BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
AB 2630 (Salas) - San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy and Jobs Act
-----------------------------------------------------------------
| |
| |
| |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
| | |
|Version: June 20, 2016 |Policy Vote: E., U., & C. 6 - 0 |
| | |
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
| | |
|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
| | |
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
| | |
|Hearing Date: August 8, 2016 |Consultant: Narisha Bonakdar |
| | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Bill
Summary: AB 2630 requires consideration of the May 2016 Solar
Convening Report, titled "A Path Forward: Identifying Least
Conflict Solar PV Development in California's San Joaquin
Valley" (Report) and the principles of transmission corridor
planning developed by the California Energy Commission (CEC)
(Garamendi Principles) when undertaking transmission planning
activities and activities as part of the Renewable Energy
Transmission Initiative (RETI).
Fiscal
Impact:
Minor costs to review and consider the report and principles.
(See staff comments)
Background:
Solar's role in meeting renewable energy goals. California is
committed to meeting half of its electricity demand by 2030 from
AB 2630 (Salas) Page 1 of
?
renewable sources. In 2015, SB 350 (De Leon, Chapter 547,
Statutes of 2015) mandated that 50 percent of the state's
electricity usage come from sources such as solar, wind,
geothermal, and biomass. Solar photovoltaic continues to play a
large role in helping the state achieve these goals, with a
large focus on solar development in the San Joaquin Valley
(Valley) due to its abundant sunshine, geographic proximity to
demand and existing transmission, and large parcels of
developable land.
A Path Forward. In 2015, the Conservation Biology Institute,
Berkeley Law's Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, and
Terrell Watt Planning Associates, with input from the Governor's
Office of Planning and Research, undertook a stakeholder-led
process, called the "Solar and the San Joaquin Valley
Identification of Least-Conflict Lands Project". The resulting
Report, among other things, identified 470,000 acres of
least-conflict land, amounting to roughly 5 percent of the 9.5
million acres in the stakeholder study area. Stakeholders also
identified the lack of adequate transmission serving the Valley
as the single largest challenge to achieving the region's solar
potential in a way that would minimize impact on sensitive
lands.
The California Independent System Operator. The California
Independent System Operator (CAISO) oversees the operation of
California's bulk electric power system, transmission lines, and
electricity market generated and transmitted by its member
utilities. The CAISO is one of the largest ISOs in the world,
delivering 300 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year
and managing about 80 percent of California's electric flow.
CAISO was created in 1998 when the state restructured its
electricity markets following the passage of the federal Energy
Policy Act of 1992, which removed barriers to competition in the
wholesale generation of the electricity business.
The Garamendi Principles. Senate Bill 2431 (Garamendi, Chapter
1457, Statutes of 1988) enacted state transmission siting
policies, known as the Garamendi Principle, which (1) encourage
the use of existing rights-of-way by upgrading existing
transmission facilities where technically and economically
justifiable; (2) when construction of new transmission lines is
required, encourage expansion of existing rights-of-way, when
technically and economically feasible; (3) provide for the
AB 2630 (Salas) Page 2 of
?
creation of new rights-of-way when justified by environmental,
technical, or economic reasons as determined by the appropriate
licensing agency; and (4) where there is a need to construct
additional transmission capacity, seek agreement among all
interested utilities on the efficient use of that capacity.
The Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative. The RETI was
established in 2008 to identify the transmission projects needed
to support the renewable generation required to meet the 33
percent target. The RETI assessed the need for new transmission
to connect renewable resource areas to California consumers.
To facilitate electric transmission coordination and planning,
the CEC, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and the
CAISO have initiated the RETI 2.0. RETI 2.0 is an open,
transparent, and science-based process that will explore
renewable generation resources in California and throughout the
West, consider critical land use and environmental constraints,
and identify potential transmission opportunities that could
access and integrate renewable energy with the most
environmental, economic, and community benefits.
RETI 2.0 is not a regulatory proceeding. However, it's intended
to inform future transmission planning proceedings with
stakeholder-supported strategies to help reach the state's 2030
energy and environmental goals.
Proposed Law:
This bill:
1)Requires the CAISO, when undertaking transmission planning
activities, to consider the Report and Garamendi Principles.
2)Requires the CEC, CPUC, and CAISO, when undertaking activities
as part of the RETI transmission planning activities, to
consider the Report and the Garamendi Principles.
AB 2630 (Salas) Page 3 of
?
Staff
Comments: The author is considering amendments that may incorporate
language or intent similar to that in previous versions of the
bill. The estimated cost associated with implementation was
$200,000 to $500,000.
-- END --