BILL NUMBER: AB 719	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 24, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 16, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Roger Hernández

                        FEBRUARY 21, 2013

   An act to add Section 384.5 to the Public Utilities Code, relating
to energy.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 719, as amended, Roger Hernández. Energy: energy 
efficiency.   efficiency: street light pole. 
   Under the Public Utilities Act, or the act, the Public Utilities
Commission, or the PUC, has regulatory authority over public
utilities, including electrical corporations. The act requires the
commission to review and adopt a procurement plan for each electrical
corporation in accordance with specified elements, incentive
mechanisms, and objectives. The act requires that an electrical
corporation's proposed procurement plan include certain elements,
including a showing that the electrical corporation will first meet
its unmet needs through all available energy efficiency and
demand-reduction resources that are cost effective, reliable, and
feasible. Existing law requires the PUC, in consultation with the
State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to
identify all potentially achievable cost-effective electricity
efficiency savings and establish efficiency targets.  A
violation of the act is a crime. 
   This bill would require the commission, on or before March 1,
2014, to order electrical corporations to submit a tariff to be used,
at the discretion of local governments, to fund energy efficiency
improvements in street light poles owned by the electrical
corporations.  This   The  bill would state
the intent of the Legislature that utility-owned street light poles,
whose electricity use is paid by local governments, be converted to
use cost-effective technology that reduces electricity consumption
 to   and may  achieve lower utility bills.

   Under existing law, a violation of the act or any order, decision,
rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime. 

   Because this bill would require electrical corporations, pursuant
to an order of the PUC, to submit the specified tariff and a
violation of this requirement is a crime, this bill would impose a
state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. 
   The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


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

   SECTION 1.    It is the intent of the Legislature
that electrical-corporation-owned street light poles, whose
electricity use is paid by local governments, be converted to use
cost-effective technology that reduces electricity consumption so
that a city, county, or city and county may achieve lower utility
bills for the electricity used by these street light poles. 
   SECTION 1.   SEC. 2.   Section 384.5 is
added to the Public Utilities Code, to read: 
   384.5.  (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that
electrical-corporation-owned street light poles, whose electricity
use is paid by local governments, be converted to use cost-effective
technology that reduces electricity consumption so that a city,
county, or city and county may achieve lower utility bills for the
electricity used by these street light poles.
   (b) 
   384.5.    (a)    On or before March 1,
2014, the commission shall order electrical corporations to submit a
tariff to be used, at the discretion of local governments, to fund
energy efficiency improvements in street light poles owned by the
electrical corporations to ensure reduced energy consumption 
and lower electricity bills  for local governments who are
streetlight customers covered by these tariffs. 
   (c) 
    (   b)  The tariff shall be designed to allow
local governments to remit the cost of the improvement through the
tariff over time, resulting in  lower   reduced
 energy  consumption and lower energy bills, 
 consumption,  without shifting costs to nonparticipating
ratepayers.  The cost of the improvement shall be identified
separately rather than included within the charge for electrical
service.  
   (d) 
    (   c)  Notwithstanding subdivision 
(c),   (b),  the  conversion  
improvement  performed pursuant to the tariff submitted under
subdivision  (b)   (a)  shall be eligible
for any rebate or incentives available through ratepayer-funded
programs intended to increase energy efficiency. 
   (e) 
    (   d)  For the purposes of this section, the
following terms have the following meanings:
   (1) "Electrical corporation" means an electrical corporation, as
defined in Section 218, with at least 100,000 service connections in
California.
   (2) "Street light pole" means a pole, arm, or fixture used
primarily for street, pedestrian, or security lighting.
   SEC. 2.   SEC. 3.    No reimbursement is
required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the
California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred
by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this
act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or
infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within
the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the
definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII
B of the California Constitution.