BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
695 (Kehoe)
Hearing Date: 05/28/2009 Amended: 04/29/2009
As proposed to be amended
Consultant: Brendan McCarthy Policy Vote: EU&C 11-0
SB 695 (Kehoe)
Page 2
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BILL SUMMARY: SB 695, an urgency measure, would make several
changes to the state's regulation of electricity, including
allowing for increases in some residential electricity rates,
increasing the ability of retail customers to purchase
electricity directly from generators, prohibiting mandatory
time-variant pricing, and making changes to existing energy
efficiency programs.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Fund
UC energy savings About $400 in savings per year, General
beginning sometime after 2013
CSU energy savings $1,000 to $3,000 per year,
beginningGeneral
sometime after 2013
* PUC Utilities Reimbursement Account.
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STAFF COMMENTS: Suspense file. As proposed to be amended.
Current law freezes electricity rates for most residential
customers of the investor-owned utilities and freezes
participation of retail electricity customers in the direct
access program until the Department of Water Resources has
recovered all costs of supplying power. (Direct access allows
retail electricity customers to buy electricity directly from
energy generators, instead of getting power from the local
utility.)
This bill replaces the existing freeze on electricity rates with
one index for most residential customers and a second index for
low-income residential customers. The bill generally prohibits
the Public Utilities Commission from reopening direct access
without further legislative action. However, it would allow
existing direct access customers to increase the amount of
electricity under direct access contracts to return to highest
historic level of direct access service (approximately a 50
SB 695 (Kehoe)
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percent increase in total potential direct access power
purchases). The bill prohibits mandatory use of time-variant
pricing for electricity until 2016 and thereafter allows
consumers to opt out.
The bill also requires the Public Utilities Commission to target
existing energy efficiency and solar energy programs to heavy
users of electricity and to multi-family housing users. It also
requires electric utilities to target energy efficiency funds to
affordable housing developments.
Most of the regulatory costs due to changes to electricity rates
and regulations can be accommodated within existing resources at
the Public Utilities Commission. However, the Commission
estimates that it will require about $210,000 per year for
additional workload in the Low Income Energy Efficiency Program
to oversee increased energy efficiency program activities.
The University of California is an existing direct access
customer. By increasing the amount of electricity that can be
purchased through direct access contracts, the bill would allow
the UC system to acquire electricity at lower cost. UC estimates
that the potential annual savings would be about $400,000 based
on the proposed increase in direct access availability.
Similarly, the California State University System is also a
direct access customer. CSU estimates that the potential savings
from additional direct access energy purchases could be from $1
million to $3 million per year.
This bill is substantially similar to SB 1536 (Kehoe) from last
year which was not heard in the Assembly.
This bill is an urgency measure.
Proposed amendments from author would reduce the costs to the
Public Utilities Commission by directing the commission to phase
in changes to energy efficiency programs. This will allow the
required changes to take place within existing resources. In
addition, the amendments make several technical changes to the
bill that have no fiscal impact.