Bill Text: CA AB699 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Public Utilities Commission: large electrical corporations: Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2022-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB699 Detail]
Download: California-2021-AB699-Amended.html
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Amended
IN
Assembly
May 03, 2021 |
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Amended
IN
Assembly
April 13, 2021 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 699
| Introduced by Assembly Member Salas |
February 16, 2021 |
An act to add Section 25402.30 to the Public Resources Code, and to add Sections 913.12 and 2791 913.14 and 2790.5 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to energy.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 699, as amended, Salas.
Public Utilities Commission: large electrical corporations: Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory jurisdiction over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires certain levels of funding for programs to provide targeted energy-efficiency services to low-income electricity customers. Existing law requires the PUC, by not later than December 31, 2020, PUC to ensure that all eligible low-income electricity customers are given the opportunity to participate in low-income energy efficiency programs, including customers occupying apartments or similar multiunit residential structures. Existing law requires electrical corporations to perform home weatherization services for low-income customers, as
specified. These programs are generally collectively known as the Energy Savings Assistance Program and are administered by each electrical corporation.
This bill would require the PUC to establish the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program as a part of the Energy Savings Assistance Program to require each electrical corporation with more than 100,000 service connections in California to administer the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program in its service territory to incentivize the deployment of certain flexible demand appliances, as defined. The bill would require each electrical corporation with more than 100,000 service
connections in California to administer the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program in its service territory. The bill would authorize ratepayers who are served by those electrical corporations and eligible to participate in the Energy Savings Assistance Program to participate in the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program. The bill would fund the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program through unspent and uncommitted moneys from the Energy Savings Assistance Program, as specified, and would prohibit the PUC from increasing rates or imposing or increasing a charge for purposes of the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program. The bill would require the PUC, on or before July 30, 2023, and biennially thereafter, to submit to the Legislature an assessment of the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program.
Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to adopt, by regulation, and
periodically update, standards for appliances to facilitate the deployment of flexible demand technologies. Existing law requires the Energy Commission to consult with the PUC and load-serving entities, as defined, to better align the flexible demand appliance standards with demand response programs administered by the state and load-serving entities and to incentivize the deployment of flexible demand appliances.
This bill would require the Energy Commission, in consultation with the PUC, to publish public lists of flexible demand appliances that meet or exceed the flexible demand appliance standards and load-management programs that are compatible with flexible demand appliances for purposes of the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program.
Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime.
Because a violation of
a commission
PUC action implementing the requirements of this bill would be a crime, 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.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 25402.30 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:25402.30.
Upon the adoption of regulations pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 25402, the commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission, shall publish public lists of both of the following for purposes of the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program established pursuant to Section(a) Flexible demand appliances that meet or exceed the standards adopted pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 25402.
(b) Load-management programs that are compatible with flexible demand appliances, including the name, location, and contact information for each load-management program, if applicable.
SEC. 2.
Section 913.14 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:913.14.
(a) On or before July 30, 2023, and biennially thereafter, the commission shall submit to the Legislature an assessment of the(b) The assessment shall include all of the following information:
(1) The number of qualified flexible demand appliances that received an incentive pursuant to the
program and the aggregate dollar value of the incentives.
(2) The energy and bill reduction outcomes of the qualified ratepayers who receive an incentive pursuant to the program.
(3) The program’s cost.
(4) The program’s environmental benefits.
(5) An evaluation of the program’s expenditures, commitments, uncommitted balances, future demands, performance, and outcomes.
(6) Programmatic recommendations to ensure the goals of the program are met.
(c) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Program” means the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program established pursuant to Section 2791. 2790.5.
(2) “Qualified flexible demand appliances” has the same meaning as defined in Section 2791. 2790.5.
SEC. 3.
Section 2790.5 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:2790.5.
(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:(1) “Eligible load-management program” means a residential load-management program that is compatible with qualified flexible demand appliances, encourages ratepayers to shift electricity consumption during certain hours, and meets one or more of the following requirements:
(A) Is managed by a large electrical corporation.
(B) Encourages ratepayers to reduce or increase
electricity consumption depending on the need for improving grid reliability, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, or making electricity more affordable.
(C) Notifies ratepayers through a variety of means, including, but not limited to, text messages, email, and by phone.
(D) Incentivizes ratepayers to participate using a variety of payments, including, but not limited to, cash and bill credits.
(2) “Energy Savings Assistance Program” means the program established in statute in pursuant to
Section 2790.
(3) “Large electrical corporation” means an electrical corporation with more than 100,000 service connections in California.
(4) “Program” means the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program established pursuant to this section.
(5) “Qualified flexible demand appliances” means appliances that have the capability to schedule, shift, or curtail the electrical demand of a large electrical corporation’s ratepayer through direct action by the ratepayer or through action by a third party, the large electrical corporation, or a grid-balancing authority, with the customer’s consent, and that either meets or exceeds the standards adopted pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section
25402 of the Public Resources Code or is included on the a public list published pursuant to Section 25402.30 of the Public Resources Code.
(6) “Qualified ratepayer” means a ratepayer that is served by a
large electrical corporation and is eligible to participate in the Energy Savings Assistance Program.
(b) (1) The commission shall establish the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program as a part of the Energy Savings Assistance Program to require each large electrical corporation to administer the program in its service territory to incentivize the deployment of qualified flexible demand appliances. The commission shall require each large electrical corporation to administer the program in its service territory.
(2) In establishing the program pursuant to paragraph (1), the commission
shall consider the cost-effectiveness of the program’s incentives and the policy of reducing the energy hardships experienced by low-income and disadvantaged households.
(3) (A) The program shall be available to qualified ratepayers.
(B) The large electrical corporation shall confirm the eligibility of an applicant to participate in the program.
(4) The financial benefits of the qualified flexible demand appliance, including, but not limited to, bill savings and additional incentives from participating in an eligible load-management program, shall directly benefit the qualified ratepayer responsible for the electricity bill where the qualified flexible demand appliance is installed.
(5) The program shall be designed to authorize incentive layering with other incentives for energy efficiency and demand response programs and technologies.
(c) Each large electrical corporation shall provide outreach to qualified ratepayers to increase ratepayer awareness of the program.
(d) (1) The commission shall require each large electrical corporation to identify the large electrical corporation’s carryover amount of unspent and uncommitted moneys from its Energy Savings Assistance Program budget as of December 31, 2020. This carryover amount shall not include any unspent moneys that have been consigned by the commission, as of December 31, 2020, but not yet spent.
(2) The commission shall determine the appropriate portion of the carryover amount of those moneys to be allocated for purposes of the program, and shall require that portion of those moneys to be allocated and spent for purposes of the program.
(e) The commission shall not increase rates or impose or increase a charge for purposes of this section. This section shall not result in any ratepayer paying an increased rate.
(f) Upon the allocation of all the moneys available for the program, the commission shall notify the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.
