Bill Text: CA SB1122 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Energy: renewable bioenergy projects.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2012-09-27 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 612, Statutes of 2012. [SB1122 Detail]

Download: California-2011-SB1122-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 1122	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 16, 2012

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Rubio

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2012

   An act to amend  , renumber, and add  Section 
101850   701.3  of the  Health and Safety
  Public Utilities  Code, relating to 
Alameda County Medical Center Hospital Authority.  
energy. 



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1122, as amended, Rubio.  Alameda County Medical Center
Hospital Authority.   Energy: renewable biomass and
biogas projects.  
   Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory
authority over public utilities. Existing law provides that until
the commission completes an electric generation procurement
methodology that values the environmental and diversity costs and
benefits associated with various generation technologies, the
commission shall direct that a specific portion of future electrical
generating capacity needed for California be reserved or set aside
for renewable resources.  
   This bill would provide that unless and until the commission
adopts a methodology that accounts for the benefits to ratepayers and
the environment from reducing air pollution and global warming
emissions by generating electricity from specified sources of biogas
and biomass, the commission shall, by June 1, 2013, direct electrical
corporations, as defined, to collectively procure at least 250
megawatts of electrical generating capacity from small renewable
biomass and biogas electrical generating projects, as specified.
 
   Existing law authorizes the establishment of a hospital authority
to administer, manage, and control the Alameda County Medical Center.
 
   This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these
provisions. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program: no.


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

   SECTION 1.    Section 701.3 of the   Public
Utilities Code   is amended and renumbered to read: 
    701.3.   701.2.   Until the commission
completes an electric generation procurement methodology that values
the environmental and diversity costs and benefits associated with
various generation technologies, the commission shall direct that a
specific portion of future electrical generating capacity needed for
California be reserved or set aside for renewable resources.
   SEC. 2.    Section 701.3 is added to the  
Public Utilities Code   , to read:  
   701.3.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares the following:
   (1) New and emerging distributed renewable generation technologies
can greatly reduce methane pollution in California while providing
quantifiable benefits to California ratepayers and the environment,
contributing to the state's local renewable energy and climate goals,
and providing increased electric system reliability.
   (2) The commission has refused to account for the benefits of
methane and other emissions reductions that result from the
utilization of low-emission biomass and biogas technologies from
landfills and organic waste diversion, waste water treatment plants,
food and agricultural processing, animal waste facilities, and farms,
and has failed to promote resource diversity in the renewable
distributed generation programs it administers.
   (b) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the
following meanings:
   (1) "Electrical corporation" means an electrical corporation, as
defined in Section 218, that furnishes electricity to more than
100,000 customers.
   (2) "Small biogas or biomass projects" means electrical generation
projects that are no larger than five megawatts, and that comply
with all applicable requirements of the State Air Resources Board and
the air quality management or air pollution control district.
   (c) Unless and until the commission adopts a methodology that
accounts for the benefits to ratepayers and the environment from
reducing air pollution and global warming emissions by generating
electricity from landfills and organic waste diversion, waste water
treatment plants, food and agricultural processing, animal waste
facilities, and farms, the commission shall, by June 1, 2013, direct
the electrical corporations to collectively procure at least 250
megawatts of electrical generating capacity from small renewable
biomass or biogas projects.
   (d) In implementing this section, the commission shall do all of
the following:
   (1) Allocate the 250 megawatts identified in subdivision (c) among
the electrical corporations.
   (2) Direct each electrical corporation to, at least once a year,
solicit electricity from small biomass or biogas electrical
generating projects.
   (3) Direct each electrical corporation, as part of the
solicitation in paragraph (2), to issue a standard unilateral offer
to small renewable biomass or biogas electrical generating projects
that includes terms that are consistent with the operational
characteristics of the projects, and provides a streamlined
interconnection process.
   (4) Select the offers that represent the least-cost, best-fit
resources for the electrical corporation.  All matter omitted in
this version of the bill appears in the bill as introduced in the
Senate, February 17, 2012. (JR11)