BILL NUMBER: SB 502 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Senator Leno
FEBRUARY 26, 2015
An act to amend Section 701.8 of the Public Utilities Code,
relating to electricity.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 502, as introduced, Leno. San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit
District: purchase and delivery of electricity.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has
regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical
corporations. Existing law authorizes the San Francisco Bay Area
Rapid Transit District's (BART) system to elect to obtain electricity
from multiple sources, including (1) preference power purchased from
a federal power marketing agency or its successor, (2) electricity
supplied by one or more direct transactions, and (3) electricity
supplied by any electric utility regulated by the commission that
owns and operates transmission and distribution facilities that
deliver electricity at one or more locations to the BART District's
system. Existing law requires any electrical corporation that owns
and operates transmission and distribution facilities that deliver
electricity to BART, upon request by BART, to deliver preference
power purchased from a federal power marketing agency, or its
successor, or deliver electricity purchased from a local publicly
owned electric utility without discrimination or delay.
This bill would additionally require any electrical corporation
that owns and operates transmission and distribution facilities that
deliver electricity to BART, upon request by BART, to deliver
electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource
without discrimination or delay. For these purposes, an "eligible
renewable energy resource" would have the same meaning as in the
California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 701.8 of the Public Utilities Code is amended
to read:
701.8. (a) To ensure that electrical corporations do not operate
their transmission and distribution monopolies in a manner that
impedes the ability of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit
District (BART District) to reduce its electricity cost through the
purchase and delivery of preference power, electrical corporations
shall meet the requirements of this section.
(b) Any electrical corporation that owns and operates transmission
and distribution facilities that deliver electricity at one or more
locations to the BART District's system shall, upon request by the
BART District, and without discrimination or delay, use the same
facilities to deliver do any or all of the
following:
(1) Deliver preference power
purchased from a federal power marketing agency or its
successor, or successor.
(2) Deliver electricity purchased
from a local publicly owned electric utility.
(3) Deliver electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy
resource.
(c) Where the BART District purchases electricity at more than one
location, at any voltage, from an electric utility under tariffs
regulated by the commission, the utility shall bill the BART District
for usage as though all the electricity purchased at transmission
level voltages were metered by a single meter at one location and all
the electricity purchased at subtransmission voltages were metered
by a single meter at one location, provided that any billing for
demand charges would be based on the coincident demand of
transmission and distribution metering.
(d) If, on or after January 1, 1996, the BART District leases or
has agreed to lease, as special facilities, utility plants for the
purpose of receiving power at transmission level voltages, an
electrical corporation may not terminate the lease without
concurrence from the BART District.
(e) When the BART District elects to have electricity delivered
pursuant to subdivision (b), neither Sections 365 and 366, and any
commission regulations, orders, or tariffs, that implement direct
transactions, are applicable, nor is the BART District an electricity
supplier. Neither the commission, nor any electrical corporation
that delivers the federal power or electricity purchased from a local
publicly owned electric utility or generated by an eligible
renewable energy resource to the BART District, shall require
that an electricity supplier be designated as a condition of the
delivery of that power. electricity.
(f) The BART District may elect to obtain electricity from the
following multiple sources at the same time:
(1) Electricity delivered pursuant to subdivision (b).
(2) Electricity supplied by one or more direct transactions.
(3) Electricity from any electrical corporation that owns and
operates transmission and distribution facilities that deliver
electricity at one or more locations to the BART District's system.
(g) For purposes of this section, "eligible renewable energy
resources" has the same meaning as in Article 16 (commencing with
Section 399.11) of Chapter 2.3.