Bill Text: CA AB2137 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Bill 2137 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Energy efficiency programs: information available for small businesses.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2014-08-25 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 290, Statutes of 2014. [AB2137 Detail]

Download: California-2013-AB2137-Chaptered.html

BILL NUMBER: AB 2137	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	CHAPTER  290
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  AUGUST 25, 2014
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  AUGUST 25, 2014
	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 7, 2014
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 11, 2014
	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 5, 2014
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 25, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 15, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 6, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 21, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 28, 2014

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Quirk

                        FEBRUARY 20, 2014

   An act to add Section 12098.9 to the Government Code, and to add
Section 323.5 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to energy
efficiency.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2137, Quirk. Energy efficiency programs: information available
for small businesses.
   Existing law creates the Office of Small Business Advocate within
the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. Existing
law establishes the duties and functions of the advocate, which
include advisory participation in the consideration of all
legislation and administrative regulations that affect small
businesses. Existing law also requires the office to post specified
information on its Internet Web site, including information about
emergency preparedness, responses, and recovery strategies for small
businesses and information regarding programs administered through
the statewide network of small business financial development
corporations.
   This bill would require the office to include a link to the Energy
Upgrade California Internet Web site on the homepage of its Internet
Web site.
   Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory
authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations
and gas corporations, as defined. The Public Utilities Act requires
the Public Utilities Commission to review and accept, modify, or
reject a procurement plan for each electrical corporation in
accordance with specified elements, incentive mechanisms, and
objectives. The act requires that an electrical corporation's
proposed procurement plan include certain elements, including a
showing that the electrical corporation will first meet its unmet
needs through all available energy efficiency and demand reduction
resources that are cost effective, reliable, and feasible. Existing
law requires the Public Utilities Commission, in consultation with
the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission,
to identify all potentially achievable cost-effective electricity
efficiency savings and to establish efficiency targets for electrical
corporations to achieve pursuant to their procurement plan. The
Public Utilities Act additionally requires the Public Utilities
Commission, in consultation with the State Energy Resources
Conservation and Development Commission, to identify all potentially
achievable cost-effective natural gas efficiency savings and to
establish efficiency targets for gas corporations to achieve and
requires that a gas corporation first meet its unmet resource needs
through all available gas efficiency and demand reduction resources
that are cost effective, reliable, and feasible. Under their existing
authorities, the Public Utilities Commission and the State Energy
Resources Conservation and Development Commission, in collaborating
with various entities, have developed the Energy Upgrade California
program to promote and finance energy efficiency and renewable energy
projects for homes and businesses, reduce energy use, and help train
contractors and building professionals.
   This bill would require the Public Utilities Commission to ensure
that the Internet Web site for the Energy Upgrade California program
be revised to include information related to demand-side management
programs for small business customers.



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

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all the following:
   (a) Helping small businesses better manage their energy use can
help California reduce energy consumption and thereby help in
reducing emissions of greenhouse gases throughout the state.
   (b) Small businesses are the backbone of California's economic
prosperity.
   (c) Maximizing the demandside energy management programs the
state, electrical corporations, gas corporations, and local publicly
owned electric and gas utilities offer can help small businesses
become more productive and assist in reducing electrical demand
during peak demand periods.
   (d) To better serve the public, and to benefit the state, the
state shall promote and facilitate the fullest possible participation
of small businesses to benefit from demandside energy management
programs run by the state, as well as any programs of an electrical
corporation, gas corporation, or local publicly owned electric or gas
utility.
  SEC. 2.  Section 12098.9 is added to the Government Code, to read:
   12098.9.  In order to educate small business owners of the
availability of various programs promoting the efficient use of
energy, the office shall include a link to the Energy Upgrade
California Internet Web site on the homepage of its Internet Web
site.
  SEC. 3.  Section 323.5 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:
   323.5.  (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms
have the following meanings:
   (1) "Demand-side energy management programs" mean all energy
efficiency, demand-side response, clean distributed generation,
energy conservation, energy savings, or weatherization programs of
the state or a local government, electrical corporations, gas
corporations, or a local publicly owned electric or gas utility.
   (2) "Small business" has the same meaning as defined in Section
14837 of the Government Code.
   (b) The commission shall ensure that the Internet Web site for the
Energy Upgrade California program be revised to include information
related to demand-side energy management programs for small business
customers.