BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1060
Page 1
( Without Reference to File )
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1060 (Fox and V. Manuel P�rez)
As Amended September 6, 2013
2/3 vote
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|ASSEMBLY: | |(May 9, 2013) |SENATE: |38-0 |(September 12, |
| | | | | |2013) |
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(vote not relevant)
Original Committee Reference: NAT. RES.
SUMMARY : Reappropriates the remaining funding in the Budget Act
of 2012 from the Renewable Resource Trust Fund (Trust Fund) for
planning grants for renewable energy projects available to
counties in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan Act
(DRECP).
The Senate amendments substantially amend the bill and
appropriate $3,658,848 from the Trust Fund for the support of
the Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission
(California Energy Commission (CEC)) that is available for
encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2014.
EXISTING LAW : Appropriates, pursuant to the Budget Act of 2012
(AB 1464 (Budget Committee), Chapter 21, Statutes of 2012, and
AB 1497 (Budget Committee), Chapter 29, Statutes of 2012),
$12,435,000 to CEC for DRECP planning grants payable from the
Trust Fund.
FISCAL EFFECT : Cost of up to $3,658,848 from the Trust Fund for
DRECP grants provided by CEC.
COMMENTS : The Budget Act of 2012 appropriated $12,435,000 from
the Trust Fund for the support of the CEC. Of this amount, $7
million was allocated to the CEC to provide planning grants to
counties in the DRECP for renewable energy projects.
California Executive Order S-14-08 requires the development of
the DRECP for the Mojave and Colorado deserts in order to
provide binding, long-term, endangered species permit
assurances, and to facilitate the review and approval of
AB 1060
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compatible renewable energy projects. The DRECP is intended to
provide effective protection and conservation for desert
ecosystems and to allow for the development of compatible
renewable energy projects. The DRECP will include
implementation of a scientifically-based adaptive management and
monitoring program as a part of its overall conservation
strategy.
The DRECP is: 1) a Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP)
required to comply with the California NCCP Act and the
California Endangered Species Act (CESA); 2) a Habitat
Conservation Plan (HCP) required to comply with the Federal
Endangered Species Act (FESA); and, 3) a Land Use Plan Amendment
(LUPA) established in accordance with the Federal Land Policy
and Management Act (FLPMA).
As of April 2013, the CEC has awarded the first $3.3 million in
grants from the original budget act appropriation and intends to
do a second round of competitive grant awards. The original
encumbrance period for the appropriation is one year, and thus a
reappropriation is necessary to provide funding for the next
round of planning grants.
One county, Kern, has formally submitted a letter expressing its
intention to apply for a grant. Kern County has not, however,
become a formal participant in the DRECP process. Several other
counties have not yet applied for planning grants though the CEC
believes they will also apply. The CEC does not yet have a full
list of who may or may not apply for planning grants in the next
cycle.
Analysis Prepared by : Mario DeBernardo / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092
FN: 0002855