephone corporations, and representatives of local government, to open an appropriate proceeding to evaluate whether to amend, revise, or improve its rules for replacing overhead electrical and communications facilities with underground facilities, and requires the Commission to submit a report relative to its evaluation to the Legislature by 6/30/12.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 770 (Torres-D) Emergency telephone systems

Requires the Public Safety Communications Office to develop standards for the training of local 911 dispatchers, and adds two additional members to the 911 Advisory Board.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 796 (Blumenfield-D) Clean Energy Economy and Jobs Incentive Program

Requires the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority to establish the Clean Energy Economy and Jobs Incentive Program to provide financial assistance to eligible California-based entities for the manufacturing of eligible technologies until 1/1/18.
Vetoed

AB 850 (Gordon-D) Energy efficiency: state buildings

Reverses the roles played by the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the Department of General Services (DGS) in developing the state's multi-year plan to encourage energy efficiency in state facilities. Places the CEC in charge of developing the plan and requires it to do so in consultation with DGS. Adds water conservation to the plan's goals and requires the CEC to solicit input from both public and private entities.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 861 (Hill-D) Public Utilities Act: remedies for violation

Directs the Public Utilities Commission to determine whether earnings-based incentives paid to executives should be paid for through rates or by shareholders.
Chapter 464, Statutes of 2012

AB 864 (Huffman-D) Electricity: self-generation incentive program

Expands the size of eligible facilities to 10 megawatts (MWs) but incentives would be paid for up to five MWs. Incentives for technologies greater than three MWs in size is based on a declining schedule. The incentives is only paid if the technology meets cost-effectiveness tests developed by the Public Utilities Commission in a pending rulemaking.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 865* (Nestande-R) Solar energy: property tax: exclusion

Extends the "new construction" exclusion for active solar energy systems to improvements constructed through the 2032-33 fiscal year.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 932 (Blumenfield-D) Renewable Transition Financing Act

Enacts the Renewable Transition Financing Act, which authorizes a financing entity, as defined, to issue green rate reduction bonds, as defined, for the recovery of transition costs, as defined, by an electrical corporation.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 976 (Hall-D) Electricity: community choice aggregation: public contracts

Prohibits an individual or business that has been contracted to advise a local government on establishing a Community Choice Aggregation from bidding on subsequent contracts that were influenced by their previous contract.
Vetoed

AB 1050* (Ma-D) Telecommunications: prepaid mobile telephony services

Enacts the Prepaid Wireless Surcharge Collection Act. Establishes a prepaid communications charge, as defined, based upon a percentage of the sales price of each retail transaction that occurs in this state for prepaid mobile telephony services, as defined. The prepaid communications charge includes a state component, as defined, and if a local government has adopted utility user taxes or other specified charges that are otherwise applicable to prepaid mobile telephony services and the retail transaction occurs within that jurisdiction.
(Died in Senate Governance and Finance Committee)

AB 1064 (Furutani-D) Electrical power: ports

Makes a prohibition regarding funding for usable projects inapplicable for a shoreside electrical power infrastructure project that is administered by a California port, and requires that the individual segments of these projects be a part of an adopted terminal plan submitted to the Air Resources Board. Authorizes the Board, for a specified purpose, to allow a recipient agency for shore side electrical power infrastructure to average vessel calls made across multiple berths within a terminal.
(Died in Assembly Transportation Committee)

AB 1073* (Fuentes-D) Energy: solar thermal powerplants

Specifies that the California Energy Commission may retain jurisdiction over the siting of specific solar thermal powerplants that seek to convert to solar photovoltaic technology, even if the siting of that powerplant has been challenged in court, so long as that challenge has been dismissed by the California Supreme Court.
Chapter 14, Statutes of 2012

AB 1113 (Galgiani-D) Energy: agricultural byproducts

Replaces the existing pilot program for eligible biogas digester customer-generators with a net energy metering program for eligible customer-generators, as defined, that use agricultural residues, animal wastes, or animal renderings to generate electricity and that meet certain requirements.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1124 (Skinner-D) Energy efficiency program: landlord and tenant law

Provides that the law establishing multifamily habitability requirements shall not be interpreted to prohibit a tenant or owner of rental properties from qualifying for heating and hot water system repair or replacement under a utility energy efficiency program.
Chapter 600, Statutes of 2012

AB 1131 (Lara-D) Telecommunications: reporting requirements

Revises provisions relating to the identification and leasing of state property for wireless telecommunications facilities. Requires the Department of General Services to report by 1/31/12 on the number of wireless telecommunications lease agreements entered into with providers of wireless telecommunications services. The report includes the number of leases, revenue generated, and money deposited in the Digital Divide Account.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1160 (Hill-D) Public utilities: reporting: safety issues

Requires a public utility to file a completed report with the Public Utilities Commission within 30 days as to any final judgment, arbitration award, compromise, or settlement in excess of $50,000 in any civil action brought by an employee or former employee of the utility against the utility regarding safety issues that could jeopardize the lives or health of Californians.
(Died in Assembly Rules Committee)

AB 1186 (Skinner-D) School Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act

Directs the California Energy Commission to fund these same energy efficiency improvements for K-12 schools through the existing Bright Schools program and utilizes revenues from the sales of emissions credits from the California Air Resources Board's cap-and-trade program.
Vetoed

AB 1197 (Hill-D) Public Utilities Commission: whistleblower protection

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a whistleblower protection program to protect public utility employees, former employees, and third party contractors and subcontractors from management retaliation for bringing information to the Commission or other public entities regarding safety-related or other issues.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
A similar bill was AB 1843 (Hill-D) which died in Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1214 (Skinner-D) Electricity: electrical transmission

Requires the Public Utilities Commission and the Independent System Operator to coordinate the planning and approval of transmission facilities serving renewable generation that will be built in order to meet the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard goal of 33% by 2020.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 1235 (Roger Hernández-D) Energy: energy efficiency

Mandates that the San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and Pacific Gas and Electric companies (IOUs): (1) replace bulbs in street light poles with high-efficiency light bulbs at the same rate as any city, county or city and county (local governments) in their territory has installed high-efficiency bulbs. The local government facilities that the IOUs are supposed to match with installations are not specified; installations would be capped at 100 street light poles in each local government jurisdiction; and (2) post on the utility's Internet Web site specified information regarding energy efficiency (EE) programs including: a description of programs available; methodology used to determine whether EE programs are cost-effective; information to help consumer understand the costs and benefits of EE; sources of funding for EE; the total EE budget; a summary of all EE program expenditures; eligibility criteria for EE programs.
(Died in Senate Rules Committee)

AB 1255* (V. Manuel Pérez-D) Energy: renewable energy resources

Broadens eligibility for the planning grants to also include counties that enter into a memorandum of understanding with the California Energy Commission agreeing to participate in the development of a natural community conservation plan.
Chapter 601, Statutes of 2012

AB 1268 (Blumenfield-D) Telecommunications: usage notification

Requires that a provider of mobile data services, including a provider of mobile telephony services that includes mobile data service, to provide subscribers with a means by which a subscriber can obtain reasonably current and available information on the subscriber's mobile data service usage and charges. For a subscriber to a service plan that requires payment for a set volume of data or amount of connection time for mobile data service, where the subscriber pays additional charges if that volume or amount of connection time is exceeded, require that the provider of mobile data services alert the subscriber when the set volume or amount of connection time has been reached. Prohibits a provider of mobile telephony services from charging a subscriber for providing notice that they have used their allotment of airtime or text messages and would prohibit a provider of mobile data services from charging a subscriber for providing notice that they have used their allotted volume or connection time of mobile data services.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1302 (Williams-D) Electricity: distributed generation

Requires electrical utilities to designate areas within their service areas as optimal for deployment of distributed generation.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 1339* (Gorell-R) Emergency standby generators: income tax credits

Allows a credit under both the Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law for costs incurred in purchasing and installing an emergency standby generator at a service station so that service stations can provide services during power outages.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1347 (Grove-R) Oil and gas: geothermal: operations: enforcement actions

Requires the court's inquiry to extend to whether the decision of the Director of Conservation was unreasonable.
(Died in Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 1361 (Perea-D) Electricity: net metering

Revises the definition of an eligible customer-generator to include a state agency, as defined and requires that the generating capacity of a facility used by a state agency not exceed five megawatts pursuant to both the net energy metering requirements and the wind energy co-metering requirements.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1370 (Roger Hernández-D) Public Utilities Commission: policies: ratepayers' interest

Revises the definition of what is the ratepayer's interest and requires that activities that benefit ratepayers be measured by the program's impact on rates and costs and benefits of the program from the perspective of ratepayers, determined by calculating a benefit versus cost ratio greater than one on a total portfolio basis.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1376* (Nestande-R) Electrical energy production: sales taxes: exemption

Establishes a partial sales and use tax exemption for qualified tangible personal property used to produce electrical energy from renewable sources.
(Died in Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 1456 (Hill-D) Gas corporations: safety performance metrics: rate incentive

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to perform an analysis of benchmark data and adopt safety performance metrics for pipeline safety and permits the Commission to implement a rate incentive program related to safety that contains penalties using safety performance metrics.
Chapter 469, Statutes of 2012

AB 1457 (Huber-D) Electricity Oversight Board

Repeals the provisions that establish the Electricity Oversight Board to oversee the Independent System Operator and the Power Exchange in order to ensure the success of electric industry restructuring and to ensure a reliable supply of electricity in the transition to a new market structure, and deletes the repeal date of 1/1//13, which requires the Attorney General to represent the Department of Finance and to succeed to all rights, claims, powers, and entitlements of the Electricity Oversight Board in any litigation or settlement to obtain ratepayer recovery for the effects of the 2000-02 energy crisis, and additionally prohibits the Attorney General from expending the proceeds of any settlements of those claims, except as specified.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1477 (Assembly Budget Committee) Public utilities: projects

Amends the 2012-13 Budget Act, adopted on 6/15/12 in AB 1464, which, among other provisions, provide that the Department of Finance shall conduct an audit of the Renewable Resource Trust Fund and its related accounts and provide a final audit report to the Legislature no later than 6/30/13. This audit was inadvertently deleted in the Resources Trailer Bill, SB 1018 (Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, Chapter 39, Statutes of 2012), and reduces the Budget appropriation for three Public Utilities Commission programs: (1) Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Trust Administrative Committee Fund - $75 million reduction; (2) Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program Administrative Committee Fund - $22 million reduction; and (3) California Teleconnect Fund Administration Committee Fund - $15 million reduction. These reductions were necessary to correct reporting errors which overstated use of these programs.
Chapter 630, Statutes of 2012 -- Item Veto

AB 1486* (Lara-D) L.A. Regional Interoperable Communications System

Exempts the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System project from California Environmental Quality Act.
Chapter 690, Statutes of 2012

AB 1511 (Bradford-D) Transmission pipelines: real property: disclosures

Requires real estate sale contracts to include a specified notice informing purchasers of residential property about the existence of a database where information regarding gas and hazardous liquid transmission pipelines can be obtained.
Chapter 91, Statutes of 2012

AB 1514 (Bonnie Lowenthal-D) Utilities: excavations: subsurface installations: violations

Increases civil penalties for violations of excavations laws, and authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to provide a copy of an investigation report to prosecutors following an excavation-related violation.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1541 (Dickinson-D) Public Utilities Commission: public records

Revises exemption and disclosure provisions under the Public Records Act related to public utility information.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1627 (Dickinson-D) Energy: vehicle miles traveled

Requires the Office of Planning and Research, by 1/1/14, to prepare a manual for local governments, local agencies, and project developers to use, to reduce vehicle miles traveled in new residential and commercial building projects.
(Died in Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee)

AB 1650 (Portantino-D) Public utilities: emergency and disaster preparedness

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish standards for disaster and emergency preparedness plans within an existing procedure.
Chapter 472, Statutes of 2012

AB 1694 (Fuentes-D) Gas pipeline safety inspections

Permits the Public Utilities Commission to inspect mobilehome parks and propane suppliers at least once every seven years utilizing a risk-based assessment schedule.
Chapter 112, Statutes of 2012

AB 1703 (Hill-D) Public utilities: reporting: safety issues

Establishes reporting requirements for public utilities with regard to specified settlements of civil actions and prescribes penalties for non-compliance.
(Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1711 (Galgiani-D) Energy resources: energy savings program

Specifies that, for purposes of those provisions governing energy efficiency assessments, ratings, or improvement for residential buildings, an unreasonable or unnecessary effect on the home purchasing process or the ability of individuals to rent housing includes an act or requirement in the assessment, rating, or improvement of a residential building that results in certain costs or delays the close of escrow.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1755 (Perea-D) Electricity: rates

Permits the Public Utilities Commission to approve fixed per-customer charges for residential customers beyond the statutory caps on rate increases for tier one and two customers to cover the fixed costs of electric service if commission finds the charges are just and reasonable and will provide rate relief to upper tier customers.
(Died on Senate Inactive File)

AB 1760 (Halderman-R) Meteorological evaluation towers: navigable airspace

Requires that any meteorological evaluation tower, as defined, be painted in alternating bands of aviation orange and white paint, and requires that sleeves and high visibility spherical marker or cable balls of aviation orange color be placed, as specified, on its guy wires.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1771 (Valadao-R) Renewable energy resources: hydroelectric generation

Eliminates existing limitations applicable to hydroelectric facilities for purposes of eligibility for the Renewables Portfolio Standard, making any hydroelectric facility in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (Western U.S., British Colombia, Alberta and Baja California) eligible without regard to size.
(Failed passage in Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 1801 (Campos-D) Solar energy systems: land use: fees

Prohibits cities and counties from using the valuation method to calculate their fees for solar energy systems, such as charging fees based on the value of the system, property, materials, labor, or any other factor not directly associated with the cost to review and inspect the installation of the solar energy system.
Chapter 538, Statutes of 2012

AB 1843 (Hill-D) Public Utilities Commission: whistleblower protection

Requires the Public Utilities Commission, as part of an existing rulemaking, to establish a whistleblower protection program to protect public utility employees, former employees, and third party contractors and subcontractors from management retaliation for bringing information to the commission or other public entities regarding safety-related or other issues.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
A similar bill was AB 1197 (Hill-D) which died in Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1850 (Charles Calderon-D) Energy: appliance efficiency

Provides that the battery charger labeling requirements do not become effective and prohibits the enforcement of those requirements if, no later than 1/31/13, the United States Department of Energy issues a decision adopting a federal labeling requirement for battery chargers that becomes effective no later than 7/1/13.
(Died on Senate Inactive File)

AB 1868 (Pan-D) Renewable energy resources

Recasts the requirement that the Public Utilities Commission adopt banking rules and expands the banking rules to authorize excess procurement accumulated through 12/31/10, to be applied to subsequent compliance periods if specified conditions are met, and requires the governing board of a local publicly owned electric utility to adopt rules for banking in the same manner as the recast and expanded rules adopted by the Commission for retail sellers.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 1891 (Wagner-R) Energy: nuclear energy: study

Requires the California Energy Commission to prepare a report on how electric utilities can meet consumer demand for electricity consistent with applicable greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards, including recommendations on the role nuclear energy may serve in meeting those GHG emission standards.
(Died in Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 1900 (Gatto-D) Renewable energy resources: biomethane

Requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to determine the maximum concentration of constituents (COCs) of concern in landfill gas and requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to develop testing protocols for the those COCs. Requires PUC to adopt nondiscriminatory pipeline access rules and requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to identify impediments, to biomethane electricity procurement, and prohibits a gas producer from knowingly selling, transporting, or supplying gas from a hazardous waste landfill.
Chapter 602, Statutes of 2012

AB 1906 (Nestande-R) Utilities: California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006

Requires any investor-owned utility and any publicly owned utility that is subject to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, to use any proceeds it obtains from the monetization of any greenhouse gas emission allowances for the benefit of ratepayers to reduce rates that are above the cost of service.
(Died in Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 1990 (Fong-D) Renewable energy resources

Expands an existing program, which requires utilities to purchase renewable energy using a feed-in-tariff, and also expands the program from 750 megawatts (MWs) of total capacity to 940 MWs and requires electricity purchased under the expansion to be generated in disadvantaged communities.
(Died on Senate Inactive File)

AB 2075* (Fong-D) Net energy metering

Increases the capacity of fuel cell electrical generating facilities eligible for the fuel cell net energy metering tariff from one megawatt to three megawatts.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 2097 (Hill-D) Public utilities: safety reports

Requires an investor-owned utility that provides gas or electric service, or both, to annually report to the Public Utilities Commission on the disposition of all civil complaints against the utility where a matter of public safety that has substantial likelihood to jeopardize the lives or health of Californians is the gravamen of a claim in the complaint.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 2135 (Blumenfield-D) Solar distributed generation technology: building standards

Requires specified state entities to develop a guidebook to assist cities and counties in implementing building standards and permitting processes for solar distributed generation technology, and also allows the Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission to give priority in certain grant programs to cities and counties that adopt the policies in the guidebook.
(Died in Senate Governmental Organization Committee)

AB 2153 (Fletcher-I) Mobile telephony service

Deletes the requirement that states information from a mobile telephony services, regarding the subscriber's text messaging and Internet usage and charges, be provided no later than 1/1/07.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 2161 (Achadjian-R) Energy: renewable energy resources

Adds San Luis Obispo to the list of counties which are eligible for grants from the California Energy Commission for the development or revision of rules and policies including general plan elements, zoning ordinances, and natural community conservation plans, that facilitate the development of renewable energy resources and associated transmission facilities.
Chapter 250, Statutes of 2012

AB 2165 (Hill-D) Net energy metering: eligible fuel cell customer-generators

Raises the caps on fuel cell net energy metering for the state and individual investor-owned utilities, and also allows the Public Utilities Commission to authorize interconnection inspection services.
Chapter 603, Statutes of 2012

AB 2187 (Bradford-D) Renewable energy resources

Allows an electrical service provider to count the generation from any and all contracts entered into through 1/13/11, as eligible procurement for any of the three compliance periods and for any of the three product categories or bucket requirements.
Chapter 604, Statutes of 2012

AB 2196 (Chesbro-D) Renewable energy resources

Clarifies the definition of an eligible renewable electrical generation facility to include a facility that generates electricity utilizing biomethane delivered through a common carrier pipeline if the source and delivery of the fuel can be verified by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission), and counts in full, as eligible generation for the purpose of complying with the Renewable Portfolio Standard, electric generation that relies on procurement of biomethane from a contract executed, by a retail seller or local publicly owned utility and reported to the Energy Commission, prior to 3/29/12, and is contingent on AB 1900 (Gatto-D), Chapter 602, Statutes of 2012.
Chapter 605, Statutes of 2012

AB 2199 (Bradford-D) Distributed energy resources: tariffs

Deletes the reference to the report the Public Utilities Commission is required to prepare and submit to the Legislature on or before 6/1/02, that describes its proposed methodology for determining the new rates and the process by which it will establish those rates.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 2201 (Bradford-D) Elder California Pipeline Safety Act of 1981

Raises the civil penalties associated with violations of the Elder California Pipeline Safety Act of 1981. Specifically, it raises the civil penalties for each day that a violation of the Act persists from $10,000 to $200,000, and raises the civil penalties for any related series of violations of the Act from $500,000 to $2 million.
Chapter 481, Statutes of 2012

AB 2205 (V. Manuel Pérez-D) Energy: geothermal waste

Clarifies that "wastes from the extraction, beneficiation, and processing of ores and minerals" includes spent brine solutions that are used to produce geothermal energy and that are transferred, via a closed piping system, to an adjacent facility for reclamation, beneficiation, or processing to recover minerals or other commercial substances, if the spent brine solutions, and any liquid residuals derived from the solutions are (1) managed in accordance with specified provisions of the Code of Federal Regulations, (2) returned after processing, via closed piping, and subsequently managed in accordance with the exemption under existing law, and (3) not solid or semisolid hazardous residuals.
Chapter 253, Statutes of 2012

AB 2227 (Bradford-D) Local publicly owned electric utilities

Recasts and revises the reporting requirements of the publicly-owned electric utilities for the California Energy Commission and the California Solar Initiative which are intended to result in a streamlining and consolidation of reporting requirements.
Chapter 606, Statutes of 2012

AB 2234 (Hill-D) Electricity net energy metering

Raises the maximum size of renewable energy projects eligible for net metering for public agency utility customers.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 2235 (Hagman-R) Public utilities: inverse condemnation

Authorizes a property owner to seek compensation for any substantial reduction in property value proximately resulting from the building, expansion, or operation of a plant, line, pipeline, or other facility by a public utility. Specifies that the evidentiary rules and rules of civil procedures applicable to inverse condemnation actions would apply to such an action.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 2249 (Buchanan-D) Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007

Expands eligibility for incentives under the California Solar Initiative thermal program to include multifamily residential, governmental, educational, and nonprofit solar pool heating systems.
Chapter 607, Statutes of 2012

AB 2339 (Williams-D) Energy: geothermal technologies

Requires the California Energy Commission (CEC), under the Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission and other stakeholders, to evaluate and recommend policies and implementation strategies related to overcoming barriers to the deployment and use of geothermal heat pumps and geothermal ground loop technologies, and requires the CEC to include those evaluations and recommendations in the integrated energy policy report that is required to be adopted for calendar year 2013.
Chapter 608, Statutes of 2012

AB 2340 (Williams-D) Distribution grid upgrade costs

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to hold a formal proceeding, on or before 7/1/13, to develop rules for ratepayer reimbursement of distribution grid upgrade costs to accommodate the interconnection of developers of generating facilities.
(Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 2341 (Williams-D) Distribution grid: distributed generation

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to ensure through its electric general rate cases and related proceedings, that all investments in the distribution grid are compatible with optimal deployment of distributed generation, to the extent grid upgrades are required to meet a goal of 12,000 megawatts of distributed generation by 2020.
(Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 2355 (Beth Gaines-R) Energy: appliance efficiency: battery chargers

Specifies that energy efficiency requirements for non-USB battery chargers adopted on or before 1/1/14 will become effective on that date.
(Died in Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 2390 (Chesbro-D) Electricity: biomass: incentive programs

Requires the California Energy Commission to establish an incentive program to compensate producers and collectors of biomass materials.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 2409 (Allen-D) Energy efficiency

Requires the California Energy Commission to review emerging technology financing models used in other states to finance energy efficiency technology deployments and services that maximize private sector investment in California, and authorizes the Commission to establish and consult with an investment advisory group consisting of private and public investors.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 2450 (Hall-D) Electric Program Investment Charge

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to allocate at least $15 million annually from the Electric Program Investment Charge to fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the Air Resources Board's Clean Vehicle Rebate Program (CRVP), and specifies this funding is to supplement, not supplant, funding for the CVRP from other sources.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2459 (Torres-D) Local emergency telephone systems

Requires the California 911 Emergency Communications Office to develop and implement a public education campaign to instruct the public on appropriate and inappropriate uses of the 911 emergency telephone system.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 2461 (Davis-D) Low-income energy efficiency programs

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to expand the scope of the Energy Savings Assistance Program to increase its penetration in low-income communities, and specifically to include schools, small businesses, and community centers.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AB 2514 (Bradford-D) Net energy metering

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to complete a study on the net energy metering program, to address the benefits and burdens of the program on ratepayers.
Chapter 609, Statutes of 2012

AB 2516 (Bradford-D) Independent System Operator

Requires the California Independent System Operator to conduct internal operations in a manner that minimizes cost impacts on ratepayers and to communicate with all balancing area authorities in the state in a manner that supports electrical reliability.
Chapter 127, Statutes of 2012

AB 2529 (Wieckowski-D) Electric utilities

Revises the SB 1018 (Resources Budget Trailer bill) procedures to require the Public Utilities Commission to require all revenue received by electric utilities resulting from freely allocated allowances to be returned to all retail customers in proportion to the increase in electricity cost those customers incur as a result of a market-based compliance mechanism adopted pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.
(Died in Senate Rules Committee)

AB 2551 (Hueso-D) Renewable energy zones: infrastructure financial districts

Authorizes cities and counties to establish infrastructure financing districts (IFDs) and use tax increment revenues derived from project areas to finance renewable energy infrastructure or renewable energy upgrades. An IFD formed for this purpose would be exempt from voter approval requirements for formation of the district, adoption of an infrastructure financing plan, and issuance of bonds.
Vetoed

AB 2556 (Allen-D) Electrical lines: trimming of trees

Requires every investor-owned electrical utility and every publicly-owned electric utility to avoid excessive tree trimming and to notify the public prior to removing trees.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2559 (Buchanan-D) Gas pipeline projects: approval

Provides the state's gas utilities with expedited ministerial permitting for pipeline inspection, remediation, removal and replacement work undertaken pursuant to pipeline integrity management.
Chapter 486, Statutes of 2012

AB 2584 (Bradford-D) Electrical corporations: investigations

Requires every electric corporation to fully cooperate with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in its investigations and provide the PUC, upon its request, with access to specified information and retain documentation from an accident for five years, or a shorter period of time as authorized by the PUC.
Chapter 262, Statutes of 2012

AB 2590 (Blumenfield-D) Investor owned electric utilities: reports

Mandates investor owned electric utilities to post any reports required by a revision to the Public Utilities Commission's Electric Rule 21 on its Internet Web site if that revision is adopted after 1/1/12.
(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)

AB 2644 (Butler-D) Electric vehicle charging stations: building standards

Requires the California Building Standards Commission as a part of the next triennial edition of the California Building Standards Code adopted after 1/1/12, to adopt building standards for the construction, installation, and alteration of electric vehicle charging stations for parking spaces in single-family residential properties.
(Died in Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee)

AB 2696 (Assembly Utilities And Commerce Committee) Energy: Public Utilities Code

Corrects incorrect Public Utilities Code references to code sections that were moved or repealed as a result of other enacted statutes, and renumbers several sections of the Public Utilities Code and revises grammar and cross-references to other code sections.
(Died at Senate Desk)

ACR 144 (Fong-D) Public Utilities Commission: settlement with NRG Energy

Urges that the full terms, conditions, and circumstances of the settlement between the Public Utilities Commission and NRG Energy be made available for public review and comment to ensure incorporation of key principles that will result in ratepayer benefit, consumer choice, and competitive fairness in California's electric vehicle market.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

AJR 33 (Bradford-D) Southwest Power Outage

Requests the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to include in its investigation of the Southwest Power Outage an inquiry as to whether the balancing authorities were in compliance with rules that require a balancing authority to be able to maintain reliability in the event that one part of the system fails, to provide information to the Legislature on the status of its investigation into the Southwest Power Outage, and to provide oversight to the North American Electric Reliability Council and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council in a manner that ensures that balancing authorities are prepared for unplanned outages in the event that they are relying on electricity from or through another balancing authority.
(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)

Index (in Measure Order)

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Note: * Denotes Urgency or Tax Levy Legislation.