BILL NUMBER: AB 1489 AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 28, 2008 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 18, 2008 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 20, 2007 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 5, 2007 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 1, 2007 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 2, 2007 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 9, 2007 INTRODUCED BY Assembly MemberHuffmanLevine ( Principal coauthors: Senators Perata and Simitian ) FEBRUARY 23, 2007An act to amend Sections 8281, 8282, 8283, 8284, 8285, and 8286 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to public utilities.An act to amend Sections 25740 and 25741 of the Public Resources Code, to amend Sections 305, 306, 307, 308, 399.11, 399.12, 399.13, and 454.5 of, to amend, repeal, and add Sections 399.14 and 399.15 of, to add Sections 399.22 and 1005.1 to, and to repeal Section 387 of, the Public Utilities Code, relating to utilities. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1489, as amended,HuffmanLevine . Public Utilities: procurement: persons with developmental disabilities business enterprises. Utilities: Public Utilities Commission: r enewable energy resources. (1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. The California Constitution grants the commission certain general powers over all public utilities, subject to control by the Legislature, and authorizes the Legislature, unlimited by the other provisions of the Constitution, to confer additional authority and jurisdiction upon the commission, that is cognate and germane to the regulation of public utilities. Existing law requires the Governor to designate the president of the commission from among its members and requires the president to direct the executive director, the attorney, and other staff of the commission, except for the Division of Ratepayer Advocates. This bill would require the Governor to appoint, subject to the approval of the Senate, a president of the PUC from among its members. The bill would repeal the requirement that the president direct PUC staff. (2) Existing law requires the office of the PUC to be in the City and County of San Francisco and that, with certain exceptions, the office always be open. Existing law requires the PUC to hold its sessions at least once in each calendar month in that city and county, and authorizes the PUC to also meet at such other times and in such other places as may be expedient and necessary for the proper performance of its duties. This bill would require the office of the PUC to be in the City of Sacramento and would require the PUC to hold at least one session in each calendar month in that city. (3) Existing law authorizes the attorney for the PUC, if directed to do so by the president, except as otherwise directed by vote of the PUC, to intervene, if possible, in any action or proceeding involving any question arising pursuant to the Public Utilities Act. Existing law requires the attorney for the PUC to commence, prosecute, and expedite the final determination of all actions and proceedings, and to generally perform all duties and services as attorney to the PUC, as directed or authorized by the president, except as otherwise directed or authorized by vote of the PUC. This bill would authorize the attorney for the PUC, if directed to do so by the PUC, to intervene, if possible, in any action or proceeding involving any question arising pursuant to the Public Utilities Act. This bill would require the attorney for the PUC to commence, prosecute, and expedite the final determination of all actions and proceedings, and to generally perform all duties and services as attorney to the PUC, as directed or authorized by the PUC. (4) Existing law requires the executive director for the PUC to keep a full and true record of all proceedings of the PUC, issue all necessary process, writs, warrants, and notices, and perform such other duties as the president, or vote of the PUC, prescribes. Existing law provides that the president may authorize the executive director to dismiss complaints or applications when all parties are in agreement thereto, in accordance with rules that the PUC may prescribe. This bill would require the executive director to keep a full and true record of all proceedings of the PUC, issue all necessary process, writs, warrants, and notices, and perform the other duties the PUC prescribes. The bill would provide that the PUC may authorize the executive director to dismiss complaints or applications when all parties are in agreement thereto, in accordance with rules that the PUC may prescribe. (5) Existing law requires the PUC to require the state's 3 largest electrical corporations, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Edison, to identify a separate electrical rate component to fund programs that enhance system reliability and provide in-state benefits. This rate component is a nonbypassable element of local distribution and collected on the basis of usage. Existing PUC resolutions refer to the nonbypassable rate component as a "public goods charge." The public goods charge moneys are collected to support cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation activities, public interest research and development not adequately provided by competitive and regulated markets, and renewable energy resources. The existing Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission). Existing law establishes the Renewable Resource Trust Fund as a continuously appropriated fund in the State Treasury and requires that certain moneys collected to support renewable energy resources through the public goods charge are deposited into the fund and authorizes the Energy Commission to expend the moneys pursuant to the Renewable Energy Resources Program. The program states the intent of the Legislature to increase the amount of electricity generated from eligible renewable energy resources per year so that amount equals at least 20% of total retail sales of electricity in California per year by December 31, 2010. This bill would revise the Renewable Energy Resources Program to state the intent of the Legislature to increase the amount of electricity generated from eligible renewable energy resources per year, so that amount equals at least 20% of total retail sales of electricity in California per year by December 31, 2010, and 33% by December 31, 2020. The bill would limit eligible in-state renewable electricity generation facilities to facilities that commence initial operation after January 1, 2005. This limitation would also apply to the California Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program discussed below. (6) Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature, in establishing the California Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program, to increase the amount of electricity generated per year from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, to an amount that equals at least 20% of the total electricity sold to retail customers in California per year by December 31, 2010. This bill would express the additional intent that the amount of electricity generated per year from eligible renewable energy resources is increased to an amount that equals at least 33% of the total electricity sold to retail customers in California per year by December 31, 2020. (7) The Public Utilities Act imposes various duties and responsibilities on the PUC with respect to the purchase of electricity and requires the PUC to review and adopt a procurement plan and a renewable energy procurement plan for each electrical corporation, as defined, pursuant to the RPS program. The RPS program requires that a retail seller of electricity, including electrical corporations, community choice aggregators, and electric service providers, but not including local publicly owned electric utilities, purchase a specified minimum percentage of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources in any given year as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to retail end-use customers each calendar year. The RPS program requires each retail seller to increase its total procurement of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources by at least an additional 1% of retail sales per year so that 20% of its retail sales of electricity are procured from eligible renewable energy resources no later than December 31, 2010. This bill would instead require that each retail seller increase its total procurement of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources by at least an additional 1% of retail sales per year so that 33% of its retail sales are procured from eligible renewable energy resources no later than December 31, 2020. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill are within the act and require action by the commission to implement its requirements, a violation of these provisions would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the definition of a crime. (8) Under existing law, the governing board of a local publicly owned electric utility is responsible for implementing and enforcing a renewables portfolio standard for the utility that recognizes the intent of the Legislature to encourage renewable resources, while taking into consideration the effect of the standard on rates, reliability, and financial resources and the goal of environmental improvement. This bill would repeal this provision and instead make certain of the requirements of the RPS program, as discussed below, applicable to local publicly owned electric utilities. By placing additional requirements upon local publicly owned electric utilities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (9) Existing law requires the Energy Commission to certify eligible renewable energy resources, to design and implement an accounting system to verify compliance with the RPS requirements by retail sellers, and to develop tracking, accounting, verification, and enforcement mechanisms for renewable energy credits, as defined. This bill would require the Energy Commission to design and implement an accounting system to verify compliance with the RPS requirements by retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities. The bill would require the Energy Commission, among other things, to adopt regulations for the enforcement of the RPS program with respect to a local publicly owned electric utility, would require, by October 30, 2009, at a noticed public meeting and in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, to establish an RPS requiring each local publicly owned electric utility to procure a minimum quantity of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to the utility's retail end-use customers each calendar year, and, in order to meet the requirements of the RPS program, would require the Energy Commission to substantially increase the amounts of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources integrated with and interconnected to specified transmission grids. (10) Existing law requires that an electrical corporation's proposed procurement plan include certain elements, including a showing that the electrical corporation will, in order to fulfill its unmet resource needs, until a 20% renewable resources portfolio is achieved, procure renewable energy resources with the goal of ensuring that at least an additional 1% per year of the electricity sold by the electrical corporation is generated from eligible renewable energy resources, provided sufficient funds are made available to cover the above-market costs for new renewable energy resources pursuant to certain provisions of the Renewable Energy Resources Program. Existing law requires the PUC to make a determination of the existing market cost for electricity (market price referent). This bill would require that an electrical corporation's proposed procurement plan include a showing that the electrical corporation will, in order to fulfill its unmet resource needs, until a 33% renewable resources portfolio is achieved, procure renewable energy resources with the goal of ensuring that at least an additional 1% per year of the electricity sold by the electrical corporation is generated from eligible renewable energy resources. The bill would, on January 1, 2010, delete the requirement that the PUC determine the market price referent and delete the limitation on a retail seller's procurement requirements that sufficient funds be made available to cover the above-market costs of electricity. (11) The Public Utilities Act prohibits any electrical corporation from beginning the construction of, among other things, a line, plant, or system, or of any extension thereof, without having first obtained from the PUC a certificate that the present or future public convenience and necessity require or will require that construction, termed a certificate of public convenience and necessity. Existing law requires the PUC, in acting upon an application by an electrical corporation for a certificate of public convenience and necessity, to deem new transmission facilities necessary to the provision of electric service if the PUC finds that new transmission facilities are necessary to facilitate achievement of the renewable power goals established under the RPS program. Existing law requires the PUC, upon finding that new transmission facilities are necessary to facilitate achievement of the renewable power goals established under the RPS, to take all feasible actions to ensure that the transmission rates established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) are fully reflected in any retail rates established by the commission. This bill would require the PUC to approve an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity within one year of the filing of a completed application under specified circumstances and would authorize the PUC, if it finds the costs are justified pursuant to the statutory requirements for approving a rate increase, to allow recovery of certain transmission costs incurred by an electrical corporation. (12) The existing restructuring of the electrical industry within the Public Utilities Act provides for the establishment of an Independent System Operator (ISO). Existing law requires the ISO to ensure efficient use and reliable operation of the transmission grid consistent with achieving planning and operating reserve criteria no less stringent than those established by the WECC and the American Electric Reliability Council. Pursuant to existing law, the ISO's tariffs are required to be approved by the FERC. This bill would require the ISO to undertake all feasible efforts to do certain things and seek the approval of the FERC, if necessary, including adjusting its market structure to achieve, in the most cost-effective manner possible, the increased amount of electricity to be generated by eligible renewable energy resources. The bill would require the PUC to approve reasonable and cost-effective transmission and power line investments that are not under the ratemaking authority of the FERC that are necessary to enable electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources to be delivered to retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities. (13) This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to appropriate $3,700,000 from the Public Interest Research, Development, and Demonstration Fund to the Energy Commission for contracts and for interagency agreements with the Department of Fish and Game or other wildlife agencies for the preparation of one or more natural communities conservation plans in the Mojave Desert for the purposes of facilitating the development of solar energy in that region. (14) 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 reasons.Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical, gas, water, and telephone corporations. Existing law authorizes the commission to establish rules for all public utilities, subject to control by the Legislature. Existing law directs the commission to require every electrical, gas, and telephone corporation with annual gross revenues exceeding $25,000,000, and their regulated subsidiaries and affiliates, to implement a program developed by the commission to encourage, recruit, and utilize minority-, women-, and disabled veteran-owned business enterprises, as defined, in the procurement of contracts from those corporations or from their regulated subsidiaries and affiliates, and to require the reporting of certain information. The commission has, by rulemaking, adopted General Order 156, applicable to certain electrical, gas, and telephone corporations, to effectuate these requirements.This bill would extend the minority-, women-, and disabled veteran-owned business enterprises procurement requirements to persons with developmental disabilities business enterprises, as defined. The bill would make it a crime to falsely represent a business as a persons with developmental disabilities business enterprise, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime.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.Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 25740 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read: 25740. The Legislature finds and declares that the State Air Resources Board has identified a statewide 33 percent renewables portfolio standard as a key measure to comply with the requirements of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. It is the intent of the Legislature in establishing this program, to increase the amount of electricity generated from eligible renewable energy resources per year, so that it equals at least 20 percent of total retail sales of electricity in California per year by December 31, 2010 , and 33 percent by December 31, 2020 . SEC. 2. Section 25741 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read: 25741. As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meaning: (a) "Delivered" and "delivery" mean the electricity output of an in-state renewable electricity generation facility that is used to serve end-use retail customers located within the state. Subject to verification by the accounting system established by the commission pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 399.13 of the Public Utilities Code, electricity shall be deemed delivered if it is either generated at a location within the state, or is scheduled for consumption by California end-use retail customers. Subject to criteria adopted by the commission, electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource may be considered "delivered" regardless of whether the electricity is generated at a different time from consumption by a California end-use customer. (b) "In-state renewable electricity generation facility" means a facility that meets all of the following criteria: (1) The facility uses biomass, solar thermal, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, fuel cells using renewable fuels, small hydroelectric generation of 30 megawatts or less, digester gas, municipal solid waste conversion, landfill gas, ocean wave, ocean thermal, or tidal current, and any additions or enhancements to the facility using that technology. (2) The facility satisfies one of the following requirements: (A) The facility is located in the state or near the border of the state with the first point of connection to the transmission network within this state and electricity produced by the facility is delivered to an in-state location. (B) The facility has its first point of interconnection to the transmission network outside the state and satisfies all of the following requirements: (i) It is connected to the transmission network within the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) service territory.(ii) It commences initial commercial operation after January 1, 2005.(iii)(ii) Electricity produced by the facility is delivered to an in-state location.(iv)(iii) It will not cause or contribute to any violation of a California environmental quality standard or requirement.(v)(iv) If the facility is located outside of the United States, it is developed and operated in a manner that is as protective of the environment as a similar facility located in the state.(vi)(v) It participates in the accounting system to verify compliance with the renewables portfolio standardby retail sellers, once established by theEnergy Commissioncommission pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 399.13 of the Public Utilities Code.(C) The facility meets the requirements of clauses (i), (iii), (iv), (v), and (vi) in subparagraph (B), but does not meet the requirements of clause (ii) because it commences initial operation prior to January 1, 2005, if the facility satisfies either of the following requirements:(i) The electricity is from incremental generation resulting from expansion or repowering of the facility.(ii) The facility has been part of the existing baseline of eligible renewable energy resources of a retail seller established pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 399.15 of the Public Utilities Code.(3) The facility commences initial commercial operation after January 1, 2005.(3)(4) For the purposes of this subdivision, "solid waste conversion" means a technology that uses a noncombustion thermal process to convert solid waste to a clean-burning fuel for the purpose of generating electricity, and that meets all of the following criteria: (A) The technology does not use air or oxygen in the conversion process, except ambient air to maintain temperature control. (B) The technology produces no discharges of air contaminants or emissions, including greenhouse gases as defined in Section42801.138505 of the Health and Safety Code. (C) The technology produces no discharges to surface or groundwaters of the state. (D) The technology produces no hazardous wastes. (E) To the maximum extent feasible, the technology removes all recyclable materials and marketable green waste compostable materials from the solid waste stream prior to the conversion process and the owner or operator of the facility certifies that those materials will be recycled or composted. (F) The facility at which the technology is used is in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. (G) The technology meets any other conditions established by the commission. (H) The facility certifies that any local agency sending solid waste to the facility diverted at least 30 percent of all solid waste it collects through solid waste reduction, recycling, and composting. For purposes of this paragraph, "local agency" means any city, county, or special district, or subdivision thereof, which is authorized to provide solid waste handling services. (c) "Procurement entity" means any person or corporation that enters into an agreement with a retail seller to procure eligible renewable energy resources pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 399.14 of the Public Utilities Code. (d) "Renewable energy public goods charge" means that portion of the nonbypassable system benefits chargeauthorizedrequired to be collectedand to be transferred to the Renewable Resource Trust Fundto fund renewable energy pursuant to the Reliable Electric Service Investments Act (Article 15 (commencing with Section 399) of Chapter 2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code). (e) "Report" means the report entitled "Investing in Renewable Electricity Generation in California" (June 2001, Publication Number P500-00-022) submitted to the Governor and the Legislature by the commission. (f) "Retail seller" means a "retail seller" as defined in Section 399.12 of the Public Utilities Code. SEC. 3. Section 305 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 305. The Governor shalldesignateappoint, subject to the approval of the Senate, a president of the commission from among the members of the commission. The president shalldirect the executive director, the attorney, and other staff of the commission, except for the staff of the division described in Section 309.5, in the performance of their duties, in accordance with commission policies and guidelines. The president shallpreside at all meetings and sessions of the commission. SEC. 4. Section 306 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 306. (a) The office of the commission shall be in the City and County of San Francisco. The office shall always be open, legal holidays and nonjudicial days excepted. The commission shall hold its sessions at least once in each calendar month in the City and County of San Francisco. The commission shall hold at least one session in each calendar month in the City of Sacramento. The commission may also meet at such other times and in such other places as may be expedient and necessary for the proper performance of its duties, and for that purpose may rent quarters or offices. (b) The meetings of the commission shall be open and public in accordance with the provisions of Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. In addition to the requirements of Section 11125 of the Government Code, the commission shall include in its notice of meetings the agenda of business to be transacted, and no item of business shall be added to the agenda subsequent to the notice in the absence of an unforeseen emergency situation. A rate increase shall not constitute an unforeseen emergency situation. As used in this subdivision, "meeting" shall include all investigations, proceedings, and showings required by law to be open and public. (c) The commission shall have a seal, bearing the inscription "Public Utilities Commission State of California." The seal shall be affixed to all writs and authentications of copies of records and to such other instruments as the commission shall direct. (d) The commission may procure all necessary books, maps, charts, stationery, instruments, office furniture, apparatus, and appliances. SEC. 5. Section 307 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 307. (a) The commission may appoint as attorney to the commission an attorney at law of this state, who shall hold office during the pleasure of the commission. (b) The attorney shall represent and appear for the people of the State of California and the commission in all actions and proceedings involving any question under this part or under any order or act of the commission. If directed to do so by thepresident, except as otherwise directed by vote of thecommission, the attorney shall intervene, if possible, in any action or proceeding in which any such question is involved. (c) The attorney shall commence, prosecute, and expedite the final determination of all actions and proceedings directed or authorized by thepresident, except as otherwise directed or authorized by vote of thecommission, advise the commission and each commissioner, when so requested, in regard to all matters in connection with the powers and duties of the commission and the members thereof, and generally perform all duties and services as attorney to the commission that thepresident, or vote of the commission,commission may require of him or her . SEC. 6. Section 308 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 308. (a) The commission shall appoint an executive director, who shall hold office during its pleasure. The executive director shall be responsible for the commission's executive and administrative duties and shall organize, coordinate, supervise, and direct the operations and affairs of the commission and expedite all matters within the commission's jurisdiction. (b) The executive director shall keep a full and true record of all proceedings of the commission, issue all necessary process, writs, warrants, and notices, and performsuchthe other dutiesasthepresident, or vote of the commission,commission prescribes. Thepresidentcommission may authorize the executive director to dismiss complaints or applications when all parties are in agreement thereto, in accordance with rules that the commission may prescribe. (c) The commission may appoint assistant executive directors who may serve warrants and other process in any county or city and county of this state. SEC. 7. Section 387 of the Public Utilities Code is repealed.387. (a) Each governing body of a local publicly owned electric utility, as defined in Section 9604, shall be responsible for implementing and enforcing a renewables portfolio standard that recognizes the intent of the Legislature to encourage renewable resources, while taking into consideration the effect of the standard on rates, reliability, and financial resources and the goal of environmental improvement. (b) Each local publicly owned electric utility shall report, on an annual basis, to its customers and to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the following: (1) Expenditures of public goods funds collected pursuant to Section 385 for eligible renewable energy resource development. Reports shall contain a description of programs, expenditures, and expected or actual results. (2) The resource mix used to serve its customers by fuel type. Reports shall contain the contribution of each type of renewable energy resource with separate categories for those fuels that are eligible renewable energy resources as defined in Section 399.12, except that the electricity is delivered to the local publicly owned electric utility and not a retail seller. Electricity shall be reported as having been delivered to the local publicly owned electric utility from an eligible renewable energy resource when the electricity would qualify for compliance with the renewables portfolio standard if it were delivered to a retail seller. (3) The utility's status in implementing a renewables portfolio standard pursuant to subdivision (a) and the utility's progress toward attaining the standard following implementation.SEC. 8. Section 399.11 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 399.11. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) In order to attain a target of generating 20 percent of total retail sales of electricity in California from eligible renewable energy resources by December 31, 2010, and 33 percent by December 31, 2020, and for the purposes of increasing the diversity, reliability, public health , and environmental benefits of the energy mix, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, and promoting economic development it is the intent of the Legislature that the commission and theState Energy Resources Conservation and Development CommissionEnergy Commission implement the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program described in this article. (b) Increasing California's reliance on eligible renewable energy resources may promote stable electricity prices, protect public health, improve environmental quality, stimulate sustainable economic development, create new employment opportunities, and reduce reliance on imported fuels. (c) The development of eligible renewable energy resources and the delivery of the electricity generated by those resources to customers in California may ameliorate air quality problems throughout the state and improve public health by reducing the burning of fossil fuels and the associated environmental impacts and by reducing in-state fossil fuel consumption. (d) The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program is intended to complement the Renewable Energy Resources Program administered by theState Energy Resources Conservation and Development CommissionEnergy Commission and established pursuant to Chapter 8.6 (commencing with Section 25740) of Division 15 of the Public Resources Code. (e) New and modified electric transmission facilitiesmaywill be necessary to facilitate the state achieving its renewables portfolio standard targets. SEC. 9. Section 399.12 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 399.12. For purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) "Conduit hydroelectric facility" means a facility for the generation of electricity that uses only the hydroelectric potential of an existing pipe, ditch, flume, siphon, tunnel, canal, or other manmade conduit that is operated to distribute water for a beneficial use. (b) "Delivered" and "delivery" have the same meaning as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 25741 of the Public Resources Code. (c) "Eligible renewable energy resource" means an electric generating facility that meets the definition of "in-state renewable electricity generation facility" in Section 25741 of the Public Resources Code, subject to the followinglimitations: (1) (A) An existing small hydroelectric generation facility of 30 megawatts or less shall be eligible only if a retail seller or local publicly owned electric utility owned or procured the electricity from the facility as of December 31, 2005. A new hydroelectric facility is not an eligible renewable energy resource if it will cause an adverse impact on instream beneficial uses or cause a change in the volume or timing of streamflow. (B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a conduit hydroelectric facility of 30 megawatts or less that commenced operation before January 1, 2006, is an eligible renewable energy resource. A conduit hydroelectric facility of 30 megawatts or less that commences operation after December 31, 2005, is an eligible renewable energy resource so long as it does not cause an adverse impact on instream beneficial uses or cause a change in the volume or timing of streamflow. (2) A facility engaged in the combustion of municipal solid waste shall not be considered an eligible renewable resource unless it is located in Stanislaus County and was operational prior to September 26, 1996. (d) "Energy Commission" means the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. (e) "Local publicly owned electric utility" has the same meaning as provided in subdivision (d) of Section 9604. (f) "Procure" means that a retail seller or a local publicly owned electric utility receives delivered electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource that it owns or for which it has entered into an electricity purchase agreement. Nothing in this article is intended to imply that the purchase of electricity from third parties in a wholesale transaction is the preferred method of fulfilling a retail seller's obligation to comply with this article.(g) "Renewables portfolio standard" means the specified percentage of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources that a retail seller is required to procure pursuant to this article.(h)(g) (1) "Renewable energy credit" means a certificate of proof associated with the generation of electricity from an eligible renewable energy resource , issued through the accounting system established by the Energy Commission pursuant to Section 399.13, that one unit of electricity was generated and delivered by an eligible renewable energy resource. (2) "Renewable energy credit" includes all renewable and environmental attributes associated with the production of electricity from the eligible renewable energy resource, except for an emissions reduction credit issued pursuant to Section 40709 of the Health and Safety Code and any credits or payments associated with the reduction of solid waste and treatment benefits created by the utilization of biomass or biogas fuels. (3) No electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource attributable to the use of nonrenewable fuels, beyond a de minimus quantity, as determined by the Energy Commission, shall result in the creation of a renewable energy credit. (h) "Renewable energy public goods charge" means that portion of the nonbypassable system benefits charge required to be collected to fund renewable energy pursuant to the Reliable Electric Service Investments Act (Article 15 (commencing with Section 399) of Chapter 2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 for an electrical corporation and pursuant to Section 385 for a local publicly owned electric utility. (i) "Renewables portfolio standard" means the specified percentage of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources that a retail seller or a local publicly owned electric utility is required to procure pursuant to this article.(i)(j) "Retail seller" means an entity engaged in the retail sale of electricity to end-use customers located within the state, including any of the following: (1) An electrical corporation, as defined in Section 218. (2) A community choice aggregator. The commission shall institute a rulemaking to determine the manner in which a community choice aggregator will participate in the renewables portfolio standard program subject to the same terms and conditions applicable to an electrical corporation. (3) An electric service provider, as defined in Section 218.3, for all sales of electricity to customers beginning January 1, 2006. The commission shall institute a rulemaking to determine the manner in which electric service providers will participate in the renewables portfolio standard program. The electric service provider shall be subject to the same terms and conditions applicable to an electrical corporation pursuant to this article. Nothing in this paragraph shall impair a contract entered into between an electric service provider and a retail customer prior to the suspension of direct access by the commission pursuant to Section 80110 of the Water Code. (4) "Retail seller" does not include any of the following: (A) A corporation or person employing cogeneration technology or producing electricity consistent with subdivision (b) of Section 218. (B) The Department of Water Resources acting in its capacity pursuant to Division 27 (commencing with Section 80000) of the Water Code. (C) A local publicly owned electric utility. SEC. 10. Section 399.13 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 399.13. The Energy Commission shall do all of the following: (a) Certify eligible renewable energy resources that it determines meet the criteria described in subdivision(b)(c) of Section 399.12. (b) Design and implement an accounting system to verify compliance with the renewables portfolio standard by retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities , to ensure that electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource is counted only once for the purpose of meeting the renewables portfolio standard of this state or any other state, to certify renewable energy credits produced by eligible renewable energy resources, and to verify retail product claims in this state or any other state. In establishing the guidelines governing this accounting system, the Energy Commission shall collect data from electricity market participants that it deems necessary to verify compliance of retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities , in accordance with the requirements of this article and the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code). In seeking data from electrical corporations, the Energy Commission shall request data from the commission. The commission shall collect data from electrical corporations and remit the data to the Energy Commission within 90 days of the request. (c) Establish a system for tracking and verifying renewable energy credits that, through the use of independently audited data, verifies the generation and delivery of electricity associated with each renewable energy credit and protects against multiple counting of the same renewable energy credit. The Energy Commission shall consult with other western states and with the Western Electricity Coordinating Council in the development of this system.(d) Certify, for purposes of compliance with the renewable portfolio standard requirements by a retail seller, the eligibility of renewable energy credits associated with deliveries of electricity by an eligible renewable energy resource to a local publicly owned electric utility, if the Energy Commission determines that the following conditions have been satisfied:(1) The local publicly owned electric utility that is procuring the electricity is in compliance with the requirements of Section 387.(2) The local publicly owned electric utility has established an annual renewables portfolio standard target comparable to those applicable to an electrical corporation, is procuring sufficient eligible renewable energy resources to satisfy the targets, and will not fail to satisfy the targets in the event that the renewable energy credit is sold to another retail seller.(d) Certify, for purposes of compliance with the renewables portfolio standard requirements by a retail seller, the eligibility of renewable energy credits associated with deliveries of electricity by an eligible renewable energy resource to a local publicly owned electric utility, if the Energy Commission determines that all of the following conditions have been satisfied: (1) The local publicly owned electric utility has established an annual 33 percent renewables portfolio standard target comparable to those applicable to an electrical corporation, and is procuring sufficient eligible renewable energy resources to satisfy the target standard, and will not fail to satisfy the target standard in the event that the renewable energy credit is sold to another retail seller. (2) Each local publicly owned electric utility reports, on an annual basis, to its customers, and to the Energy Commission, all of the following: (A) Expenditures of funds collected pursuant to the renewable energy public goods charge for eligible renewable energy resource development. Reports shall contain a description of programs, expenditures, and expected or actual results. (B) The resource mix used to serve its customers by fuel type. Reports shall contain the contribution of each type of renewable energy resource with separate categories for those fuels that are eligible renewable energy resources as defined in Section 399.12, except that the electricity is delivered to the local publicly owned electric utility and not a retail seller. Electricity shall be reported as having been delivered to the local publicly owned electric utility from an eligible renewable energy resource when the electricity would qualify for compliance with the renewables portfolio standard if it were delivered to a retail seller. (C) The utility's status in implementing a 33 percent renewables portfolio standard pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (f). (e) In consultation with the State Air Resources Board, adopt regulations for the enforcement of this article with respect to a local publicly owned electric utility. The regulations shall be adopted at a publicly noticed meeting offering all interested parties an opportunity to comment. Not less than 30 days' notice shall be given to the public of any meeting held for purposes of adopting the regulations. Not less than 10 days' notice shall be given to the public before any meeting is held to make a substantive change to the regulations. The regulations shall provide for the imposition of penalties for failure to comply with this article by the State Air Resources Board pursuant to Part 6 (commencing with Section 38580) of Division 25.5 of the Health and Safety Code, upon referral and recommendation by the commission. (f) (1) By October 30, 2009, at a duly noticed public meeting and in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, establish a renewables portfolio standard requiring each local publicly owned electric utility to procure a minimum quantity of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources, including renewable energy credits, as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to the utility's retail end-use customers each calendar year. The Energy Commission shall enforce the renewables portfolio standard upon its establishment. (2) Every three years, each local publicly owned electric utility shall post notice in accordance with Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code whenever its governing body will deliberate in public on its renewable energy resources procurement plan. (A) Contemporaneous with the posting of the notice of a public meeting to consider the energy resources procurement plan, the local publicly owned electric utility shall notify the Energy Commission of the date, time, and location of the meeting so the Energy Commission may post the information on its Internet Web site. This requirement is satisfied if the local publicly owned electric utility provides the uniform resource locator (URL) that links to this information. (B) Upon distribution to its governing body of information related to its renewable energy resource procurement status and future plans, for its consideration at a noticed public meeting, the local publicly owned electric utility shall make that information available to the public and shall provide the Energy Commission with an electronic copy of the documents for posting on the Energy Commission' s Internet Web site. This requirement is satisfied if the local publicly owned electric utility provides the uniform resource locator (URL) that links to the documents or information regarding other manners of access to the documents. (3) Within 30 business days after a local publicly owned electric utility enters into a renewable resource procurement contract, the local publicly owned electric utility shall submit to the Energy Commission documentation that includes all of the following: (A) A description of the renewable resource and the terms of the contract. (B) A description and identification of the electric generating facility providing the renewable energy resource under the contract. (C) An explanation as to how the electricity generated by that facility will be certified as having been generated by an eligible renewable energy resource and how it will be used to serve the load of the local publicly owned electric utility. (D) An explanation as to how the contract supports the local publicly owned electric utility's renewables portfolio standard. (g) In order for the state to meet the requirements of the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, substantially increased amounts of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources must be integrated with, and interconnected to, the transmission grid that is either owned by, or under the operational control of, the local publicly owned electric utilities and the transmission grid that is under the operational control of the Independent System Operator. (h) The Energy Commission, in consultation and cooperation with the Independent System Operator and local publicly owned electric utility balancing authorities, shall facilitate a process for the execution of so-called "seams agreements" between balancing authorities providing for the joint operation and cooperative scheduling of separately owned and operated but interconnected transmission grid systems in a way that optimizes the available transfer capacity of the combined statewide system, respects the long-term physical transmission rights of each party, and provides cost certainty. The Energy Commission shall facilitate all of the following: (1) The development of annual statewide transmission plans that incorporate local publicly owned electric utility transmission plans and any potential joint privately owned and local publicly owned electric utility infrastructure projects, with the goal of minimizing the aggregate amount and cost of new transmission needed statewide to meet both reliability needs and renewables portfolio standard targets. (2) The siting and approval of new transmission lines that can be jointly owned or utilized by electrical corporations, merchant transmission companies, and local publicly owned electric utilities, and can be jointly operated by the Independent System Operator and local publicly owned electric utility balancing authorities. SEC. 11. Section 399.14 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 399.14. (a) (1) The commission shall direct each electrical corporation to prepare a renewable energy procurement plan that includes the matter in paragraph (3), to satisfy its obligations under the renewables portfolio standard. To the extent feasible, this procurement plan shall be proposed, reviewed, and adopted by the commission as part of, and pursuant to, a general procurement plan process. The commission shall require each electrical corporation to review and update its renewable energy procurement plan as it determines to be necessary. (2) The commission shall adopt, by rulemaking, all of the following: (A) A process for determining market prices pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 399.15. The commission shall make specific determinations of market prices after the closing date of a competitive solicitation conducted by an electrical corporation for eligible renewable energy resources. (B) A process that provides criteria for the rank ordering and selection of least-cost and best-fit eligible renewable energy resources to comply with the annual California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program obligations on a total cost basis. This process shall consider estimates of indirect costs associated with needed transmission investments and ongoing utility expenses resulting from integrating and operating eligible renewable energy resources. This process shall also consider, but shall not be limited to, the cost impact of procuring the eligible renewable energy resources on the electrical corporation's electricity portfolio, system reliability, and the environmental and economic benefits of procuring renewable energy. (C) (i) Flexible rules for compliance, including rules permitting retail sellers to apply excess procurement in one year to subsequent years or inadequate procurement in one year to no more than the following three years. The flexible rules for compliance shall apply to all years, including years before and after a retail seller procures at least 20 percent by 2010, and 33 percent by 2020, of total retail sales of electricity from eligible renewable energy resources. (ii) The flexible rules for compliance shall address situations where, as a result of insufficient transmission, a retail seller is unable to procure eligible renewable energy resources sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this article. Any rules addressing insufficient transmission shall require a finding by the commission that the retail seller has undertaken all reasonable efforts to do all of the following: (I) Utilize flexible delivery points. (II) Ensure the availability of any needed transmission capacity. (III) If the retail seller is an electric corporation, to construct needed transmission facilities. (IV) Nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to revise any portion of Section 454.5. (D) Standard terms and conditions to be used by all electrical corporations in contracting for eligible renewable energy resources, including performance requirements for renewable generators. A contract for the purchase of electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource shall, at a minimum, include the renewable energy credits associated with all electricity generation specified under the contract. The standard terms and conditions shall include the requirement that, no later than six months after the commission's approval of an electricity purchase agreement entered into pursuant to this article, the following information about the agreement shall be disclosed by the commission: party names, resource type, project location, and project capacity. (3) Consistent with the goal ofprocuring the least-cost and best-fit eligibleincreasing California' s reliance on eligible renewable energy resources, the renewable energy procurement plan submitted by an electrical corporation shall include all of the following: (A) An assessment of annual or multiyear portfolio supplies and demand to determine the optimal mix of eligible renewable energy resources with deliverability characteristics that may include peaking, dispatchable, baseload, firm, and as-available capacity. This assessment shall be consistent with the electrical corporation's long-term portfolio planning conducted pursuant to Section 454.5 and shall consider the electrical corporation's optimal portfolio to reach the state's goals for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Consistent with an electrical corporation's long-term portfolio planning, the commission may require analyses, including, but not limited to, the rate impact, effects on system reliability, and the environmental and economic benefits of the proposed procurement. (B)ProvisionsStrategies for employing available compliance flexibility mechanisms established by the commission. (C) A bid solicitation setting forth the need for eligible renewable energy resources of each deliverability characteristic, required online dates, and locational preferences, if any. (4) In soliciting and procuring eligible renewable energy resources, each electrical corporation shall offer contracts of no less than 10 years in duration, unless the commission approves of a contract of shorter duration.(5) In soliciting and procuring eligible renewable energy resources, each electrical corporation may give preference to projects that provide tangible demonstrable benefits to communities with a plurality of minority or low-income populations.(5) (A) In soliciting and procuring eligible renewable energy resources for California-based projects, each electrical corporation shall give preference to renewable energy projects that provide environmental and economic benefits to communities afflicted with poverty or high unemployment, or that suffer from high emission levels of toxic air contaminants, criteria air pollutants, and greenhouse gases. (B) The commission shall report to the Legislature by January 1, 2012, and every two years thereafter, on the progress and status of procurement activities, the identification of barriers, and policy recommendations for achieving the goals set forth in this paragraph. (b) A retail seller may enter into a combination of long- and short-term contracts for delivery of electricity and associated renewable energy credits. The commission may authorize a retail seller to enter into a contract of less than 10 years' duration with an eligible renewable energy resource, if the commission has established, for each retail seller, minimum quantities of eligible renewable energy resources to be procuredeitherthrough contracts of at least 10 years' durationor from new facilities commencing commercial operations on or after January 1, 2005. (c) The commission shall review and accept, modify, or reject each electrical corporation's renewable energy procurement plan prior to the commencement of renewable procurement pursuant to this article by an electrical corporation. (d) The commission shall review the results of an eligible renewable energy resources solicitation submitted for approval by an electrical corporation and accept or reject proposed contracts with eligible renewable energy resources based on consistency with the approved renewable energy procurement plan. If the commission determines that the bid prices are elevated due to a lack of effective competition among the bidders, the commission shall direct the electrical corporation to renegotiate the contracts or conduct a new solicitation. (e)If an electrical corporation fails to comply with a commission order adopting a renewable energy procurement plan, the commission shall exercise its authority pursuant to Section 2113 to require compliance. The commission shall enforce comparable penalties on any other retail seller that fails to meet annual procurement targets established pursuant to Section 399.15.The commission, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, shall adopt rules for the enforcement of this article with respect to retail sellers. The rules shall be adopted at a publicly noticed meeting offering all interested parties an opportunity to comment. Not less than 30 days' notice shall be given to the public of any meeting held for purposes of adopting the rules. Not less than 10 days' notice shall be given to the public before any meeting is held to make a substantive change to the rules. The rules shall provide for the imposition of penalties for failure to comply with this article by the State Air Resources Board pursuant to Part 6 (commencing with Section 38580) of Division 25.5 of the Health and Safety Code, upon referral and recommendation by the commission. Nothing in this subdivision pr ecludes the imposition of any other penalties under any other provision of law. (f) (1) The commission may authorize a procurement entity to enter into contracts on behalf of customers of a retail seller for deliveries of eligible renewable energy resources to satisfy annual renewables portfolio standard obligations. The commission may not require any person or corporation to act as a procurement entity or require any party to purchase eligible renewable energy resources from a procurement entity. (2) Subject to review and approval by the commission, the procurement entity shall be permitted to recover reasonable administrative and procurement costs through the retail rates of end-use customers that are served by the procurement entity and are directly benefiting from the procurement of eligible renewable energy resources. (g) Procurement and administrative costs associated with long-term contracts entered into by an electrical corporation for eligible renewable energy resources pursuant to this article and approved by the commission shall be deemed reasonableper seand shall be recoverable in rates. (h) Construction, alteration, demolition, installation, and repair work on an eligible renewable energy resource that receives production incentives pursuant to Section 25742 of the Public Resources Code, including work performed to qualify, receive, or maintain production incentivesisare "public works" for the purposes of Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1720) of Part 7 of Division 2 of the Labor Code. (i) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2010, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2010, deletes or extends that date. SEC. 12. Section 399.14 is added to the Public Utilities Code , to read: 399.14. (a) (1) The commission shall direct each electrical corporation to prepare a renewable energy procurement plan that includes the matter in paragraph (3), to satisfy its obligations under the renewables portfolio standard. To the extent feasible, this procurement plan shall be proposed, reviewed, and adopted by the commission as part of, and pursuant to, a general procurement plan process. The commission shall require each electrical corporation to review and update its renewable energy procurement plan as it determines to be necessary. (2) The commission shall adopt, by rulemaking, all of the following: (A) A process that provides criteria for the rank ordering and selection of least-cost and best-fit eligible renewable energy resources to comply with the annual California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program obligations on a total cost basis. This process shall consider estimates of indirect costs associated with needed transmission investments and ongoing utility expenses resulting from integrating and operating eligible renewable energy resources. This process shall also consider, but not be limited to, the cost impact of procuring the eligible renewable energy resources on the electrical corporation's electricity portfolio, system reliability, and the environmental and economic benefits of procuring renewable energy. (B) Flexible rules for compliance, including rules permitting retail sellers to apply excess procurement in one year to subsequent years or inadequate procurement in one year to no more than the following three years. The flexible rules for compliance shall apply to all years, including years before and after a retail seller procures at least 20 percent by 2010, and 33 percent by 2020, of total retail sales of electricity from eligible renewable energy resources. (C) Standard terms and conditions to be used by all electrical corporations in contracting for eligible renewable energy resources, including performance requirements for renewable generators. A contract for the purchase of electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource shall, at a minimum, include the renewable energy credits associated with all electricity generation specified under the contract. The standard terms and conditions shall include the requirement that, no later than six months after the commission's approval of an electricity purchase agreement entered into pursuant to this article, the following information about the agreement shall be disclosed by the commission: party names, resource type, project location, and project capacity. (3) Consistent with the goal of increasing California's reliance on eligible renewable energy resources, the renewable energy procurement plan submitted by an electrical corporation shall include all of the following: (A) An assessment of annual or multiyear portfolio supplies and demand to determine the optimal mix of eligible renewable energy resources with deliverability characteristics that may include peaking, dispatchable, baseload, firm, and as-available capacity. This assessment shall be consistent with the electrical corporation's long-term portfolio planning conducted pursuant to Section 454.5 and shall consider the electrical corporation's optimal portfolio to reach the state's goals for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Consistent with an electrical corporation's long-term portfolio planning, the commission may require analyses, including, but not limited to, the rate impact, effects on system reliability, and the environmental and economic benefits of the proposed procurement. (B) Strategies for employing available compliance flexibility mechanisms established by the commission. (C) A bid solicitation setting forth the need for eligible renewable energy resources of each deliverability characteristic, required online dates, and locational preferences, if any. (D) A status update on the development schedule of all eligible renewable resources currently under contract. (4) In soliciting and procuring eligible renewable energy resources, each electrical corporation shall offer contracts of no less than 10 years in duration, unless the commission approves of a contract of shorter duration. (5) (A) In soliciting and procuring eligible renewable energy resources for California-based projects, each electrical corporation shall give preference to renewable energy projects that provide environmental and economic benefits to communities afflicted with poverty or high unemployment, or that suffer from high emission levels of toxic air contaminants, criteria air pollutants, and greenhouse gases. (B) The commission shall report to the Legislature by January 1, 2012, and every two years thereafter, on the progress and status of procurement activities, the identification of barriers, and policy recommendations for achieving the goals set forth in this paragraph. (b) A retail seller may enter into a combination of long- and short-term contracts for delivery of electricity and associated renewable energy credits. The commission may authorize a retail seller to enter into a contract of less than 10 years' duration with an eligible renewable energy resource, if the commission has established, for each retail seller, minimum quantities of eligible renewable energy resources to be procured through contracts of at least 10 years' duration. (c) The commission shall review and accept, modify, or reject each electrical corporation's renewable energy procurement plan prior to the commencement of renewable procurement pursuant to this article by an electrical corporation. (d) (1) The commission shall review the results of an eligible renewable energy resources solicitation submitted for approval by an electrical corporation and accept or reject proposed contracts with eligible renewable energy resources based on consistency with the approved renewable energy procurement plan. If the commission determines that the bid prices are elevated due to a lack of effective competition among the bidders, the commission shall direct the electrical corporation to renegotiate the contracts or conduct a new solicitation. (2) The commission shall establish project development milestones to evaluate the potential for compliance with the adopted renewable procurement plan and a set of actions that will occur as a result of not meeting those milestones. These actions may include, but shall not be limited to, determining a cure period for failure to meet milestones, a suspense period on the contract online date for events beyond the developer's control that cause a failure to meet milestones, allow other developers that are prepared to go forward to move ahead of suspended contracts, and forfeiture of deposits. (e) The commission, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, shall adopt rules for the enforcement of this article with respect to retail sellers. The rules shall be adopted at a publicly noticed meeting offering all interested parties an opportunity to comment. Not less than 30 days' notice shall be given to the public of any meeting held for purposes of adopting the rules. Not less than 10 days' notice shall be given to the public before any meeting is held to make a substantive change to the rules. The rules shall provide for the imposition of penalties for failure to comply with this article by the State Air Resources Board pursuant to Part 6 (commencing with Section 38580) of Division 25.5 of the Health and Safety Code, upon referral and recommendation by the commission. Nothing in this subdivision precludes the imposition of any other penalties under any other provision of law. (f) (1) The commission may authorize a procurement entity to enter into contracts on behalf of customers of a retail seller for deliveries of eligible renewable energy resources to satisfy annual renewables portfolio standard obligations. The commission may not require any person or corporation to act as a procurement entity or require any party to purchase eligible renewable energy resources from a procurement entity. (2) Subject to review and approval by the commission, the procurement entity shall be permitted to recover reasonable administrative and procurement costs through the retail rates of end-use customers that are served by the procurement entity and are directly benefiting from the procurement of eligible renewable energy resources. (g) Procurement and administrative costs associated with long-term contracts entered into by an electrical corporation for eligible renewable energy resources pursuant to this article and approved by the commission shall be deemed reasonable and shall be recoverable in rates. (h) Construction, alteration, demolition, installation, and repair work on an eligible renewable energy resource that receives production incentives pursuant to Section 25742 of the Public Resources Code, including work performed to qualify, receive, or maintain production incentives are "public works" for the purposes of Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1720) of Part 7 of Division 2 of the Labor Code. (i) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2010. SEC. 13. Section 399.15 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 399.15. (a)In order to fulfill unmet long-term resource needs, theThe commission shall establish a renewables portfolio standard requiring allelectrical corporationsretail sellers to procure a minimum quantity of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to their retail end-use customers each calendar year, subject to limits for electrical corporations on the total amount of costs expended above the market prices determined in subdivision (c), to achieve the targets established under this article. (b) The commission shall implement annual procurement targets for each retail seller as follows: (1) Each retail seller shall, pursuant to subdivision (a), increase its total procurement of eligible renewable energy resources by at least an additional 1 percent of retail sales per year so that 20 percent of its retail sales are procured from eligible renewable energy resources no later than December 31, 2010 , and 33 percent no later than December 31, 2020, if the commission determines that achieving these targets will result in just and reasonable rates . A retail seller with2033 percent of retail sales procured from eligible renewable energy resources in any year shall not be required to increase its procurement of renewable energy resources in the following year. (2) For purposes of setting annual procurement targets, the commission shall establish an initial baseline for each retail seller based on the actual percentage of retail sales procured from eligible renewable energy resources in 2001, and to the extent applicable, adjusted going forward pursuant to Section 399.12. (3) Only for purposes of establishing these targets, the commission shall include all electricity sold to retail customers by the Department of Water Resources pursuant to Section 80100 of the Water Code in the calculation of retail sales by an electrical corporation. (4)In the event thatIf a retail seller fails to procure sufficient eligible renewable energy resources in a given year to meet any annual target established pursuant to this subdivision, the retail seller shall procure additional eligible renewable energy resources in subsequent years to compensate for the shortfall, subject to the limitation on costs for electrical corporations established pursuant to subdivision (d). (c) The commission shall establish a methodology to determine the market price of electricity for terms corresponding to the length of contracts with eligible renewable energy resources, in consideration of the following: (1) The long-term market price of electricity for fixed price contracts, determined pursuant to an electrical corporation's general procurement activities as authorized by the commission. (2) The long-term ownership, operating, and fixed-price fuel costs associated with fixed-price electricity from new generating facilities. (3) The value of different products including baseload, peaking, and as-available electricity. (d) The commission shall establish, for each electrical corporation, a limitation on the total costs expended above the market prices determined in subdivision (c) for the procurement of eligible renewable energy resources to achieve the annual procurement targets established under this article. (1) The cost limitation shall be equal to the amount of funds transferred to each electrical corporation by the Energy Commission pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 25743 of the Public Resources Code and the 51.5 percent of the funds which would have been collected through January 1, 2012, from the customers of the electrical corporation based on the renewable energy public goods charge in effect as of January 1, 2007. (2) The above-market costs of a contract selected by an electrical corporation may be counted toward the cost limitation if all of the following conditions are satisfied: (A) The contract has been approved by the commission and was selected through a competitive solicitation pursuant to the requirements of subdivision (d) of Section 399.14. (B) The contract covers a duration of no less than 10 years.(C) The contracted project is a new or repowered facility commencing commercial operations on or after January 1, 2005.(D)(C) No purchases of renewable energy credits may be eligible for consideration as an above-market cost.(E)(D) The above-market costs of a contract do not include any indirect expenses including imbalance energy charges, sale of excess energy, decreased generation from existing resources, or transmission upgrades. (3) If the cost limitation for an electrical corporation is insufficient to support the total costs expended above the market prices determined in subdivision (c) for the procurement of eligible renewable energy resources satisfying the conditions of paragraph (2), the commission shall allow the electrical corporation to limit its procurement to the quantity of eligible renewable energy resources that can be procured at or below the market prices established in subdivision (c). (4) Nothing in this section prevents an electrical corporation from voluntarily proposing to procure eligible renewable energy resources at above-market prices that are not counted toward the cost limitation. Any voluntary procurement involving above-market costs shall be subject to commission approval prior to the expense being recovered in rates. (e) The establishment of a renewables portfolio standard shall not constitute implementation by the commission of the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-617). (f) The commission shall consult with the Energy Commission in calculating market prices under subdivision (c) and establishing other renewables portfolio standard policies. (g) An electrical corporation shall submit a contract for eligible renewable energy resources to the commission for review, pursuant to the electrical corporation's approved renewable energy procurement plan. (1) In conducting a review, the commission shall do all of the following: (A) Consider system reliability. (B) Consider the value of different generation characteristics including peaking, dispatchable, baseload, and firm and as-available capacity of renewable projects. (C) Make an assessment of the price risk associated with the electrical corporation's renewable energy portfolio, including any proposed contracts or purchases under which an electrical corporation will procure renewable energy. (2) The costs of contracts for eligible renewable energy resources that have been approved by the commission shall be recoverable in rates of electrical corporations. (h) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2010, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2010, deletes or extends that date. SEC. 14. Section 399.15 is added to the Public Utilities Code , to read: 399.15. (a) The commission shall establish a renewables portfolio standard requiring all retail sellers to procure a minimum quantity of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to their retail end-use customers each calendar year to achieve the targets established under this article. (b) The commission shall implement annual procurement targets for each retail seller as follows: (1) Each retail seller shall, pursuant to subdivision (a), increase its total procurement of eligible renewable energy resources by at least an additional 1 percent of retail sales per year so that 20 percent of its retail sales are procured from eligible renewable energy resources no later than December 31, 2010, and 33 percent no later than December 31, 2020, if the commission determines that achieving these targets will result in just and reasonable rates. A retail seller with 33 percent of retail sales procured from eligible renewable energy resources in any year shall not be required to increase its procurement of renewable energy resources in the following year. (2) For purposes of setting annual procurement targets, the commission shall establish an initial baseline for each retail seller based on the actual percentage of retail sales procured from eligible renewable energy resources in 2001, and to the extent applicable, adjusted in subsequent years pursuant to Section 399.12. (3) Only for purposes of establishing these targets, the commission shall include all electricity sold to retail customers by the Department of Water Resources pursuant to Section 80100 of the Water Code in the calculation of retail sales by an electrical corporation. (4) If a retail seller fails to procure sufficient eligible renewable energy resources in a given year to meet any annual target established pursuant to this subdivision, the retail seller shall procure additional eligible renewable energy resources in subsequent years to compensate for the shortfall. (c) The establishment of a renewables portfolio standard shall not constitute implementation by the commission of the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-617). (d) The commission shall consult with the Energy Commission in establishing renewables portfolio standard policies. (e) An electrical corporation shall submit a contract for eligible renewable energy resources to the commission for review, pursuant to the electrical corporation's approved renewable energy procurement plan. (1) In conducting a review, the commission shall do all of the following: (A) Consider system reliability. (B) Consider the value of different generation characteristics including peaking, dispatchable, baseload, and firm and as-available capacity of renewable projects. (C) Make an assessment of the price risk associated with the electrical corporation's renewable energy portfolio, including any proposed contracts or purchases under which an electrical corporation will procure renewable energy. (2) The costs of contracts for eligible renewable energy resources that have been approved by the commission shall be recoverable in rates of electrical corporations. (f) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2010. SEC. 15. Section 399.22 is added to the Public Utilities Code , to read: 399.22. (a) In order for the state to meet the requirements of the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, substantially increased amounts of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources must be integrated with, and interconnected to, the transmission grid that is under the operational control of the Independent System Operator. (b) The Independent System Operator shall undertake all feasible efforts to do all of the following, and shall seek the approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, if necessary: (1) Adjust its market structure to achieve, in the most cost-effective manner possible, a minimum of 33 percent of electricity generated from eligible renewable energy resources by December 31, 2020. (2) In consultation and cooperation with local publicly owned electric utilities develop annual statewide transmission plans that incorporate local publicly owned electric utility transmission plans and any potential joint privately owned and local publicly owned electric utility infrastructure projects, with the goal of minimizing the aggregate amount and cost of new transmission needed statewide to meet both reliability needs and renewable energy targets. (3) Seek proposals from, and propose transmission projects to, local publicly owned electric utilities that can be jointly owned by electrical corporations, merchant transmission companies, and local publicly owned electric utilities, and can be jointly operated by the Independent System Operator and local publicly owned electric utility balancing authorities. (4) Eliminate barriers established by the Independent System Operator over transmission lines in its control area. (c) The commission shall approve reasonable and cost-effective transmission and power line investments that are not under the ratemaking authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and that are necessary to enable electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources to be delivered to retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities. SEC. 16. Section 454.5 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 454.5. (a) The commission shall specify the allocation of electricity, including quantity, characteristics, and duration of electricity delivery, that the Department of Water Resources shall provide under its power purchase agreements to the customers of each electrical corporation, which shall be reflected in the electrical corporation's proposed procurement plan. Each electrical corporation shall file a proposed procurement plan with the commission not later than 60 days after the commission specifies the allocation of electricity. The proposed procurement plan shall specify the date that the electrical corporation intends to resume procurement of electricity for its retail customers, consistent with its obligation to serve. After the commission's adoption of a procurement plan, the commission shall allow not less than 60 days before the electrical corporation resumes procurement pursuant to this section. (b) An electrical corporation's proposed procurement plan shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following: (1) An assessment of the price risk associated with the electrical corporation's portfolio, including any utility-retained generation, existing power purchase and exchange contracts, and proposed contracts or purchases under which an electrical corporation will procure electricity, electricity demand reductions, and electricity-related products and the remaining open position to be served by spot market transactions. (2) A definition of each electricity product, electricity-related product, and procurement related financial product, including support and justification for the product type and amount to be procured under the plan. (3) The duration of the plan. (4) The duration, timing, and range of quantities of each product to be procured. (5) A competitive procurement process under which the electrical corporation may request bids for procurement-related services, including the format and criteria of that procurement process. (6) An incentive mechanism, if any incentive mechanism is proposed, including the type of transactions to be covered by that mechanism, their respective procurement benchmarks, and other parameters needed to determine the sharing of risks and benefits. (7) The upfront standards and criteria by which the acceptability and eligibility for rate recovery of a proposed procurement transaction will be known by the electrical corporation prior to execution of the transaction. This shall include an expedited approval process for the commission's review of proposed contracts and subsequent approval or rejection thereof. The electrical corporation shall propose alternative procurement choices in the event a contract is rejected. (8) Procedures for updating the procurement plan. (9) A showing that the procurement plan will achieve the following: (A) The electrical corporation will,in order to fulfill its unmet resource needs and in furtherance of Section 701.3,until a2033 percent renewable resources portfolio is achieved, procure renewable energy resources with the goal of ensuring that at least an additional 1 percent per year of the electricity sold by the electrical corporation is generated from renewable energy resources, provided sufficient funds are made available pursuant to Sections 399.6 and 399.15, to cover the above-market costs for new renewable energy resources. (B) The electrical corporation will create or maintain a diversified procurement portfolio consisting of both short-term and long-term electricity and electricity-related and demand reduction products. (C) The electrical corporation will first meet its unmet resource needs through all available energy efficiency and demand reduction resources that are cost effective, reliable, and feasible. (10) The electrical corporation's risk management policy, strategy, and practices, including specific measures of price stability. (11) A plan to achieve appropriate increases in diversity of ownership and diversity of fuel supply of nonutility electrical generation. (12) A mechanism for recovery of reasonable administrative costs related to procurement in the generation component of rates. (c) The commission shall review and accept, modify, or reject each electrical corporation's procurement plan. The commission's review shall consider each electrical corporation's individual procurement situation, and shall give strong consideration to that situation in determining which one or more of the features set forth in this subdivision shall apply to that electrical corporation. A procurement plan approved by the commission shall contain one or more of the following features, provided that the commission may not approve a feature or mechanism for an electrical corporation if it finds that the feature or mechanism would impair the restoration of an electrical corporation's creditworthiness or would lead to a deterioration of an electrical corporation's creditworthiness: (1) A competitive procurement process under which the electrical corporation may request bids for procurement-related services. The commission shall specify the format of that procurement process, as well as criteria to ensure that the auction process is open and adequately subscribed. Any purchases made in compliance with the commission-authorized process shall be recovered in the generation component of rates. (2) An incentive mechanism that establishes a procurement benchmark or benchmarks and authorizes the electrical corporation to procure from the market, subject to comparing the electrical corporation's performance to the commission-authorized benchmark or benchmarks. The incentive mechanism shall be clear, achievable, and contain quantifiable objectives and standards. The incentive mechanism shall contain balanced risk and reward incentives that limit the risk and reward of an electrical corporation. (3) Upfront achievable standards and criteria by which the acceptability and eligibility for rate recovery of a proposed procurement transaction will be known by the electrical corporation prior to the execution of the bilateral contract for the transaction. The commission shall provide for expedited review and either approve or reject the individual contracts submitted by the electrical corporation to ensure compliance with its procurement plan. To the extent the commission rejects a proposed contract pursuant to this criteria, the commission shall designate alternative procurement choices obtained in the procurement plan that will be recoverable for ratemaking purposes. (d) A procurement plan approved by the commission shall accomplish each of the following objectives: (1) Enable the electrical corporation to fulfill its obligation to serve its customers at just and reasonable rates. (2) Eliminate the need for after-the-fact reasonableness reviews of an electrical corporation's actions in compliance with an approved procurement plan, including resulting electricity procurement contracts, practices, and related expenses. However, the commission may establish a regulatory process to verify and assure that each contract was administered in accordance with the terms of the contract, and contract disputes which may arise are reasonably resolved. (3) Ensure timely recovery of prospective procurement costs incurred pursuant to an approved procurement plan. The commission shall establish rates based on forecasts of procurement costs adopted by the commission, actual procurement costs incurred, or combination thereof, as determined by the commission. The commission shall establish power procurement balancing accounts to track the differences between recorded revenues and costs incurred pursuant to an approved procurement plan. The commission shall review the power procurement balancing accounts, not less than semiannually, and shall adjust rates or order refunds, as necessary, to promptly amortize a balancing account, according to a schedule determined by the commission. Until January 1, 2006, the commission shall ensure that any overcollection or undercollection in the power procurement balancing account does not exceed 5 percent of the electrical corporation's actual recorded generation revenues for the prior calendar year excluding revenues collected for the Department of Water Resources. The commission shall determine the schedule for amortizing the overcollection or undercollection in the balancing account to ensure that the 5 percent threshold is not exceeded. After January 1, 2006, this adjustment shall occur when deemed appropriate by the commission consistent with the objectives of this section. (4) Moderate the price risk associated with serving its retail customers, including the price risk embedded in its long-term supply contracts, by authorizing an electrical corporation to enter into financial and other electricity-related product contracts. (5) Provide for just and reasonable rates, with an appropriate balancing of price stability and price level in the electrical corporation's procurement plan. (e) The commission shall provide for the periodic review and prospective modification of an electrical corporation's procurement plan. (f) The commission may engage an independent consultant or advisory service to evaluate risk management and strategy. The reasonable costs of any consultant or advisory service is a reimbursable expense and eligible for funding pursuant to Section 631. (g) The commission shall adopt appropriate procedures to ensure the confidentiality of any market sensitive information submitted in an electrical corporation's proposed procurement plan or resulting from or related to its approved procurement plan, including, but not limited to, proposed or executed power purchase agreements, data request responses, or consultant reports, or any combination, provided that the Office of Ratepayer Advocates and other consumer groups that are nonmarket participants shall be provided access to this information under confidentiality procedures authorized by the commission. (h) Nothing in this section alters, modifies, or amends the commission's oversight of affiliate transactions under its rules and decisions or the commission's existing authority to investigate and penalize an electrical corporation's alleged fraudulent activities, or to disallow costs incurred as a result of gross incompetence, fraud, abuse, or similar grounds. Nothing in this section expands, modifies, or limits the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission's existing authority and responsibilities as set forth in Sections 25216, 25216.5, and 25323 of the Public Resources Code. (i) An electrical corporation that serves less than 500,000 electric retail customers within the state may file with the commission a request for exemption from this section, which the commission shall grant upon a showing of good cause. (j) (1) Prior to its approval pursuant to Section 851 of any divestiture of generation assets owned by an electrical corporation on or after the date of enactment of the act adding this section, the commission shall determine the impact of the proposed divestiture on the electrical corporation's procurement rates and shall approve a divestiture only to the extent it finds, taking into account the effect of the divestiture on procurement rates, that the divestiture is in the public interest and will result in net ratepayer benefits. (2) Any electrical corporation's procurement necessitated as a result of the divestiture of generation assets on or after the effective date of the act adding this subdivision shall be subject to the mechanisms and procedures set forth in this section only if its actual cost is less than the recent historical cost of the divested generation assets. (3) Notwithstanding paragraph (2), the commission may deem proposed procurement eligible to use the procedures in this section upon its approval of asset divestiture pursuant to Section 851. SEC. 17. Section 1005.1 is added to the Public Utilities Code , to read: 1005.1. (a) The commission shall approve an application for a certificate within one year of the date of filing of the completed application, when all of the following are true: (1) The application is for a certificate for building or upgrading an electrical transmission line. (2) The transmission line is needed to provide transmission to load centers for electricity generated in a high priority renewable energy zone or is reasonably necessary to facilitate achievement of the renewables portfolio standard established in Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11) of Chapter 2.3. (3) The commission has not expressly found any of the following: (A) That the investment is not reasonable and necessary to maintain or enhance reliability of the transmission grid. (B) That the building or upgrading of the electrical transmission line will not maintain or enhance efficient use of the transmission grid. (C) That the transmission line fails to meet other applicable standards and requirements for approval and construction. (D) That the transmission line threatens substantial harm to the environment that necessitates an extension of time for completion of review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code). (b) The commission may, if it finds that the costs were justified pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 454, allow recovery in rates of any increase in transmission costs incurred by an electrical corporation in planning, designing, and engineering the reconfiguration, replacement, expansion, or construction of transmission facilities, to the extent that those costs are not otherwise authorized for recovery in rates approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. SEC. 18. It is the intent of the Legislature to appropriate the sum of three million seven hundred thousand dollars ($3,700,000) from the Public Interest Research, Development, and Demonstration Fund to the Energy Commission for contracts and for interagency agreements with the Department of Fish and Game or other wildlife agencies for the preparation of one or more natural communities conservation plans in the Mojave Desert for the purposes of facilitating the development of solar energy in that region. SEC. 19. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because certain costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution. With respect to certain other costs, no reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code. All matter omitted in this version of the bill appears in the bill as amended in Senate, June 18, 2008 (JR11)