California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 2769


Introduced by Assembly Member Patterson

February 19, 2016


An act to amend Section 399.11 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to renewable energy.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2769, as introduced, Patterson. Renewable energy.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory jurisdiction over public utilities, including electrical corporations, while local publicly owned electric utilities are under the direction of their governing boards. Existing law imposes various regulations on public utilities and local publicly owned electric utilities. Existing law establishes the California Renewables Portfolio Standards Program, which is codified in the Public Utilities Act, with the target to increase the amount of electricity generated per year from eligible renewable energy resources to an amount that equals at least 50% of the total electricity sold to retail customers per year by December 31, 2030.

This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to legislative findings and declarations relating to the above-described provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P1    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 399.11 of the Public Utilities Code is
2amended to read:

3

399.11.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

P2    1(a) In order to attain a target of generating 20 percent of total
2retail sales of electricity inbegin delete Californiaend deletebegin insert the stateend insert from eligible
3renewable energy resources by December 31, 2013, 33 percent by
4December 31, 2020, and 50 percent by December 31, 2030, it is
5the intent of the Legislature that the commission and the Energy
6Commission implement the California Renewables Portfolio
7Standard Program described in this article.

8(b) Achieving the renewables portfolio standard through the
9 procurement of various electricity products from eligible renewable
10energy resources is intended to provide unique benefits to
11California, including all of the following, each of which
12independently justifies the program:

13(1) Displacing fossil fuel consumption within the state.

14(2) Adding new electrical generating facilities in the
15transmission network within the Western Electricity Coordinating
16Council service area.

17(3) Reducing air pollution in the state.

18(4) Meeting the state’s climate change goals by reducing
19emissions of greenhouse gases associated with electrical generation.

20(5) Promoting stable retail rates for electric service.

21(6) Meeting the state’s need for a diversified and balanced
22energy generation portfolio.

23(7) Assistance with meeting the state’s resource adequacy
24requirements.

25(8) Contributing to the safe and reliable operation of the
26electrical grid, including providing predictable electrical supply,
27voltage support, lower line losses, and congestion relief.

28(9) Implementing the state’s transmission and land use planning
29activities related to development of eligible renewable energy
30resources.

31(c) The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program is
32intended to complement the Renewable Energy Resources Program
33administered by the Energy Commission and established pursuant
34to Chapter 8.6 (commencing with Section 25740) of Division 15
35of the Public Resources Code.

36(d) New and modified electric transmission facilities may be
37necessary to facilitate the state achieving its renewables portfolio
38standard targets.

39(e) (1) Supplying electricity to California end-use customers
40that is generated by eligible renewable energy resources is
P3    1necessary to improve California’s air quality and public health,
2and the commission shall ensure rates are just and reasonable, and
3are not significantly affected by the procurement requirements of
4this article. This electricity may be generated anywhere in the
5interconnected grid that includes manybegin delete states,end deletebegin insert statesend insert and areas of
6both Canada and Mexico.

7(2) This article requires generating resources located outside of
8California that are able to supply that electricity to California
9end-use customers to be treated identically to generating resources
10located within the state, without discrimination.

11(3) California electrical corporations have already executed,
12and the commission has approved, power purchase agreements
13with eligible renewable energy resources located outside of
14California that will supply electricity to California end-use
15customers. These resources will fully count toward meeting the
16renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements.



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