Bill Text: CA AB1846 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 1846 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Electricity: low-income ratepayers: smart thermostat device purchases: instant rebates.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-16 - In committee: Hearing postponed by committee. [AB1846 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB1846-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly March 10, 2020

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1846

Introduced by Assembly Member Salas

January 06, 2020

An act to add ~~Section 772.5~~ Sections 8367 and 8367.5 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to ~~public utilities.~~ electricity.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1846, as amended, Salas. ~~Public utilities: in-home energy display units.~~ Electricity: low-income ratepayers: smart thermostat device purchases: instant rebates.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical ~~corporations and gas corporations.~~ corporations, while local publicly owned electric utilities are under the direction of their governing boards. Existing law requires each electrical corporation, by July 1, 2011, to develop and submit a smart grid deployment plan to the commission for approval. Existing law authorizes smart grid technologies to be deployed in a manner to maximize the benefit to ratepayers and to achieve the benefits of smart grid technology, authorizes the commission to modify or adjust smart grid technology requirements for an electrical corporation with fewer than 100,000 service connections as individual circumstances merit, and requires the commission, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the Independent System Operator, and electrical corporations, to evaluate the impact of the deployment on major initiatives and policies. Existing law requires electrical corporations that utilize advanced metering infrastructure allowing customers to access their electrical consumption data to ensure that those customers have an option to access that data without being required to agree to the sharing of their personally identifiable information, including electrical consumption data, with a third party. Existing law also requires each local publicly owned electric utility with more than 100,000 service connections, by July 1, 2011, to develop a smart grid deployment plan.

This bill would require the commission to require each public utility that provides utility service to a residential customer to ensure that an in-home usage display unit, as defined, is installed in each residence that is in its service territory and is first occupied on or after January 1, 2031. each electrical corporation and local publicly owned electric utility to offer to low-income ratepayers in its service territory instant rebates for smart thermostat device purchases, as specified.

Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.

Because a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission implementing the provisions of this bill would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Furthermore, because the bill would impose additional duties on local publicly owned electric utilities, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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.~~ reasons.

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

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

SECTION 1.

Section 8367 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

8367.
(a) Each electrical corporation shall offer to low-income ratepayers in its service territory, including those enrolled in a community choice aggregation program, instant rebates for smart thermostat device purchases. The instant rebate shall enable a ratepayer to either purchase the device directly from the electrical corporation at a predetermined discounted price, or use a coupon obtained from the electrical corporation to purchase the device from the electrical corporation or a third party at a predetermined discounted price. The instant rebate shall not require the ratepayer to pay full price for the device at the time of purchase.
(b) The commission shall ensure that the requirements of this section do not shift costs between ratepayers enrolled in a community choice aggregation program and other ratepayers.
(c) For purposes of this section, “low-income” has the same meaning as the term is used in Section 739.1 for purposes of the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program.

SEC. 2.

Section 8367.5 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

8367.5.
(a) Each local publicly owned electric utility shall offer to low-income ratepayers in its service territory instant rebates for smart thermostat device purchases. The instant rebate shall enable ratepayers to either purchase the device directly from the local publicly owned electric utility at a predetermined discounted price, or use a coupon obtained from the local publicly owned electric utility to purchase the device from the local publicly owned electric utility or a third party at a predetermined discounted price. The instant rebate shall not require the ratepayer to pay full price for the device at the time of purchase.
(b) Each local publicly owned electric utility shall define “low-income” for purposes of this section in a manner consistent with its existing programs for low-income ratepayers.

SEC. 3.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act or because 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.

SECTION 1.Section 772.5 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:
772.5.
(a)The commission shall require each public utility that provides utility service to a residential customer to ensure that an in-home usage display unit is installed in each residence that is in its service territory and is first occupied on or after January 1, 2031.
(b)For purposes of this section, an “in-home usage display unit” is a device that provides a utility account holder with real-time consumption data and pricing for the service provided and that is capable of sending alerts through email, text message, or automated telephone call to the account holder.
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.