Bill Text: CA AB1198 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: GO-Biz: Energy Unit: equity.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2023-08-14 - In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. [AB1198 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB1198-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  April 17, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1198

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Introduced by Assembly Member Grayson
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Gipson, Low, and Quirk-Silva) Quirk-Silva and Schiavo)
(Coauthors: Senators Alvarado-Gil and Caballero)

February 16, 2023

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An act to add and repeal Article 10.5 (commencing with Section 12100.115) of Chapter 1.6 of Part 2 of Division 3 of Title 2 of amend Section 12100.110 of, and to add Section 12100.111 to, the Government Code, relating to energy.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1198, as amended, Grayson. GO-Biz: Equity in energy task force. Energy Unit: equity.

Existing law establishes the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, known as “GO-Biz,” within the Governor’s office to serve the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. Existing law establishes, within GO-Biz, the Energy Unit to accelerate the planning, financing, and execution of critical energy infrastructure projects that are necessary for the state to reach its climate, energy, and sustainability policy goals, including by identifying barriers, making recommendations, creating a working group, coordinating between the state’s climate and energy agencies, and cooperating with local, regional, federal, and California public and private businesses and investors. Existing law requires the Energy Unit to submit a report to the Legislature on its activities on or before February 1 of each year, as specified.

This bill would establish, within GO-Biz, the Equity in Energy Task Force with members as defined. The bill would require the task force to develop a comprehensive strategy aimed at addressing equity in the energy industry and increasing the participation rate of require the Energy Unit to identify, among other things, the participation levels of businesses owned by women, minorities, disabled individuals, and veteran-owned businesses, as well as individuals from disadvantaged communities. The bill would require the task force to meet 12 times between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, and to submit a report to the Legislature, no later than December 31, 2024, providing Energy Unit to hold at least 3 public workshops and engage with stakeholders and specified representatives to develop recommendations to address barriers to access to the energy industry and how to increase the participation rate for underrepresented communities. The bill would require the task force Energy Unit to work with designated agencies to identify workforce development programs specific to the energy industry and to gather data on specified communities, as well as how education and outreach is conducted in these communities. The bill would also require the task force to meet annually, commencing January 1, 2025, to review progress in increasing the participation levels in the specified communities. The bill would repeal these provisions on December 31, 2030. Energy Unit to include those findings and recommendations in its annual report to the Legislature. The bill would also make related legislative findings and declarations.

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 12100.110 of the Government Code is amended to read:

12100.110.

 (a) The Energy Unit is hereby created within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.

(b) The Governor shall appoint a deputy director who shall have direct authority over the Energy Unit and serve at the pleasure of the Governor.

(c) The purpose of the Energy Unit is to accelerate the planning, financing, and execution of critical energy infrastructure projects that are necessary for the state to reach its climate, energy, and sustainability policy goals.

(d) The Energy Unit shall work with energy project developers and load-serving entities, as defined in Section 380 of the Public Utilities Code, to identify barriers to construction and development of critical energy infrastructure projects and to make recommendations to relevant state agencies and local governments on how to overcome those barriers.

(e) The Energy Unit shall create a working group that includes local and federal partners to address land use issues related to critical energy infrastructure projects.

(f) In organizing and managing the Energy Unit, the deputy director shall establish and implement a process to coordinate between the state’s climate and energy agencies in order to identify the critical energy infrastructure projects that will form the operational mandate of the Energy Unit.

(g) In operating the Energy Unit, the deputy director shall cooperate with local, regional, federal, and California public and private businesses and investors to eliminate barriers to the completion of critical energy infrastructure projects.

(h) The Energy Unit’s work shall complement, not conflict with, efforts by the state’s climate and energy agencies.

(i) This section, and the Energy Unit’s implementation of this section, does not change the regulatory authority of the state’s climate and energy agencies.

(j) (1) On or before February 1 of each year, the Energy Unit shall annually submit a report to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature that includes all of the following information:

(A) The infrastructure priorities identified for purposes of the prior calendar year.

(B) The constituencies coordinated with in order to advance those infrastructure priorities in the prior calendar year.

(C) The strategies implemented and steps taken to address barriers to and advance critical energy infrastructure projects in the prior calendar year.

(D) Any recommendations to the Legislature that would accelerate the Energy Unit’s progress.

(E) The findings and recommendations required by Section 12100.111.

(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.

SEC. 2.

 Section 12100.111 is added to the Government Code, immediately following Section 12100.110, to read:

12100.111.

 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) California has been and continues to be a global leader on climate change policy, with goals of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.

(2) California has made significant and sustained investments towards programs whose purpose is to reduce California’s greenhouse emissions.

(3) Minority small business enterprises number over 1,200,000 in California, making up nearly one-third of all small businesses in the state.

(4) Evidence shows that there is a huge gap in minority small business enterprises’ participation in the market transition to a low-carbon future. It is essential that minority enterprises actively participate in delivering solutions that help California achieve its aggressive climate goals.

(5) Effective pathways need to be created to ensure that disadvantaged businesses in areas of high poverty and low investment in California have access to the opportunities, resources, partnerships, knowledge, and enabling technologies necessary to start, build, and scale enterprises that create high road jobs and essential community wealth-building opportunities.

(b) The Energy Unit shall do all of the following:

(1) Identify nonratepayer energy funding, including, but not limited to, grants, tax credits, loans, technical assistance, and workforce training funding across local, state, and federal departments and agencies.

(2) Identify whether existing state energy programs include an equity component.

(3) Identify, in collaboration with the Small Business Advocate, the participation levels of businesses owned by women, minorities, disabled individuals, veterans, and individuals from disadvantaged communities.

(4) (A) Provide recommendations on addressing barriers to access the energy industry and how to increase participation levels among the communities listed in paragraph (3).

(B) In developing the recommendations required by subparagraph (A), the Energy Unit shall hold no less than three public workshops throughout the state and engage with stakeholders and administration representatives from chambers of commerce, labor, the Energy Commission, the Public Utilities Commission, the State Air Resources Board, the California Workforce Development Board, and the California Community Colleges.

(5) Work with the Small Business Advocate, the California Workforce Development Board, and the California Community Colleges to identify workforce development programs in California specific to the energy industry and gather data on how education and outreach is conducted to the communities listed in paragraph (3).

SECTION 1.Article 10.5 (commencing with Section 12100.115) is added to Chapter 1.6 of Part 2 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, to read:

10.5.Equity in Energy Task Force

12100.115.

In enacting this article, the Legislature finds and declares:

(a)California has been and continues to be a global leader on climate change policy, with goals of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.

(b)California has made significant and sustained investments towards programs whose purpose is to reduce California’s greenhouse emissions.

(c)Minority small business enterprises number over 1,200,000 in California, making up nearly one-third of all small businesses in the state.

(d)Evidence shows that there is a huge gap in minority small business enterprises’ participation in the market transition to a low carbon future. It is essential that minority enterprises actively participate in delivering solutions that help California achieve its aggressive climate goals.

(e)Effective pathways need to be created to ensure that disadvantaged businesses in areas of high poverty and low investment in California have access to the opportunities, resources, partnerships, knowledge, and enabling technologies necessary to start, build, and scale enterprises that create high road jobs and essential community wealth building opportunities.

12100.116.

(a)There is hereby established, within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the Equity in Energy Task Force.

(b)The task force shall perform all of the following duties:

(1)Identify all energy resources, including, but not limited to, grants, tax credits, loans, technical assistance, and workforce training funding across state departments and agencies.

(2)Identify whether existing programs include an equity component and the participation levels of women, minorities, disabled individuals, veteran-owned businesses, and individuals from disadvantaged communities.

(3)Provide recommendations on addressing barriers to access to the energy industry and how to increase participation levels among underrepresented communities.

(4)Establish participation targets for the equitable allocation of resources.

(5)Work with the California Workforce Development Board and California Community Colleges to identify California’s workforce development programs specific to the energy industry and gather data on the participation rates of disadvantaged communities, small businesses, and disabled veteran business enterprises, as well as how education and outreach is conducted to these communities.

(c)The task force shall submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature, no later than December 31, 2024, providing recommendations on addressing barriers to access to the energy industry and how to increase participation levels. The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.

12100.117.

(a)The task force shall consist of 14 members, appointed as follows:

(1)An appointee from the Assembly.

(2)An appointee from the Senate.

(3)An appointee from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.

(4)An appointee from the California Workforce Development Board.

(5)An appointee from the CalAsian Chamber of Commerce.

(6)An appointee from the California African American Chamber of Commerce.

(7)An appointee from the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

(8)An appointee from the Energy Commission.

(9)An appointee from the Public Utilities Commission.

(10)An appointee from the Strategic Growth Council.

(11)An appointee from the California Community Colleges.

(12)An appointee from the Treasurer.

(13)An appointee from the California Air Resources Board.

(14)An appointee from the State Building and Construction Trades Council.

(b)The first meeting of the task force shall occur no later than January 31, 2024.

(c)The task force shall convene 12 meetings over a period of 12 months between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024.

(d)Beginning January 1, 2025, the task force shall meet annually to review progress in the participation levels of women, minorities, disabled individuals, veteran-owned businesses, and individuals from disadvantaged communities in the energy sector.

12100.118.

This article shall remain in effect only until December 31, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.