BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 33
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
33 (Quirk)
As Amended June 1, 2015
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+----------------------|
|Natural |9-0 |Williams, Dahle, | |
|Resources | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Cristina Garcia, | |
| | |Hadley, Harper, | |
| | |McCarty, Rendon, | |
| | |Mark Stone, Wood | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+----------------------|
|Appropriations |12-0 |Gomez, Bonta, | |
| | |Calderon, Daly, | |
| | |Eggman, | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
| | |Gordon, Holden, | |
| | |Quirk, Rendon, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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AB 33
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SUMMARY: Establishes the Energy Integration Advisory Council
(Council) to make recommendations to the Air Resources Board (ARB)
regarding various strategies necessary for the energy grid to
integrate increased renewable energy strategies. Specifically,
this bill:
1)Establishes the Council, consisting of the following appointees
or their designees:
a) Chair of California Energy Commission (CEC).
b) President of Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
c) President of California Independent System Operator
(CAISO).
d) Chair of State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB).
e) Chair of ARB.
2)Requires the Council to complete recommendations for inclusion
in the AB 32 Scoping Plan consisting of:
a) Analysis of various strategies to integrate a 40%, 50%,
and greater than 50% Renewables Portfolio Standard in order
to minimize and eliminate over-generation and the need for
curtailment, including six specified elements.
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b) Economic assessment of the various grid integration
strategies using the best available models and data.
c) Analysis of other benefits of the various grid integration
strategies.
3)Provides that the Council's analysis is intended to assist in
establishing state policy and does not change any statute,
regulation, or regulatory decision.
EXISTING LAW requires ARB, pursuant to California Global Warming
Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32 (Núñez), Chapter 488, Statutes of
2006), to:
1)Adopt a statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions limit
equivalent to 1990 levels by 2020 and adopt regulations to
achieve maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective GHG
emission reductions.
2)Prepare and approve a scoping plan, on or before January 1,
2009, and once every five years thereafter, for achieving the
maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions
in GHG emissions from sources of emissions by 2020.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, increased combined annual costs (various special funds)
for PUC, CAISO, SWRCB and CEC of up to $800,000 to perform the
duties required by this bill.
COMMENTS: As part of AB 32's direction that ARB adopt a statewide
GHG emissions limit equivalent to 1990 levels by 2020 and adopt
regulations to achieve maximum technologically feasible and
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cost-effective GHG emission reductions, AB 32 requires ARB to
prepare and approve a scoping plan at five-year intervals.
The first AB 32 scoping plan, adopted by ARB in 2008, described
the specific measures ARB and others must take to reduce statewide
GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Pursuant to AB 32, the
reduction measures identified in the scoping plan had to be
proposed, reviewed, and adopted as individual regulations by
January 1, 2011, to become operative beginning on January 1, 2012.
According to ARB, a total reduction of 80 million metric tons
(MMT), or 16% compared to business as usual, is necessary to
achieve the 2020 limit. Approximately 78% of the reductions will
be achieved through identified direct regulations. ARB proposes
to achieve the balance of reductions necessary to meet the 2020
limit (approximately 18 MMT) through a cap-and-trade program that
covers an estimated 600 entities.
In May 2014, ARB adopted a scoping plan update. The scoping plan
update discusses the objective of achieving an 80% reduction by
2050 and the need for a midterm target, but does not propose or
adopt a specific target. According to ARB, the update defines
ARB's climate change priorities for the next five years and sets
the groundwork to reach California's long-term climate goals.
In his January 5, 2015, Inaugural Address, Governor Brown
announced the following "objectives for 2030 and beyond":
Toward that end, I propose three ambitious goals to be
accomplished within the next 15 years:
1) Increase from one-third to 50 percent our
electricity derived from renewable sources;
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2) Reduce today's petroleum use in cars and
trucks by up to 50 percent;
3) Double the efficiency of existing buildings
and make heating fuels cleaner.
We must also reduce the relentless release of methane,
black carbon and other potent pollutants across
industries. And we must manage farm and rangelands,
forests and wetlands so they can store carbon. All of
this is a very tall order. It means that we continue
to transform our electrical grid, our transportation
system and even our communities.
I envision a wide range of initiatives: more
distributed power, expanded rooftop solar,
micro-grids, an energy imbalance market, battery
storage, the full integration of information
technology and electrical distribution and millions of
electric and low-carbon vehicles. How we achieve
these goals and at what pace will take great thought
and imagination mixed with pragmatic caution. It will
require enormous innovation, research and investment.
And we will need active collaboration at every stage
with our scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs,
businesses and officials at all levels.
Taking significant amounts of carbon out of our
economy without harming its vibrancy is exactly the
sort of challenge at which California excels. This is
exciting, it is bold and it is absolutely necessary if
we are to have any chance of stopping potentially
catastrophic changes to our climate system.
AB 33
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Analysis Prepared by:
Lawrence Lingbloom / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092
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