Bill Text: CA AB2346 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 2346 (Prior Session Legislation)

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

Bill Title: Public utilities: rates: wildfire expense memorandum accounts.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2018-09-21 - Vetoed by Governor. [AB2346 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB2346-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly April 18, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2346

Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk

February 13, 2018

An act to ~~amend Section 399.15 of~~ add Section 454.85 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to ~~renewable energy resources.~~ public utilities.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2346, as amended, Quirk. ~~California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program.~~ Public utilities: rates: wildfire expense memorandum accounts.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law requires the commission to authorize public utilities to establish catastrophic event memorandum accounts and to record certain costs in those accounts.
This bill would require the commission to authorize public utilities to establish wildfire expense memorandum accounts for costs relating specifically to the 2017 California wildfires and to record certain costs in those accounts. The bill would provide that this authorization does not authorize the recovery in rates of those costs recorded in the accounts.
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 would be a part of the act and because a violation of an order or decision of the commission implementing its requirements would be a crime, the 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.
The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a renewables portfolio standard requiring all retail sellers, as defined, to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, so that the total kilowatthours of those products sold to their retail end-use customers achieves 25% of retail sales by December 31, 2016, 33% by December 31, 2020, 40% by December 31, 2024, 45% by December 31, 2027, and 50% by December 31, 2030. The commission is required to waive enforcement of the renewables portfolio procurement requirements if it finds that a retail seller demonstrates the existence of any of 4 specified conditions.
This bill would explicitly authorize the commission to condition waiver of enforcement upon the retail seller purchasing replacement generating resources that result in the least amount of harm to the environment.

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

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

SECTION 1.

Section 454.85 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

454.85.
(a) The commission shall authorize each public utility to establish a wildfire expense memorandum account for costs relating specifically to the 2017 California wildfires and to record in that account all of the following costs:
(1) Payments to satisfy wildfire claims, including co-insurance and deductible expenses paid by the public utility, but excluding costs previously authorized in the public utility’s general rate case.
(2) Outside legal costs incurred defending against claims relating to the wildfires.
(3) Increases or decreases in wildfire insurance premiums from amounts authorized in the public utility’s general rate case.
(b) The authorization to establish a wildfire expense memorandum account pursuant to this section shall not authorize the recovery in rates of those costs recorded in the account.

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.

SECTION 1.Section 399.15 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:
399.15.
(a)In order to fulfill unmet long-term resource needs, the commission shall establish a renewables portfolio standard requiring all retail sellers to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to their retail end-use customers each compliance period to achieve the targets established under this article. For any retail seller procuring at least 14 percent of retail sales from eligible renewable energy resources in 2010, the deficits associated with any previous renewables portfolio standard shall not be added to any procurement requirement pursuant to this article.
~~(b)The commission shall implement renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements only as follows:~~
~~(1)Each retail seller shall procure a minimum quantity of eligible renewable energy resources for each of the following compliance periods:~~
~~(A)January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2013, inclusive.~~
~~(B)January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2016, inclusive.~~
~~(C)January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2020, inclusive.~~
~~(D)January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2024, inclusive.~~
~~(E)January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2027, inclusive.~~
~~(F)January 1, 2028, to December 31, 2030, inclusive.~~
(2)(A)No later than January 1, 2017, the commission shall establish the quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources to be procured by the retail seller for each compliance period. These quantities shall be established in the same manner for all retail sellers and result in the same percentages used to establish compliance period quantities for all retail sellers.
(B)In establishing quantities for the compliance period from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2013, inclusive, the commission shall require procurement for each retail seller equal to an average of 20 percent of retail sales. For the following compliance periods, the quantities shall 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 percent of retail sales by December 31, 2016, 33 percent by December 31, 2020, 40 percent by December 31, 2024, 45 percent by December 31, 2027, and 50 percent by December 31, 2030. The commission shall establish appropriate three-year compliance periods for all subsequent years that require retail sellers to procure not less than 50 percent of retail sales of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources.
(C)Retail sellers shall be obligated to procure no less than the quantities associated with all intervening years by the end of each compliance period. Retail sellers shall not be required to demonstrate a specific quantity of procurement for any individual intervening year.
~~(3)The commission may require the procurement of eligible renewable energy resources in excess of the quantities specified in paragraph (2).~~
(4)Only for purposes of establishing the renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements of paragraph (1) and determining the quantities pursuant to paragraph (2), the commission shall include all electricity sold to retail customers by the Department of Water Resources pursuant to Division 27 (commencing with Section 80000) of the Water Code in the calculation of retail sales by an electrical corporation.
(5)The commission shall waive enforcement of this section if it finds that the retail seller has demonstrated any of the following conditions are beyond the control of the retail seller and will prevent compliance:
(A)There is inadequate transmission capacity to allow for sufficient electricity to be delivered from proposed eligible renewable energy resource projects using the current operational protocols of the Independent System Operator. In making its findings relative to the existence of this condition with respect to a retail seller that owns transmission lines, the commission shall consider both of the following:
(i)Whether the retail seller has undertaken, in a timely fashion, reasonable measures under its control and consistent with its obligations under local, state, and federal laws and regulations, to develop and construct new transmission lines or upgrades to existing lines intended to transmit electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources. In determining the reasonableness of a retail seller’s actions, the commission shall consider the retail seller’s expectations for full-cost recovery for these transmission lines and upgrades.
(ii)Whether the retail seller has taken all reasonable operational measures to maximize cost-effective deliveries of electricity from eligible renewable energy resources in advance of transmission availability.
(B)Permitting, interconnection, or other circumstances that delay procured eligible renewable energy resource projects, or there is an insufficient supply of eligible renewable energy resources available to the retail seller. In making a finding that this condition prevents timely compliance, the commission shall consider whether the retail seller has done all of the following:
~~(i)Prudently managed portfolio risks, including relying on a sufficient number of viable projects.~~
(ii)Sought to develop one of the following: its own eligible renewable energy resources, transmission to interconnect to eligible renewable energy resources, or energy storage used to integrate eligible renewable energy resources. This clause shall not require an electrical corporation to pursue development of eligible renewable energy resources pursuant to Section 399.14.
(iii)Procured an appropriate minimum margin of procurement above the minimum procurement level necessary to comply with the renewables portfolio standard to compensate for foreseeable delays or insufficient supply.
~~(iv)Taken reasonable measures, under the control of the retail seller, to procure cost-effective distributed generation and allowable unbundled renewable energy credits.~~
~~(C)Unanticipated curtailment of eligible renewable energy resources if the waiver would not result in an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.~~
(D)Unanticipated increase in retail sales due to transportation electrification. In making a finding that this condition prevents timely compliance, the commission shall consider all of the following:
(i)Whether transportation electrification significantly exceeded forecasts in that retail seller’s service territory based on the best and most recently available information filed with the State Air Resources Board, the Energy Commission, or other state agency.
~~(ii)Whether the retail seller has taken reasonable measures to procure sufficient resources to account for unanticipated increases in retail sales due to transportation electrification.~~
(6)If the commission waives the compliance requirements of this section, the commission shall establish additional reporting requirements on the retail seller to demonstrate that all reasonable actions under the control of the retail seller are taken in each of the intervening years sufficient to satisfy future procurement requirements.
(7)The commission shall not waive enforcement pursuant to this section, unless the retail seller demonstrates that it has taken all reasonable actions under its control, as set forth in paragraph (5), to achieve full compliance.
(8)If a retail seller fails to procure sufficient eligible renewable energy resources to comply with a procurement requirement pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) and fails to obtain an order from the commission waiving enforcement pursuant to paragraph (5), the commission shall assess penalties for noncompliance. A schedule of penalties shall be adopted by the commission that shall be comparable for electrical corporations and other retail sellers. For electrical corporations, the cost of any penalties shall not be collected in rates. Any penalties collected under this article shall be deposited into the Electric Program Investment Charge Fund and used for the purposes described in Chapter 8.1 (commencing with Section 25710) of Division 15 of the Public Resources Code.
~~(9)Deficits associated with the compliance period shall not be added to a future compliance period.~~
(10)The commission may condition waiver of enforcement pursuant to paragraph (5) upon the retail seller purchasing replacement generating resources that result in the least amount of harm to the environment.
(c)The commission shall establish a limitation for each electrical corporation on the procurement expenditures for all eligible renewable energy resources used to comply with the renewables portfolio standard. This limitation shall be set at a level that prevents disproportionate rate impacts.
(d)If the cost limitation for an electrical corporation is insufficient to support the projected costs of meeting the renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements, the electrical corporation may refrain from entering into new contracts or constructing facilities beyond the quantity that can be procured within the limitation, unless eligible renewable energy resources can be procured without exceeding a de minimis increase in rates, consistent with the long-term procurement plan established for the electrical corporation pursuant to Section 454.5.
~~(e)(1)The commission shall monitor the status of the cost limitation for each electrical corporation in order to ensure compliance with this article.~~
(2)If the commission determines that an electrical corporation may exceed its cost limitation prior to achieving the renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements, the commission shall do both of the following within 60 days of making that determination:
~~(A)Investigate and identify the reasons why the electrical corporation may exceed its annual cost limitation.~~
(B)Notify the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature that the electrical corporation may exceed its cost limitation, and include the reasons why the electrical corporation may exceed its cost limitation.
~~(f)The establishment of a renewables portfolio standard shall not constitute implementation by the commission of the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-617).~~