Bill Text: CA AB1291 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Electricity: rates: baseline quality.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2018-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1291 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB1291-Introduced.html

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1291

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Introduced by Assembly Member Patterson

February 17, 2017

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An act to add Section 739.11 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1291, as introduced, Patterson. Electricity: rates: baseline quality.

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to ensure that rates charged by an electrical corporation are sufficient to enable the electrical corporation to recover a just and reasonable amount of revenue from residential customers. Existing law requires the commission to designate a baseline quantity of electricity, which is necessary to supply a significant portion of the reasonable energy needs of the average residential customer, taking into account differentials in energy use by climatic zone and season. Existing law requires every electrical corporation to file a schedule of rates and charges providing baseline rates that apply to the first or lowest block, which is the baseline quantity, of an increasing block rate structure. Under its existing authority, the commission has established electricity baseline quantities for the summer and winter seasons for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

The bill would require the commission to establish the electricity baseline quantities for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, as specified.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

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 739.11 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

739.11.

 For residential customers of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company who are not time-of-use customers, the commission shall establish a baseline quantity, as defined in Section 739, for the summer season based on the residential electricity usage between June 1 and September 30 of each year and for the winter season based on the residential electricity usage between October 1 and May 31 of each year.

SEC. 2.

 The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the service territory of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company spans different climactic zones in the state.