Bill Text: CA SB993 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Renewable energy resources.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From committee without further action. [SB993 Detail]

Download: California-2015-SB993-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 993	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Fuller

                        FEBRUARY 10, 2016

   An act to amend Section 399.14 of the Public Utilities Code,
relating to energy.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 993, as introduced, Fuller. Renewable energy resources.
   Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory
authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations,
as defined, while local publicly owned electric utilities, as
defined, are under the direction of their governing boards. The
existing Renewables Portfolio Standard Program requires retail
sellers of electricity, as defined, and local publicly owned electric
utilities to purchase specified minimum quantities of electricity
products from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined. The
quantities of electricity products are based upon a percentage of the
utility's total retail sales of electricity in California. The
program authorizes an electrical corporation to apply to the
commission for approval to construct, own, and operate an eligible
renewable energy resource, and requires the commission to approve the
application if certain conditions are met.
   This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to this authorization
for an electrical corporation to apply to the commission for approval
to construct, own, and operate an eligible renewable energy
resource.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 399.14 of the Public Utilities Code is amended
to read:
   399.14.  (a) (1) An electrical corporation, pursuant to Chapter 5
(commencing with Section 1001), and in order to meet its unmet
renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements, may apply to
the commission for approval to construct, own, and operate an
eligible renewable energy resource.
   (2) If the proposed eligible renewable energy resource complies
with the requirements of subdivision (b), the commission shall
approve an application filed pursuant to paragraph (1), until the
commission has approved applications for eligible renewable energy
resources for the electrical corporation that, when constructed and
operating, will provide 8.25 percent of the electrical corporation's
anticipated retail sales by December 31, 2020, and thereafter.
   (3) The commission may approve additional applications for
eligible renewable energy resources once the commission has approved
sufficient applications for eligible renewable energy resources for
the electrical corporation that, when constructed and operating, will
provide 8.25 percent of the electrical corporation's anticipated
retail sales by December 31, 2020, and thereafter.
   (b) The commission shall not approve  any  
an  application by an electrical corporation pursuant to
subdivision (a) unless both of the following conditions are met:
   (1) The eligible renewable energy resource utilizes a viable
technology at a reasonable cost.
   (2) The eligible renewable energy resource provides comparable or
superior value to ratepayers when compared to then recent contracts
for generation provided by eligible renewable energy resources.
   (c) In approving  any   an  application
by an electrical corporation for approval to construct, own, and
operate an eligible renewable energy resource, the commission shall
apply traditional cost-of-service ratemaking. When applying
traditional cost-of-service ratemaking, the commission, in the
certificate authorizing the new construction, shall specify the
maximum cost determined to be reasonable and prudent for the
construction of the facility and the cost of initial operation of the
facility. Upon a filing by the electrical corporation, the
commission may authorize an increase in the maximum cost of
construction if it determines that the cost has in fact increased,
that the cost increase is determined to be reasonable and prudent,
and that the present or future public convenience or necessity
require construction of the project at the increased cost.