Bill Text: CA AB1144 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Self-generation incentive program: community energy storage systems: high fire threat districts.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2019-10-02 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 394, Statutes of 2019. [AB1144 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB1144-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  August 12, 2019

Amended  IN  Senate  July 01, 2019

Amended  IN  Assembly  April 11, 2019

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 13, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1144

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Introduced by Assembly Member Friedman
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bigelow and Cunningham)
(Coauthor: Senator Stern)

February 21, 2019

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An act to add Section 379.9 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1144, as amended, Friedman. Self-generation incentive program: community energy storage systems: high fire threat districts.

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to require the administration, until January 1, 2026, of a self-generation incentive program to increase the development of distributed generation resources and energy storage technologies. Existing law authorizes the commission, in administering the program, to adjust the amount of rebates and evaluate other public policy interests, including, but not limited to, ratepayers, energy efficiency, peak load reduction, load management, and environmental interests.

This bill would require the commission, in administering the self-generation incentive program, to allocate at least 10% of the annual collection for the program in the 2020 calendar year for the installation of energy storage and other distributed energy resources for customers that provide operate critical facilities or critical infrastructure to serving communities in high fire threat districts to support resiliency during a deenergizing event. deenergization event. The bill would require the commission commission, when allocating these funds, to prioritize funding for to projects by a customer for eligible customers meeting specified criteria. The bill would require the commission to include an evaluation of the performance and impact of projects funded in a relevant self-generation incentive program evaluation report no later than June 1, 2023. December 31, 2022.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 379.9 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

379.9.

 (a) In administering the self-generation incentive program pursuant to Section 379.6, the commission shall allocate at least 10 percent of the annual collection for the program in the 2020 calendar year for the installation of energy storage and other eligible distributed energy resources as determined by the commission pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 379.6 for customers that provide operate a critical facility or critical infrastructure to serving communities in high fire threat districts to support resiliency during a deenergizing deenergization event. Eligible customers may include, but are not limited to, emergency responders, emergency operations centers, emergency shelters, water suppliers, wastewater agencies, hospitals, fire stations, police stations, telecommunications providers, and schools. and police stations.

(b) In allocating funds pursuant to subdivision (a), the commission shall do all of the following:

(1) Adjust the rules of the self-generation incentive program program, if necessary, for only the amount allocated pursuant to subdivision (a) to allow for the use of backup power as an eligible use. when electricity is shut off due to wildfire risk.

(2) Prioritize funding to projects for an eligible customer that does eligible customers that do all of the following:

(A) Demonstrates Demonstrate a financial need.

(B) Has been identified as a customer providing Operate a critical facility or critical infrastructure to serving communities in high fire threat districts necessary for the broader community to support resiliency during a deenergizing deenergization event.

(C) Demonstrates the customer is coordinating Demonstrate coordination with the electrical corporation serving the customer’s community, relevant local governments, and the Office of Emergency Services for emergency and disaster planning and preparedness, including the impacts of wildfires. preparedness.

(3) Ensure that customers receiving funding pursuant to subdivision (a) are informed of the potential limitations of the energy storage and distributed energy resources system to provide reliable backup power, particularly for unplanned and extended loss of power.

(4) Include an evaluation of the performance and impact of the projects funded pursuant to subdivision (a) in a relevant self-generation incentive program evaluation report no later than June 1, 2023. December 31, 2022. The evaluation shall include a list of projects funded; customers receiving funding and the type of customer operating each project; project. For a representative sampling of projects, the evaluation shall also include the known and expected performance of each project as a source of backup power; the impact of the project on greenhouse gas emissions; the demonstrated financial need of the customer; the communities served by the critical facility or critical infrastructure; the designation of the project as critical infrastructure; customer coordination regarding critical infrastructure with the Office of Emergency Services, the electrical corporation serving the community, and relevant local governments; and any other information the commission deems useful.

(c) The commission may prioritize funding for additional customers located in high fire threat districts and may continue to prioritize self-generation incentive program funding for customers that operate critical facilities or critical infrastructure serving communities in high fire threat districts in subsequent years.