Bill Text: CA AB3246 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Electricity: permit to construct: advanced reconductoring: exemption.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed) 2024-05-24 - In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. [AB3246 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB3246-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 18, 2024 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 3246
| Introduced by Assembly Member Garcia (Coauthor: Senator Dodd) |
February 16, 2024 |
An act to add Section 565 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 3246, as amended, Garcia.
Electricity: transmission. permit to construct: advanced reconductoring: exemption.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory jurisdiction over public utilities, including electrical corporations. The commission, through a general order, prohibits an electrical corporation from beginning construction in this state of any electrical line facilities or substations meeting certain requirements without the commission having first authorized the construction of those facilities by issuing a permit to construct.
This bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2026, to update the above-described general order to provide an exemption that would instead authorize an electrical corporation to seek the commission’s approval of advanced reconductoring, as defined, of its existing electrical transmission facilities through the commission’s informal advice letter process, as specified. The
bill would require this advice letter to contain certain information, including, among other information, an estimate of the increased capacity expansion.
Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.
Because the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing its requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory jurisdiction over public utilities, including electrical corporations. The Public Utilities Act prohibits any electrical corporation from beginning the construction of, among other things, a line, plant, or system, or of any extension thereof, without having first obtained from the commission a certificate that the present or future public convenience and necessity requires or will require that construction.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that will enable the integration of advanced conductor technology with California’s transmission system to maximize system efficiency and reduce ratepayer electricity costs.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee:Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 565 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:565.
(a) On or before January 1, 2026, the commission shall update General Order 131-D to provide an exemption from Section III(B) (Permit to Construct) of that general order to instead authorize an electrical corporation to seek the commission’s approval of advanced reconductoring of its existing electrical transmission facilities, including electrical transmission lines and substations within existing transmission easements, rights-of-way, or franchise agreements, irrespective of whether the electrical transmission facility is above a 200-kilovolt voltage level, through the commission’s informal advice letter process.(b) The electrical corporation shall seek commission approval for advanced reconductoring that is eligible for the advice letter
process described in subdivision (a) by filing a Tier 2 Advice Letter that identifies the advanced reconductoring, establishes that the advanced reconductoring meets the requirements of this section, estimates the increased capacity expansion, and demonstrates that the advanced reconductoring is a prudent and reasonable investment.
(c) On or before January 1, 2026, the commission shall update the Tier 2 Advice Letter process in General Order 96-B to authorize the filing described in subdivision (b).
(d) As used in this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Advanced conductor” means an overhead electricity conductor installed in a transmission or distribution project that has a direct current electrical resistance at least 10 percent lower than existing conductors of a similar diameter on the system.
(2) “Advanced reconductoring” means replacing an existing transmission or distribution line with an advanced conductor.
SEC. 2.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.It is the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that will enable the integration of advanced conductor technology with California’s transmission system to maximize system efficiency and reduce ratepayer electricity costs.
