Bill Text: CA AB2061 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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

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Bill Title: Electric distribution: efficiency.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-05-28 - In committee: Set, second hearing. Held under submission. [AB2061 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB2061-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 2061	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Carter

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2010

   An act to amend Section 399 of the Public Utilities Code, relating
to energy.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2061, as introduced, Carter. Electric service: investments.
   The Reliable Electric Service Investments Act declares the intent
of the Legislature to reaffirm, without requiring revision,
California's doctrine, as reflected in regulatory and judicial
decisions, regarding electrical corporations' reasonable opportunity
to recover costs and investments associated with their electric
distribution grid and the reasonable opportunity to attract capital
for investment on reasonable terms. The act makes related legislative
declarations.
   This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to these
provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 399 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to
read:
   399.  (a) This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the
Reliable Electric Service Investments Act.
   (b) The Legislature finds and declares that safe, reliable
electric service is of utmost importance to the citizens of this
state, and its economy.
   (c) The Legislature further finds and declares that in order to
ensure that the citizens of this state continue to receive safe,
reliable, affordable, and environmentally sustainable electric
service, it is essential that prudent investments continue to be made
in all of the following areas:
   (1) To protect the integrity of the electric distribution grid.
   (2) To ensure an adequately sized and trained utility workforce.
   (3) To ensure cost-effective energy efficiency improvements.
   (4) To achieve a sustainable supply of renewable energy.
   (5) To advance public interest research, development and
demonstration programs not adequately provided by competitive and
regulated markets.
   (d) It is the intent of the Legislature to  reaffirm
  affirm  , without requiring revision, California'
s doctrine, as reflected in regulatory and judicial decisions,
regarding electrical corporations' reasonable opportunity to recover
costs and investments associated with their electric distribution
grid and the reasonable opportunity to attract capital for investment
on reasonable terms.
   (e) The Legislature further finds and declares all of the
following:
   (1) Acting under applicable constitutional and statutory
authorities, the Public Utilities Commission and the boards of local
publicly owned electric utilities have included in regulated
electricity prices  ,  investments that are
essential to maintaining system reliability, reducing California
electricity users' bills, and mitigating environmental costs of
California users' electricity consumption.
   (2) Among the most important of these "system benefits"
investments categories are energy efficiency, renewable energy, and
public interest research, development and demonstration (RD&D).
   (3) Energy efficiency investments funded from California's
usage-based charges on electricity distribution help improve
systemwide reliability by reducing demand in times and areas of
system congestion, and at the same time reduce all California
electricity users' costs. These investments also significantly reduce
environmental costs associated with California's electricity
consumption, including, but not limited to, degradation of the state'
s air, water, and land resources.
   (4) California's in-state renewable energy resources help
alleviate supply deficits that could threaten electric system
reliability, reduce environmental costs associated with California's
electricity consumption, and increase the diversity of the
electricity system's fuel mix, reducing electricity users' exposure
to fossil-fuel price volatility.
   (5) California's public interest RD&D investments enhance private
and regulated sector investment in electricity system technologies,
and are designed specifically to help ensure sustained improvement in
the economic and environmental performance of the distribution,
transmission, and generation and end-use systems that serve
California electricity users.
   (6) California has established a long tradition of recovering
system benefits investments through usage-based electricity charges,
which is reflected in at least two decades of electricity price
regulation by the commission, the boards of local publicly owned
electric utilities, and the mandate of the Legislature in Chapter 854
of the Statutes of 1996 (Assembly Bill 1890 of the 1995-96 Regular
Session of the Legislature) and Chapter 905 of the Statutes of 1997
(Senate Bill 90 of the 1997-98 Regular Session of the Legislature).
   (7) Unless the Legislature acts to extend the mandate of this
article for minimum levels of usage based system benefits charges,
California electricity users are at substantial risk of higher
economic and environmental costs and degraded reliability.