Bill Text: CA SB319 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled

California Senate Bill 319

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

Bill Title: Electricity: transmission planning and permitting.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-10-07 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 390, Statutes of 2023. [SB319 Detail]

Download: California-2023-SB319-Enrolled.html

Enrolled September 18, 2023

Passed IN Senate September 14, 2023

Passed IN Assembly September 13, 2023

Amended IN Assembly September 01, 2023

Amended IN Senate May 03, 2023

Amended IN Senate March 22, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 319

Introduced by Senator McGuire

February 06, 2023

An act to add Section 25308 to, and to add and repeal Section 25308.5 of, the Public Resources Code, and to add Section 913.12 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 319, McGuire. Electricity: transmission planning and permitting.

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission), on or before March 31, 2024, to provide transmission-focused guidance to the Independent System Operator about resource portfolios of expected future renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources, including the allocation of those resources by region based on technical feasibility and commercial interest in each region to allow the Independent System Operator to identify and approve transmission facilities needed to interconnect resources and reliably serve the needs of load centers, as specified.

On December 23, 2022, the PUC, Energy Commission, and Independent System Operator entered into a memorandum of understanding related to resource and transmission planning, transmission development and permitting, procurement, and interconnections in order to achieve reliability and policy needs and to coordinate the timely development of resources, resource interconnections, and needed transmission infrastructure.

This bill would require the Energy Commission and PUC, in coordination with the Independent System Operator, every 5 years, to review the memorandum of understanding and a related workplan to ensure the memorandum and workplan reflect the coordination that is needed to help meet the state’s energy goals.

This bill would require the Energy Commission, PUC, and Independent System Operator, on or before July 1, 2025, to jointly develop an electrical transmission infrastructure development guidebook that describes the state’s electrical transmission infrastructure planning and permitting processes conducted by the Energy Commission, PUC, and Independent System Operator, and to provide an opportunity for stakeholder input and public comment on the guidebook, as specified.

This bill would require the PUC, in consultation with California balancing authorities, on or before December 1, 2024, and biennially thereafter, to submit a report to the Legislature that includes specified information related to electrical transmission projects.

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

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

SECTION 1.

Section 25308 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

25308.

The commission and Public Utilities Commission, in coordination with the Independent System Operator, every five years, shall review and update as necessary the Memorandum of Understanding Between the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the California Independent System Operator (ISO) Regarding Transmission and Resource Planning and Implementation (December 23, 2022) and the related workplan to ensure the memorandum and workplan reflect the coordination that is needed to help meet the state’s energy goals, including those goals described in Section 454.53 of the Public Utilities Code.

SEC. 2.

Section 25308.5 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

25308.5.

(a) On or before July 1, 2025, the commission, Public Utilities Commission, and Independent System Operator shall jointly develop an electrical transmission infrastructure development guidebook that describes the state’s electrical transmission infrastructure planning and permitting processes conducted by the commission, Public Utilities Commission, and Independent System Operator.

(b) In developing the electrical transmission infrastructure development guidebook, the commission, Public Utilities Commission, and Independent System Operator shall make a reasonable and good faith effort to consult with all relevant local, state, tribal, and federal agencies.

(c) The electrical transmission infrastructure development guidebook shall include a description of the different stages of electrical transmission infrastructure development, an analysis of the average timeframes for electrical transmission infrastructure planning and permitting by the commission, Public Utilities Commission, and Independent System Operator, clearly identify and describe the roles, responsibilities, and decisionmaking authority of federal agencies and state agencies, including the commission, Public Utilities Commission, and Independent System Operator, and include interfaces with federal agencies, including timing, sequence, and coordination with federal permitting agencies, and coordination between reviews under the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000)) and the federal National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 4321 et seq.).

(d) The commission, Public Utilities Commission, and Independent System Operator shall provide an opportunity for stakeholder input in the development and communication of the electrical transmission infrastructure development guidebook and an opportunity for public comment on a draft electrical transmission infrastructure development guidebook.

(e) For purposes of this section, “electrical transmission infrastructure” means electrical transmission facilities and equipment used to convey electricity from an electrical generation facility or energy storage system to the electrical distribution system or transmission-voltage load.

(f) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2028, and as of that date is repealed.

SEC. 3.

Section 913.12 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

913.12.

On or before December 1, 2024, and biennially thereafter, the commission, in consultation with California balancing authorities, as defined in Section 399.12, shall submit a report to the Legislature that includes all of the following:

(a) A description of the electrical transmission project applications submitted to the commission for certificates of public convenience and necessity in the preceding two-year period.

(b) The number of electrical transmission projects that were issued certificates of public convenience and necessity in the preceding two-year period.

(c) The number of electrical transmission projects that, in the preceding two-year period, went into operation, were approved by the Independent System Operator, and did not require the issuance of certificates of public convenience and necessity.

(d) The estimated transmission capital cost added to the rate base for each electrical transmission project that was, in the preceding two-year period, either approved by the Independent System Operator or issued a certificate of public convenience and necessity.