BILL NUMBER: AB 407 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE FEBRUARY 20, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 8, 2013
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 21, 2013
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 14, 2013
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member V. Manuel Pérez
( Principal coauthor: Senator
Hueso )
FEBRUARY 15, 2013
An act to amend Section 71100 of, and to add Section
71103.6 to, the Public Resources Code, relating to the environment.
An act to add Section 25328 to the Public Resources
Code, relating to energy.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 407, as amended, V. Manuel Pérez. Environment: New
River Watershed Water Quality, Public Health, and River Parkway
Development Program. Renewable energy resources:
Salton Sea.
The Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and
Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation
and Development Commission. The act requires the State Energy
Resources Conservation and Development Commission, beginning November
1, 2003, and by November 1 of every odd year thereafter, to adopt an
integrated energy policy report that includes an overview of major
energy trends and issues facing the state, an assessment and forecast
of system reliability, and the need for resource additions,
efficiency, and conservation. The act requires the State Energy
Resources Conservation and Development Commission, beginning November
1, 2004, and by November 1 of each even year thereafter, to prepare
an energy policy review to update the analyses from the integrated
energy policy report or to raise energy issues that have emerged
since the release of the integrated energy policy report.
The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, also known
as the RPS program, requires a retail seller of electricity, as
defined, and local publicly owned electric utilities to purchase
specified minimum quantities of electricity products from eligible
renewable energy resources, as defined, for specified compliance
periods, sufficient to ensure that the procurement of electricity
products from eligible renewable energy resources achieves 25% of
retail sales by December 31, 2016, and 33% of retail sales by
December 31, 2020, and in all subsequent years.
This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation
and Development Commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities
Commission and the Independent System Operator, to convene a
stakeholders group to identify impediments and recommended steps that
should be taken to properly maintain, develop, integrate, and
transmit electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources
located in and around the Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area
and the Geysers Geothermal Field. The bill would require the State
Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to include
its evaluations and recommendations in the next integrated energy
policy report or energy policy review update.
Existing law requires the California-Mexico Border Relations
Council, contingent upon the execution of an agreement with the City
of Calexico to provide the necessary funding, to develop a strategic
plan (New River Improvement Project strategic plan) to guide the
implementation of the New River Improvement Project containing
specified elements.
This bill would require a state agency awarding or granting funds
for projects associated with the New River to ensure that the grants,
loans, or other forms of financial support are expended in a manner
consistent with the New River Improvement Project strategic plan.
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 25328 is added to the
Public Resources Code , to read:
25328. (a) The commission, in consultation with the Public
Utilities Commission and the Independent System Operator, shall
convene a stakeholders group to identify impediments and recommended
steps that should be taken to properly maintain, develop, integrate,
and transmit electricity generated by eligible renewable energy
resources located in and around the Salton Sea Known Geothermal
Resource Area and the Geysers Geothermal Field. The commission and
stakeholders shall, at a minimum, do all of the following:
(1) Analyze the effectiveness of the value for assessing
procurement contracts for eligible renewable energy resources
approved by the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to subdivision
(c) of Section 454.5 of the Public Utilities Code that includes
integration of those resources into the operation of the electrical
grid, analyze whether the value has resulted in development of new
eligible renewable energy resources located in Salton Sea Known
Geothermal Resource Area and the Geysers Geothermal Field, and make
recommendations on whether other measures are appropriate to ensure
that eligible renewable energy resources are appropriately developed
in and around the Salton Sea.
(2) Analyze the costs and the value provided by baseload renewable
energy projects.
(3) Analyze whether state loan guarantees, loans, or state funds
could be made available to assist developers of geothermal and other
eligible renewable energy resources to access capital and long-term
financing.
(4) Analyze the feasibility of establishing streamlined permitting
process for geothermal project developments located in California.
(5) Analyze the environmental and other benefits of injecting
treated wastewater into existing geothermal resources.
(6) Analyze the avoided transmission costs associated with
reliance on existing renewable energy resources to satisfy the state
renewable energy and other environmental policy mandates.
(7) Consider methods to expedite transmission line development
from the Imperial Irrigation District balancing authority area to
utilities and regional independent system operators.
(b) The commission shall include its evaluations and
recommendations in the next integrated energy policy report adopted
pursuant to subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) of, or energy policy
review update adopted pursuant to subdivision (d) of, Section 25302.
SECTION 1. Section 71100 of the Public
Resources Code is amended to read:
71100. The following definitions govern the construction of this
part:
(a) "Cal BECC" means the California Border Environmental
Cooperation Committee established on July 22, 1994, by the Governors
of California, Baja California, and Baja California Sur.
(b) "California-Baja California border region" means the region
described in Chapter IV of the US-Mexico Border XXI Program,
Framework Document, published October 1996.
(c) "Fund" means the California Border Environmental and Public
Health Protection Fund established pursuant to Section 71101.
(d) "New River Improvements Project strategic plan"means the
strategic plan developed pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section
71103.5.
SEC. 2. Section 71103.6 is added to the Public
Resources Code, to read:
71103.6. A state agency awarding or granting funds for projects
associated with the New River shall ensure that the grants, loans, or
other forms of financial support are expended in a manner consistent
with the New River Improvements Project strategic plan.