Amended in Assembly April 16, 2013

Amended in Assembly March 19, 2013

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 448

Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk

February 19, 2013

An act to add Section 25305.7 to the Public Resources Code, relating to energy.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 448, as amended, Quirk. Renewable energy resources.

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Existing law establishes the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, which requires the Public Utilities Commission to implement annual procurement targets for the procurement of eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, for all retail sellers, as defined, to achieve the targets and goals of the program.

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Existing law, the Public Utilities Act, provides for the establishment of an Independent System Operator, referred to as the ISO, as an incorporated nonprofit public benefit corporation. The ISO is required to ensure efficient use and reliable operation of the transmission grid consistent with achieving certain planning and operating criteria.

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Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to adopt, on a biennial basis, an integrated energy policy report, containing among other things, an overview of major energy trends and issues facing the state.

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This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to include an assessment of various aspects of the California Renewables Portfolio Standards Program in its integrated energy policy report.

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This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to include in its integrated energy policy report an assessment of the flexible capacity required by the ISO to reliably operate the electrical system as energy resources are diversified. This bill would require this assessment to include an evaluation of how any change in flexible capacity to accommodate energy resource diversification impacts various aspects of the electrical system.

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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 25305.7 is added to the Public Resources
Code, to read:

25305.7.  

begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert The commission shall include in its integrated
energy policy report an assessment of begin delete all of the following: end delete begin insert the
flexible capacity required by the Independent System Operator to
reliably operate the electrical system as energy resources are
diversified. end insert

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(b) The assessment in the report shall include an evaluation of
how any change in flexible capacity to accommodate energy
resource diversification impacts each of the following:

end insert begin insert

(1) Greenhouse gas emissions from the electrical system.

end insert begin insert

(2) Air pollution from the electrical system.

end insert begin insert

(3) Reliability within the electrical system.

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(4) Overall cost to the electrical system.

end insert begin insert

(5) Electrical rates.

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(a) The costs to electrical corporations for compliance with the
requirements of the California Renewables Portfolio Standard
Program (Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11) of Chapter
2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code).

(b) The effect of compliance with the renewables portfolio
standard targets on the price of electricity paid by ratepayers.

(c) The overall impact on air quality that compliance with the
renewables portfolio standard targets is expected to have by
December 31, 2020.

(d) Whether achieving the renewables portfolio standard target
of generating 33 percent of total retail sales of electricity in
California from eligible renewable energy resources by December
31, 2020, will affect system reliability.

(e) Potential options for increasing cost effectiveness and system
reliability in regard to achieving the renewables portfolio standard
targets.

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