Bill Text: CA SB692 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Transmission: transmission and wheeling access charges.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-06-27 - June 27 set for second hearing canceled at the request of author. [SB692 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SB692-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  June 05, 2017

Amended  IN  Senate  April 18, 2017

Amended  IN  Senate  March 23, 2017

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 692

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Introduced by Senator Allen
(Coauthor: Senator Wiener)
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Berman)

February 17, 2017

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An act to add Section 350 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to transmission.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 692, as amended, Allen. Transmission: transmission and wheeling access charge. charges.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with jurisdiction over the delivery of electrical services. Existing law provides for the establishment of an Independent System Operator (ISO) as a nonprofit public benefit corporation and requires the ISO to make certain filings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and to seek authority from FERC as needed to give the ISO the ability to secure generating and transmission resources necessary to guarantee achievement of planning and operating reserve criteria no less stringent than those established by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council and the North American Electric Reliability Council.

This bill would require the ISO to undertake a stakeholder initiative to consider modification of the billing determinants to which the operator applies the transmission and wheeling access charge, charges, as specified. The bill would require the ISO, by June 30, 2018, to submit to FERC proposed modifications of the billing determinants for approval. The bill would require the ISO to fully implement any modification approved by FERC within one year of the date of approval.

Digest Key

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

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) California has long had a policy interest in promoting renewable energy and climate mitigation. Given its significant environmental, economic, and resilience benefits, distributed generation can and should be a significant part of California’s long-term energy strategy.

(2) Distributed generation provides unique value to energy consumers by generating clean energy in close proximity to customer need, thereby increasing the resilience of communities, freeing up capacity on the transmission grid, and decreasing the need for additional transmission infrastructure.

(3) Energy consumers are provided limited transparency into the costs for delivery of their energy, particularly the transmission costs.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Independent System Operator consider, via a stakeholder initiative, modification of the billing determinant determinants to which the operator applies the transmission and wheeling access charge charges and submit any proposed modification to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by July 1, 2018.

SEC. 2.

 Section 350 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

350.

 (a) On or after January 1, 2018, the The Independent System Operator shall undertake a stakeholder initiative to consider modification of the billing determinants to which the operator applies the transmission and wheeling access charge charges and shall make consistent the basis for applying transmission cost allocation these access charges to each distribution utilities and all load serving entities utility, community choice aggregation program, local publicly owned electric utility, and electric services provider in a manner that fully compensates utilities and all load serving each of those entities for local the distributed generation within their distribution grids, the entity’s distribution grid, unless the Independent System Operator makes a finding finding, based on substantial evidence, that differential bases are in the best interest of all California end-use electricity customers and further the achievement of California’s environmental goals, including the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11)) and the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500) of the Health and Safety Code).

(b) In undertaking the stakeholder initiative described in subdivision (a), the Independent System Operator shall consider all of the following:

(1) The value provided by distributed energy resources to the Independent System Operator’s balancing area, including, but not limited to, the potential to reduce the use of existing transmission infrastructure and the need for future transmission infrastructure and capacity and to further the state’s goals, including the requirements of the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program and the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.

(2) The value and equity of metering and assessing the transmission and wheeling access charge charges at interfaces of the transmission system and distribution systems.

(3) The value of continuing to assess transmission access charges on a volumetric basis.

(c) No later than June 30, 2018, the Independent System Operator shall submit to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for approval proposed modifications of the billing determinant determinants to which the Independent System Operator applies the transmission and wheeling access charge. charges.

(d) Within one year of the date of approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Independent System Operator shall fully implement any modifications of the billing determinant determinants to which the Independent System Operator applies the transmission and wheeling access charge. charges.