BILL NUMBER: AB 966 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Baker
FEBRUARY 26, 2015
An act to amend Section 1770 of the Labor Code, relating
to public works. An act to amend Section 25782 of the
Public Resources Code, relating to energy.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 966, as amended, Baker. Public works: prevailing wage.
California Solar Initiative: ratepayer funded
incentives: conditions.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has
regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical
corporations, as defined. A decision of the PUC adopted the
California Solar Initiative. Existing law requires the PUC and the
State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission
(Energy Commission) to undertake certain steps in implementing the
California Solar Initiative. Existing law requires the Energy
Commission, in consultation with the PUC, local publicly owned
electric utilities, and interested members of the public, to
establish and thereafter revise eligibility criteria for solar energy
systems and to establish conditions for ratepayer funded incentives
that are applicable to the California Solar Initiative.
This bill would require, as a condition for ratepayer funded
incentives, a ratepayer to submit to the Energy Commission a copy of
the building permit required for the installation of the solar energy
system, and, if no permit is required, would require the ratepayer
to demonstrate that to the Energy Commission.
Existing law requires the body awarding any contract for public
work, or otherwise undertaking any public work, to obtain the general
prevailing rate of per diem wages and the general prevailing rate
for holiday and overtime work in the locality in which the public
work is to be performed for each craft, classification, or type of
worker needed to execute the contract from the Director of Industrial
Relations. Existing law requires the Director of Industrial
Relations to determine the general prevailing rate of per diem wages
in accordance with specified standards.
This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to the that
provision.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no
yes . State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 25782 of the Public
Resources Code is amended to read:
25782. (a) The commission shall, by January 1, 2008, in
consultation with the Public Utilities Commission, local publicly
owned electric utilities, and interested members of the public,
establish eligibility criteria for solar energy systems receiving
ratepayer funded incentives that include all of the following:
(1) Design, installation, and electrical output standards or
incentives.
(2) The solar energy system is intended primarily to offset part
or all of the consumer's own electricity demand.
(3) All components in the solar energy system are new and unused,
and have not previously been placed in service in any other location
or for any other application.
(4) The solar energy system has a warranty of not less than 10
years to protect against defects and undue degradation of electrical
generation output.
(5) The solar energy system is located on the same premises of the
end-use consumer where the consumer's own electricity demand is
located.
(6) The solar energy system is connected to the electrical
corporation's electrical distribution system within the state.
(7) The solar energy system has meters or other devices in place
to monitor and measure the system's performance and the quantity of
electricity generated by the system.
(8) The solar energy system is installed in conformance with the
manufacturer's specifications and in compliance with all applicable
electrical and building code standards.
(b) The commission shall establish conditions on ratepayer funded
incentives that require all of the following:
(1) Appropriate siting and high quality installation of the solar
energy system by developing installation guidelines that maximize the
performance of the system and prevent qualified systems from being
inefficiently or inappropriately installed. The conditions
established by the commission shall not impact housing designs or
densities presently authorized by a city, county, or city and county.
The goal of this paragraph is to achieve efficient installation of
solar energy systems to promote the greatest energy production per
ratepayer dollar.
(2) Optimal solar energy system performance during periods of peak
electricity demand.
(3) Appropriate energy efficiency improvements in the new or
existing home or commercial structure where the solar energy system
is installed.
(4) Submission by the ratepayer to the commission of a copy of the
building permit required for the installation of the solar energy
system. If no permit is required for the installation, the ratepayer
shall make a demonstration of that to the commission.
(c) The commission shall set rating standards for equipment,
components, and systems to assure reasonable performance and shall
develop standards that provide for compliance with the minimum
ratings.
(d) Upon establishment of eligibility criteria pursuant to
subdivision (a), no ratepayer funded incentives shall be made for a
solar energy system that does not meet the eligibility criteria.
SECTION 1. Section 1770 of the Labor Code is
amended to read:
1770. The Director of Industrial Relations shall determine the
general prevailing rate of per diem wages in accordance with the
standards set forth in Section 1773. The director's determination in
the matter shall be final except as provided in Section 1773.4.
However, this article shall not prohibit the payment of more than the
general prevailing rate of wages to any worker employed on a public
work. This act shall not permit any overtime work in violation of
Article 3 (commencing with Section 1810).