BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 796
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 15, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                  AB 796 (Muratsuchi) - As Amended:  April 10, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              Utilities and  
          Commerce     Vote:                            12-3
                                           Natural Resources                
              6-2

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the California Energy Commission (CEC) to  
          consider the effects of sea level rise on the proposed site and  
          facility when certifying thermal power plants and related  
          facilities.  The CEC may rely on floodplain maps published by  
          the Department of Water Resources (DWR) during the certification  
          process.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          The certification process workload increase is minor and  
          absorbable.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose.   According to the author, this bill is an important  
            step in preparing our coastal cities against the possible,  
            negative effects of sea level rise and the associated  
            potential dangers to our infrastructure.  

          1)Background.   The CEC issues permits for thermal powerplants  
            defined to be any stationary or floating electrical generating  
            facility using any source of thermal energy, with a generating  
            capacity of 50 megawatts or more.    

            According to a 2009 report funded by the CEC's Public Interest  
            Energy Research Program (PIER) critical infrastructure, such  
            as roads, hospitals, schools, emergency facilities, wastewater  
            treatment plants, power plants, and more will be at increased  








                                                                  AB 796
                                                                  Page  2

            risk of inundation due to sea level rise.  The report  
            estimates that a 1.4 meter sea-level rise will put almost half  
            a million people at risk of a 100-year flood.  

             
           
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081