Bill Text: CA AB1358 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 1358

Bill Title: Renewable energy generation: transmission planning: report.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2024-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1358 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB1358-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly April 06, 2023

Amended IN Assembly March 30, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1358

Introduced by Assembly Member Muratsuchi

February 17, 2023

An act to ~~add Section 25234 to the Public Resources~~ amend Section 454.53 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to energy.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1358, as amended, Muratsuchi. Renewable energy generation: ~~interconnection: study.~~ transmission planning: report.

Existing law establishes the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program to attain a target of generating 20% of total retail sales of electricity in California from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, by December 31, 2013, 33% by December 31, 2020, 50% by December 31, 2026, and 60% by December 31, 2030. Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), as part of that program, to establish the quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources to be procured by each retail seller for each compliance period, and requires those quantities to reflect reasonable progress in each of the intervening years sufficient to ensure that the procurement of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources achieves 25% of retail sales by December 31, 2016, 33% by December 31, 2020, 44% by December 31, 2024, 52% by December 31, 2027, and 60% by December 31, 2030. Existing law requires each local publicly owned electric utility to adopt and implement a renewable energy resources procurement plan to achieve those same specified targets applicable to each retail seller.

Existing law establishes a policy of the state that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 90% of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2035, 95% of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2040, 100% of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2045, and 100% of electricity procured to serve all state agencies by December 31, 2035. Existing law requires the PUC, State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, and State Air Resources Board to issue a joint report to the Legislature by January 1, 2021, and at least every 4 years thereafter, that includes, among other things, a review of this policy and the barriers to, and benefits of, achieving the policy.

This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, on or before December 31, 2024, and in consultation with the PUC and Independent System Operator, to conduct a study on how to expedite the interconnection of renewable energy generation in order to achieve the goals described above.
This bill would require those entities to also include in the joint report a statewide transmission plan to facilitate the timely attainment of the policy and the targets of the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, as specified.

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

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

SECTION 1.
It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this bill to require planning for any new transmission that is needed to meet California’s renewable energy and clean energy goals.

SEC. 2.

Section 454.53 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:

454.53.

(a) It is the policy of the state that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 90 percent of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2035, 95 percent of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2040, 100 percent of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2045, and 100 percent of electricity procured to serve all state agencies by December 31, 2035. The achievement of this policy for California shall not increase carbon emissions elsewhere in the western grid and shall not allow resource shuffling. The commission and Energy Commission, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, shall take steps to ensure that a transition to a zero-carbon electric system for the State of California does not cause or contribute to greenhouse gas emissions increases elsewhere in the western grid, and is undertaken in a manner consistent with clause 3 of Section 8 of Article I of the United States Constitution. The commission, the Energy Commission, the State Air Resources Board, and all other state agencies shall incorporate this policy into all relevant planning.

(b) The commission, Energy Commission, State Air Resources Board, and all other state agencies shall ensure that actions taken in furtherance of subdivision (a) do all of the following:

(1) Maintain and protect the safety, reliable operation, and balancing of the electric system.

(2) Prevent unreasonable impacts to electricity, gas, and water customer rates and bills resulting from implementation of this section, taking into full consideration the economic and environmental costs and benefits of renewable energy and zero-carbon resources.

(3) To the extent feasible and authorized under law, lead to the adoption of policies and taking of actions in other sectors to obtain greenhouse gas emission reductions that ensure equity between other sectors and the electricity sector.

(4) Not affect in any manner the rules and requirements for the oversight of, and enforcement against, retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities pursuant to the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11) of Chapter 2.3) and Sections 454.51, 454.52, 9621, and 9622.

(c) Nothing in this section shall affect a retail seller’s obligation to comply with the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 2601 et seq.).

(d) The commission, Energy Commission, and State Air Resources Board shall do all of the following:

(1) Use programs authorized under existing statutes to achieve the policy described in subdivision (a).

(2) In consultation with all California balancing authorities, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 399.12, as part of a public process, issue a joint report to the Legislature by January 1, 2021, and at least every four years thereafter. The joint report shall include all of the following:

(A) A review of the policy described in subdivision (a) focused on technologies, forecasts, then-existing transmission, and maintaining safety, environmental and public safety protection, affordability, and system and local reliability.

(B) An evaluation identifying the potential benefits and impacts on system and local reliability associated with achieving the policy described in subdivision (a).

(C) An evaluation identifying the nature of any anticipated financial costs and benefits to electric, gas, and water utilities, including customer rate impacts and benefits.

(D) The barriers to, and benefits of, achieving the policy described in subdivision (a).

(E) Alternative scenarios in which the policy described in subdivision (a) can be achieved and the estimated costs and benefits of each scenario.

(F) A statewide transmission plan to facilitate the timely attainment of the policy described in subdivision (a) and the targets of the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11) of Chapter 2.3). The plan shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following:
(i) A comparison of existing transmission infrastructure with the transmission infrastructure that will be required to achieve both the policy described in subdivision (a) and the targets of the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program.
(ii) A description of the approximate amount and location of new transmission infrastructure in California that will be required in order to achieve both the policy described in subdivision (a) and the targets of the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program.
(iii) A description of any barriers to, and benefits of, deployment of the new transmission infrastructure described in clause (ii).

(3) On or before December 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, in consultation with California balancing authorities, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 399.12, and as part of, or an interim addendum to, the quadrennial joint report required by paragraph (2), as applicable, issue a joint reliability progress report that reviews system and local reliability within the context of the policy described in subdivision (a), with a particular focus on summer reliability. The joint reliability progress report shall identify challenges and gaps, if any, to achieving system and local reliability and identify the amount and cause of any delays to achieving compliance with all energy and capacity procurement requirements set by the commission.

(e) Nothing in this section authorizes the commission to establish any requirements on a nonmobile self-cogeneration or cogeneration facility that served onsite load, or that served load pursuant to an over-the-fence arrangement if that arrangement existed on or before December 20, 1995.

(f) This section does not limit any entity, including local governments, from accelerating their achievement of the state’s electric sector decarbonization targets.

SECTION 1.Section 25234 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:
25234.
On or before December 31, 2024, the commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission and Independent System Operator, shall conduct a study on how to expedite the interconnection of renewable energy generation in order to achieve the goals set forth in the following provisions:
~~(a)Subdivision (a) of Section 399.11 of the Public Utilities Code.~~
~~(b)Subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of section 399.15 of the Public Utilities Code.~~
~~(c)Paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 399.30 of the Public Utilities Code.~~
~~(d)Subdivision (a) of Section 454.53 of the Public Utilities Code.~~