Bill Text: CA AB1258 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 1258 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Electricity: hydroelectric and pumped storage facilities.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-03 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1258 Detail]

Download: California-2013-AB1258-Amended.html

BILL NUMBER: AB 1258	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 23, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 13, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Skinner

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2013

   An act to  amend Section 2836 of the Public Utilities Code
   add and repeal Section 25325 of the Public Resources
Code  , relating to electricity.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1258, as amended, Skinner. Electricity: hydroelectric  and
pump   ed storage  facilities. 
   Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and
Development Commission, beginning November 1, 2003, and every 2 years
thereafter, to adopt an integrated energy policy report which
includes an overview of major energy trends and issues facing the
state. Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation
and Development Commission, beginning November 1, 2004, and every 2
years thereafter, to prepare an energy policy review to update
analyses from the integrated energy policy report or to raise energy
issues that have emerged since the release of the integrated energy
policy report.  
   The Public Utilities Act imposes various duties and
responsibilities on the Public Utilities Commission with respect to
the purchase of electricity and requires the Public Utilities
Commission to review and adopt a procurement plan and a renewable
energy procurement plan for each electrical corporation, as defined,
pursuant to the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program. The
California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program requires the Public
Utilities Commission to establish a rewewables portfolio standard
requiring all retail sellers, as defined, to procure a minimum
quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy
resources, as defined, at specified percentages of the total
kilowatthours sold to their retail end-customers during specified
compliance periods. The program additionally requires each local
publicly owned electric utility, as defined, to procure a minimum
quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy
resources to achieve the targets established by the program. The
program requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and
Development Commission to perform various activities, including
certification of eligible renewable energy resources, the design and
implementation of an accounting system to verify compliance with the
renewables portfolio standard by retail sellers and local publicly
owned electric utilities, and establishing a system for tracking and
verifying renewable energy credits, as defined.  
   This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation
and Development Commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities
Commission, the Department of Water Resources, the Independent
System Operator, electrical corporations, publicly owned utilities,
federal power marketing authorities, and the federal Bureau of
Reclamation, to perform a technical analysis of the potential use of
existing hydroelectric and pumped storage facilities, as specified,
to provide additional operational flexibility that could facilitate
the integration of eligible renewable energy resources for the state'
s electrical grid. The bill would require the State Energy Resources
Conservation and Development Commission to complete its technical
analysis and include its analysis in an energy policy review by
November 1, 2014.  
   Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has
regulatory authority over public utilities and can establish its own
procedures, subject to statutory limitations or directions and
constitutional requirements of due process.  
   Existing law requires the PUC to open a new proceeding to
determine the appropriate targets, if any, for each load-serving
entity to procure viable and cost-effective energy storage systems to
be achieved by December 31, 2015, and December 31, 2020. 

   This bill would require the PUC, on or before March 1, 2014, to
open a new proceeding or expand the scope of an existing proceeding
to determine the potential use of existing hydroelectric facilities
and specified pumped storage facilities to provide additional
operational flexibility that could facilitate the integration of
renewable resources. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  It is the intent of the Legislature that load serving
entities maximize the use of existing hydroelectric and pumped
storage facilities for energy storage and renewable energy
integration  , subject to constraints required to protect
fish, wildlife, and public safety  .
   SEC. 2.    Section 25325 is added to the  
Public Resources Code   , to read:  
   25325.  (a) The commission, in consultation with the Public
Utilities Commission, the Department of Water Resources, the
Independent System Operator, electrical corporations, publicly owned
utilities, federal power marketing authorities, and the federal
Bureau of Reclamation, shall perform a technical analysis of the
potential use of existing hydroelectric and pumped storage facilities
to provide additional operational flexibility that could facilitate
the integration of eligible renewable energy resources for the state'
s electrical grid.
   (b) The technical analysis shall include scenarios, based on
available operation and modeling data, on the means, if any, to
improve and optimize the operation of hydroelectric and pumped
storage facilities in a manner that meets California's environmental
and energy goals and in a manner that could reduce costs to consumers
and reduce impacts on the environment.
   (c) The technical analysis required by this section shall include
the following pumped storage facilities:
   (1) Helms pumped storage facility.
   (2) Balsam Meadow pumped storage facility.
   (3) Oroville pumped storage facility.
   (4) Castaic pumped storage facility.
   (5) San Luis pumped storage facility.
   (d) The commission shall complete its technical analysis and
include its analysis in an energy policy review, made pursuant to
subdivision (d) of Section 25302, by November 1, 2014.
   (e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2017, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2017, deletes or extends
that date.  
  SEC. 2.    Section 2836 of the Public Utilities
Code is amended to read:
   2836.  (a) (1) On or before March 1, 2012, the commission shall
open a proceeding to determine appropriate targets, if any, for each
load-serving entity to procure viable and cost-effective energy
storage systems to be achieved by December 31, 2015, and December 31,
2020. As part of this proceeding, the commission may consider a
variety of possible policies to encourage the cost-effective
deployment of energy storage systems, including refinement of
existing procurement methods to properly value energy storage
systems.
   (2) The commission shall adopt the procurement targets, if
determined to be appropriate pursuant to paragraph (1), by October 1,
2013.
   (3) The commission shall reevaluate the determinations made
pursuant to this subdivision not less than once every three years.
   (4) Nothing in this section prohibits the commission's evaluation
and approval of any application for funding or recovery of costs of
any ongoing or new development, trialing, and testing of energy
storage projects or technologies outside of the proceeding required
by this chapter.
   (b) (1) On or before March 1, 2012, the governing board of each
local publicly owned electric utility shall initiate a process to
determine appropriate targets, if any, for the utility to procure
viable and cost-effective energy storage systems to be achieved by
December 31, 2016, and December 31, 2020. As part of this proceeding,
the governing board may consider a variety of possible policies to
encourage the cost-effective deployment of energy storage systems,
including refinement of existing procurement methods to properly
value energy storage systems.
   (2) The governing board shall adopt the procurement targets, if
determined to be appropriate pursuant to paragraph (1), by October 1,
2014.
   (3) The governing board shall reevaluate the determinations made
pursuant to this subdivision not less than once every three years.
   (c) (1) On or before March 1, 2014, the commission shall open a
new proceeding or expand the scope of an existing proceeding to
determine the potential use of existing hydroelectric facilities and
pumped storage facilities specified in paragraph (2) to provide
additional operational flexibility that could facilitate the
integration of renewable resources.
   (2) The pumped storage facilities to which paragraph (1) applies
are the Helms pumped storage facility, the Balsam Meadow pumped
storage facility, the Oroville pumped storage facility, the Castaic
pumped storage facility, and the San Luis pumped storage facility.