BILL NUMBER: AB 1947	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	CHAPTER  459
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  SEPTEMBER 29, 2010
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  SEPTEMBER 29, 2010
	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 23, 2010
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 24, 2010
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 17, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 28, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 25, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members Fong and Jones
   (Coauthor: Assembly Member Furutani)

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2010

   An act to add Section 387.8 to the Public Utilities Code, relating
to solar energy.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1947, Fong. Solar energy.
   Existing law requires local publicly owned electric utilities to
initiate a public proceeding to adopt, implement, and finance a solar
initiative program to further the state goal of installing 3,000
megawatts of photovoltaic solar energy in the state. Existing law
requires the program to be consistent with prescribed requirements,
including that solar energy systems receiving monetary incentives be
intended primarily to offset part or all of the consumer's own
electricity demand, and that the solar energy system be located on
the same premises of the end-use consumer where the consumer's own
electricity demand is located.
   This bill would authorize a local publicly owned electric utility
to adopt, implement, and finance a solar initiative program exempt
from those offset and same-premises program requirements, where
residential and business consumers offset part or all of their
electricity demand with electricity generated by a solar energy
system not located on the premises of the consumer, if the program
meets certain requirements.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 387.8 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:
   387.8.  Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (5) of subdivision (d)
of Section 387.5, a local publicly owned electric utility may adopt,
implement, and finance a solar initiative program otherwise in
accordance with that section, using monetary incentives authorized by
subdivision (b) of Section 387.5, to residential and business
consumers where consumers offset part or all of their electricity
demand with electricity generated by a solar energy system not
located on the premises of the consumer, if all of the following
requirements are met:
   (a) The solar energy system meets all of the following conditions:

   (1) It is located within the service territory of the local
publicly owned electric utility.
   (2) It has a capacity of no more than five megawatts.
   (3) It is interconnected to the local publicly owned electric
utility's system at the distribution level.
   (b) The local publicly owned electric utility meets all of the
following conditions:
   (1) It provides monetary incentives authorized by Section 387.5
for not more than the first megawatt of generating capacity of each
solar energy system.
   (2) It has contracted to purchase the total electricity produced
by the solar energy system or owns the solar energy system.
   (3) It provides no greater incentive per watt for the solar energy
system than provided for by systems that participate in the
applicable solar initiative program established under Section 387.5.
   (4) It has received approval for the solar energy system from its
governing board at a publicly noticed and held meeting.
   (c) The total megawatt capacity of solar energy systems eligible
for a local publicly owned electric utility program under this
section is both of the following:
   (1) Not more than the total megawatt capacity of the combined
residential and commercial solar energy systems installed in the
service area of the local publicly owned electric utility after July
1, 2010, that participate in the applicable solar initiative programs
established under Section 387.5.
   (2) Not more than 20 percent of the proportionate amount for the
local publicly owned electric utility of the overall 3,000 megawatt
state goal set forth in Section 387.5, based on the percentage of the
total statewide load served by that entity.