Amended in Assembly April 16, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 793

Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk

February 25, 2015

An act to amend Section 2790 of, and to add Section 8365 to, the Public Utilities Code, relating to public utilities.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 793, as amended, Quirk. Energy efficiency.

(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, as defined. Existing law requires the commission to require an electrical or gas corporation to perform home weatherization services for low-income begin delete customers, end delete begin insert customers end insert if the commission determines that a significant need for those services exists in the corporation’s service territory. For these purposes, existing law authorizes weatherization, where feasible, to include certain measures for a dwelling unit. Existing law also authorizes weatherization, for these purposes, to include other measures determined by the commission to be feasible, taking into consideration the cost-effectiveness of the measures as a whole and the policy of reducing energy-related hardships facing low-income households.

This bill would require weatherization, for the above-specified purposes, to include begin delete home end delete energy management technology, as defined, determined by the commission to be feasible, taking into consideration the above-described factors.

(2) Existing law requires the commission, by July 1, 2010, and in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the Independent System Operator, and other key stakeholders, to determine the requirements for a smart grid deployment plan consistent with specified policies and federal law. Existing law requires each electrical corporation, by July 1, 2011, to develop and submit a smart grid deployment plan to the commission for approval.

This bill would require the commission to require each electrical corporation to develop and implement a plan to educate its residential and begin delete small end delete business customers begin delete whose homes or places of business are equipped with an advanced meter about how they can use data from the advanced meter end delete to better understand and control their use of electricity. The bill would require the commission to require each electrical corporation to develop begin delete a rebate end delete begin insert an incentive end insert program to begin delete reimburse end delete begin insert provide incentives to end insert a residential or begin delete small end delete business customer begin delete , as prescribed, who purchases end delete begin insert who acquires end insert energy management technology for use in the customer’s home or place of business. begin insert The bill would require the commission to require each electrical corporation to annually report to the commission on actual customer savings resulting from the education plan and the incentive program. end insert

(3) Because a violation of any part of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the Public Utilities Commission is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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.  

Section 2790 of the Public Utilities Code is
amended to read:

2790.  

(a) The commission shall require an electrical or gas
corporation to perform home weatherization services for
low-income customers, as determined by the commission under
Section 739, if the commission determines that a significant need
for those services exists in the corporation’s service territory, taking
into consideration both the cost-effectiveness of the services and
the policy of reducing the hardships facing low-income households.

(b) (1) For purposes of this section, “weatherization” may
include, where feasible, any of the following measures for any
dwelling unit:

(A) Attic insulation.

(B) Caulking.

(C) Weatherstripping.

(D) Low flow showerhead.

(E) Waterheater blanket.

(F) Door and building envelope repairs that reduce air
infiltration.

(2) The commission shall direct any electrical or gas corporation
to provide as many of these measures as are feasible for each
eligible low-income dwelling unit.

(c) “Weatherization” may also include other building
conservation measures, begin delete home end delete energy management technology,
energy-efficient appliances, and energy education programs
determined by the commission to be feasible, taking into
consideration for all measures both the cost-effectiveness of the
measures as a whole and the policy of reducing energy-related
hardships facing low-income households.

(d) Weatherization programs shall use the needs assessment
pursuant to Section 382.1 to maximize efficiency of delivery.

begin delete

(e) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the
following meanings:

end delete begin delete

(1) “Home energy

end delete

begin insert (e) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert For purposes of this section, “energy end insert management
technology” is a begin delete product or service end delete begin insert product, service, or software, end insert
that allows a customer to better understand and manage energy
use in the customer’s begin delete home and may include, but is not limited to,
a home energy monitor. end delete begin insert home. end insert

begin delete

(2) “Home energy monitor” is a device that is able to provide
household electricity consumption in real-time by connecting to
an advanced meter equipped with home area network functionality.

end delete

SEC. 2.  

Section 8365 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:

8365.  

(a) The commission shall require each electrical
corporation to do the following:

(1) Develop and implement a plan by June 30, 2016, to educate
its residential customers and begin delete small end delete business customers begin delete whose
homes or places of business are equipped with an advanced meter
about how they can use data from the advanced meter end delete to better
understand and control their use of electricity. The plan shall
include notification of the begin delete rebate end delete begin insert incentive end insert program developed
pursuant to paragraph (2).

begin delete

(2) Develop a rebate program no later than June 30, 2016, to
reimburse a residential customer or small business customer who
purchases energy management technology for use in the customer’s
home or place of business. The rebate shall be an amount equal to
___ percent of the retail value of the product or service, not to
exceed ___.

end delete begin insert

(2) Develop a program no later than June 30, 2016, to provide
incentives to a residential or business customer who acquires
energy management technology for use in the customer’s home or
place of business. The electrical corporation shall allow third
parties or local governments to apply for incentives on behalf of
customers. The electrical corporation shall work with third parties,
local governments, and other interested parties in developing the
program. The electrical corporation shall establish incentive
amounts at a level necessary to encourage adoption of energy
management technologies that allow a customer to achieve
progressively higher savings.

end insert begin insert

(3) Annually report to the commission on actual customer
savings resulting from the education plan and the incentive
program established pursuant to this section.

end insert begin delete

(b) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the
following meanings:

end delete begin delete

(1) “Energy

end delete

begin insert (b) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert For purposes of this section, “energy end insert management
technology” is a begin delete product or service end delete begin insert product, service, or software end insert
that allows a customer to better understand and manage electricity
use in the customer’s home or place of begin delete business and may include,
but is not limited to, an energy monitor. end delete begin insert business. end insert

begin delete

(2) “Energy monitor” is a device that is able to provide
electricity consumption in real-time or near real-time by connecting
to an advanced meter equipped with home area network
functionality.

end delete

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.