Bill Text: CA AB322 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

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

---

Bill Title: Energy: Electric Program Investment Charge program: biomass.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)

Status: (Passed) 2021-09-23 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 229, Statutes of 2021. [AB322 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AB322-Introduced.html

---

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 322

---

Introduced by Assembly Member Salas

January 26, 2021

---

An act to add Section 25711.9 to the Public Resources Code, relating to energy.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 322, as introduced, Salas. Energy: Electric Program Investment Charge program: biomass.

The California Constitution establishes the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), with jurisdiction over all public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing decisions of the PUC institute an Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) to fund renewable energy and research, development, and demonstration programs.

Existing law creates in the State Treasury the Electric Program Investment Charge Fund to be administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) and requires the PUC to forward to the Energy Commission, at least quarterly, moneys for those EPIC programs the PUC has determined should be administered by the Energy Commission for deposit in the fund.

Existing law requires the Energy Commission, in administering moneys in the fund for research, development, and demonstration programs, to develop and implement the EPIC program for the purpose of awarding funds to projects that may lead to technological advancement and breakthroughs to overcome barriers that prevent the achievement of the state’s statutory energy goals and that may result in a portfolio of projects that are strategically focused and sufficiently narrow to make advancement on the most significant technological challenges. Existing law, until January 1, 2023, requires the Energy Commission to expend certain percentages of the moneys appropriated from the fund for technology demonstration and deployment at sites that benefit certain communities.

This bill would require the Energy Commission to allocate not less than 20% of the funds appropriated for the EPIC program to bioenergy projects for biomass conversion, as defined.

Digest Key

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

---

Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 25711.9 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

25711.9.

 (a) The commission shall allocate not less than 20 percent of funds appropriated for the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program to bioenergy projects for biomass conversion, as defined in Section 40106.

(b) The commission shall give preference to a bioenergy project that is any of the following:

(1) The project uses noncombustion conversion technology.

(2) The project converts biomass feedstock that would otherwise be burned.

(3) The project produces hydrogen or biogas for use in fuel cells.

(4) The project is carbon negative on a life-cycle basis.