Amended in Assembly April 24, 2013

Amended in Assembly April 8, 2013

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 284

Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk

February 11, 2013

An act to add Section 25229 to the Public Resources Code, relating to energy.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 284, as amended, Quirk. Energy: Road to 2050 Board.

Existing law establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and vests the commission with various authorities and duties regarding energy-related issues.

This bill would require the commission to convene the Road to 2050 Board consisting of representatives from specified entities. The bill would require the board to contract with an independent research group to undertake specified studies regarding the achievement of a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% of the 1990 emissions level by 2050 begin delete (2050 goal) end delete begin insert , referred to as the 2050 goal end insert . The bill would require the board, on or before January 1, 2015, and every 4 years thereafter, to begin delete prepare and end delete begin insert prepare, end insert adopt begin insert , and submit to the Legislature end insert the Road to 2050 Report that includes specified information to provide begin insert , on an advisory basis, end insert guidance for key infrastructure decisionmaking processes at the local and statewide level to ensure those processes adequately consider implications for meeting the 2050 goal. The bill would require the board to hold a public meeting, on a biennial basis, for the preparation of the Road to 2050 Report.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

SECTION 1.  

Section 25229 is added to the Public Resources
Code, to read:

25229.  

(a) To ensure that the interests of the people of
California are served, the commission shall convene the Road to
2050 Board consisting of begin delete representatives from end delete all of the following:

(1)  begin delete The end delete begin insert A high end insert begin insert -level representative from the end insert commission.

(2)  begin delete The end delete begin insert A high end insert begin insert -level representative from the end insert Public Utilities
Commission.

(3)  begin delete The end delete begin insert A high end insert begin insert -level representative from the end insert State Air Resources
Board.

(4)  begin delete The end delete begin insert A high end insert begin insert -level representative from the end insert California
Environmental Protection Agency.

(5)  begin delete The end delete begin insert A high end insert begin insert -level representative from the end insert Independent System
Operator.

begin delete

(6) The Governor’s Office.

end delete begin insert

(6) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.

end insert begin insert

(7) Two members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.

end insert

(b) The board shall do both of the following:

begin insert

(1) (A) On or before January 1, 2015, and on or before January
1 every four years thereafter, the board shall prepare and adopt,
the Road to 2050 Report containing findings that are used, on an
advisory basis, to guide key infrastructure decisionmaking
processes and policies at the local and statewide level to ensure
those processes adequately consider implications for meeting the
2050 goals.

end insert begin insert

(B) The report shall contain all of the following:

end insert begin insert

(i) An overview of the overall reduction in emissions of
greenhouse gases as a result of California’s energy and
environmental policies to date.

end insert begin insert

(ii) Consistent metric integration among the state agencies to
ensure the analysis of the information included in the report is
reliable and determines cost-effectiveness.

end insert begin insert

(iii) Milestones to represent the progress needed to achieve the
2050 goal, an evaluation of what is reasonably possible, and if a
change in course of action is appropriate.

end insert begin insert

(iv) Alternative scenarios describing the best possible roadmap
to achieve the 2050 goal in the most cost-effective manner.

end insert begin insert

(I) The scenarios shall be based on policies currently in effect
and existing technologies and infrastructures at the time of the
report.

end insert begin insert

(II) The scenarios shall contain separate roadmaps to determine
the best processes toward the 2050 goal.

end insert begin insert

(III) The scenarios shall include a marginal cost curve analysis
to better assess the cost-effectiveness of each given scenario.

end insert begin insert

(C) The board shall hold a public meeting, on a biennial basis,
for the preparation of the report.

end insert begin insert

(D) The board shall submit to the Legislature, notwithstanding
Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, and pursuant to Section
9795 of the Government Code, the report and identify statutory
changes, policy gaps, limitations in statutes, or conflicting policies
among state agencies that are needed to optimize the objectives
of the state’s energy and environmental policies.

end insert begin insert

(E) The board may contract with an independent research group
to prepare the report.

end insert begin delete

(1)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert 2) end insert  Contract with an independent research group to focus on a
study to determine the best process for meeting the 2050 goal to
include all of the following:

(A) The best process for reducing carbon emissions from
electrical generation that ensure cost-effectiveness and reliability.

(B) Methods to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from
homes, farms, and industrial and commercial structures.

(C) Emission reductions from sources of transportation.

begin delete

(2) Submit to the Legislature, pursuant to Section 9795 of the
Government Code, findings made pursuant to paragraph (1) and
identify statutory changes, policy gaps, and conflicting policies
among state agencies that are needed to optimize the objectives
of the state’s energy and environmental policies.

(c) (1) On or before January 1, 2015, and on January 1 of every
four years thereafter, the board shall prepare and adopt the Road
to 2050 Report to provide guidance for key infrastructure
decisionmaking processes at the local and statewide level to ensure
those processes adequately consider implications for meeting the
2050 goal.

(2) The report shall contain all of the following:

(A) An overview of the overall reduction is emission of
greenhouse gases as a result of California’s energy and
environmental policies.

(B) Consistent metric integration among the state agencies to
ensure the analysis of the information included in the report is
reliable and determines cost-effectiveness.

(C) Milestones to represent the progress made towards the 2050
goal and a determination if a change in course of action is
appropriate.

(D) Different scenarios describing the best possible roadmap
to achieve the 2050 goal.

(i) The scenarios shall be based on policies in effect, and existing
technologies and infrastructures at the time of the report.

(ii) The scenarios shall contain separate roadmaps to determine
the best process towards the 2050 goal.

(iii) The scenarios shall include a marginal cost curve analysis
to better assess the cost-effectiveness of each given scenario.

(3) The board may contract with an independent research group
to prepare the report.

(d) The board shall hold a public hearing, on a biennial basis,
for the preparation of the Road to 2050 Report.

(e)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert c) end insert  For the purposes of this section, “2050 goal” means the goal
of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by 80 percent from
1990 emission levels by 2050.