Bill Text: CA AB177 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Introduced

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

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Bill Title: Renewable energy resources: electrical corporations: procurement plans.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-03 - Died on inactive file. [AB177 Detail]

Download: California-2013-AB177-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 177	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members V. Manuel Pérez and Bradford

                        JANUARY 24, 2013

   An act to add Section 399.23 to the Public Utilities Code,
relating to renewable energy.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 177, as introduced, V. Manuel Pérez. Renewable energy.
   Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has
regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical
corporations, as defined. The Public Utilities Act requires the PUC,
in consultation with the Independent System Operator (ISO), to
establish resource adequacy requirements for all load-serving
entities, as defined, in accordance with specified objectives. The
definition of a "load-serving entity" includes an electrical
corporation. That law further requires each load-serving entity to
maintain physical generating capacity adequate to meet its load
requirements, including peak demand and planning and operating
reserves, deliverable to locations and at times as may be necessary
to provide reliable electric service.
   The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (RPS program)
requires a retail seller of electricity, as defined, and local
publicly owned electric utilities to purchase specified minimum
quantities of electricity products from eligible renewable energy
resources, as defined, for specified compliance periods, sufficient
to ensure that the procurement of electricity products from eligible
renewable energy resources achieves 20% of retail sales for the
period January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2013, inclusive, 25% of
retail sales by December 31, 2016, and 33% of retail sales by
December 31, 2020, and in all subsequent years. The RPS program,
consistent with the goals of procuring the least-cost and best-fit
eligible renewable energy resources that meet project viability
principles, requires that all retail sellers procure a balanced
portfolio of electricity products from eligible renewable energy
resources, as specified (portfolio content requirements). The RPS
program requires the PUC to direct each electrical corporation, which
are included within the definition of a retail seller, to annually
prepare a renewable energy procurement plan containing specified
matter and an annual compliance report. The RPS program requires the
PUC to adopt, by rulemaking, a process that provides criteria for the
rank ordering and selection of least-cost and best-fit eligible
renewable energy resources by electrical corporations to comply with
the RPS program procurement obligations, on a total cost basis, that
take specified matter into account.
   This bill would state the policy of the state to require all
retail sellers of electricity, including investor and publicly owned
utilities, to procure new demand-side and clean energy generation to
achieve greenhouse gas emissions reduction, resource adequacy, and
renewable goals simultaneously in the most cost-effective manner
practicable.
   Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any
order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the
commission is a crime.
   Because the provisions of this bill are within the act, a
violation of above requirement would impose a state-mandated local
program by expanding the definition of a crime.
   The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 399.23 is added to the Public Utilities Code,
to read:
   399.23.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (1) There is increasing uncertainty with regard to the
availability of California's fleet of older powerplants, creating the
need for increased reduction in demand for electricity through
energy efficiency, demand response, and adding new sources of clean
energy generation.
   (2) It is in the best interest of the electricity consumers of
this state that sufficient clean energy generation supply and
demand-side resources are procured to meet electricity demand that
provide the highest value, including providing safe, reliable, and
affordable electricity supplies and minimizing air quality impacts to
consumers in the most cost-effective manner practicable.
   (3) Clean energy generation with flexible delivery characteristics
are essential to maintaining reliable electricity deliveries.
   (4) There are substantial high-quality renewable resources in the
County of Imperial near the Salton Sea, which can help provide
cost-effective renewable resources that can reduce greenhouse gas
emissions while simultaneously contributing to resources adequacy and
reliability needs and providing significant local and regional
environmental and economic development benefits.
   (b) Notwithstanding other laws, it is the intent of the
Legislature and the policy of the state that all retail sellers of
electricity, including investor and publicly owned utilities, shall
procure new demand side and clean energy generation resources to
achieve greenhouse gas reduction, resource adequacy, and renewable
goals simultaneously in the most cost-effective manner practicable.
  SEC. 2.  No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the
Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the
meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.