BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1406
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Date of Hearing: May 6, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Wesley Chesbro, Chair
AB 1406 (Utilities and Commerce Committee) - As Amended: April
16, 2013
SUBJECT : Energy: renewable energy resources
SUMMARY : This bill would eliminate two obsolete requirements
in the California Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) statutes.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires the California Energy Commission (CEC) to provide a
report on run-of-river hydroelectric generation facilities by
June 30, 2011.
2)Requires that the RPS complement the Renewable Energy
Resources Program administered by the CEC.
THIS BILL :
1)Deletes a requirement that the California Energy Commission
(CEC) provide a report on run-of-river hydroelectric
generation facilities by June 30, 2011.
2)Delete a requirement that the RPS is intended to complement
the Renewable Energy Resources Program.
FISCAL EFFECT : Non-fiscal
COMMENTS :
1)Run-of- River Report. A run-of-river hydroelectric generation
facility is a facility that diverts a portion of a river's
water to a channel, pipeline or pressurized pipeline
(penstock) that delivers the water to a waterwheel or turbine.
These facilities typically return the water to the channel
downstream of the turbine. A runofriver projec2)t is
generally, but not always, less than 30 megawatts.
Senate Bill X1 2 (Simitian), Chapter 1, Statutes of 201112
First Extraordinary Session, required the CEC to report to the
Legislature on runofriver hydroelectric resources in British
AB 1406
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Columbia and on whether those facilities are or should be
included as eligible facilities for California's RPS.
As indicated in the CEC report, which was completed in March
2013, to be considered eligible for California's RPS, projects
located outside the United States must be developed and
operated in a manner that is as protective of the environment
as a similar facility located in California. Facilities going
through the full environmental assessment in British Columbia
must adhere to similar regulatory requirements as those in
California; however, a runofriver hydroelectric project would
have to meet additional requirements to be considered eligible
for Californias RPS.
The CEC report concluded that runofriver hydroelectric
facilities in British Columbia may have the potential to bring
additional environmental benefits to California; however,
those benefits do not warrant changing existing statutory
requirements to categorically allow all runofriver
hydroelectric projects in British Columbia to become eligible
for Californias RPS.
According to the report, the CEC is considering a number of
environmental requirements for a British Columbia runofriver
project requesting eligibility for RPS.
3)Renewable Energy Resources Program. Under prior law, the CEC
was charged with administering the Renewable Energy Resources
Program. This program was funded via the ratepayer-funded
public goods charge. As of 2012, the public goods charge
expired because it was not reauthorized by the Legislature.
Therefore, the Renewable Energy Resources Program no longer
receives these funds and the program has been closed out
following the enactment of the 2012-13 Budget Act.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
AB 1406
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Analysis Prepared by : Mario DeBernardo / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092