Amended in Senate April 27, 2015

Amended in Senate April 14, 2015

Amended in Senate April 6, 2015

Senate Bill No. 539

Introduced by Senator Hueso

February 26, 2015

An act begin delete to add and repeal Section 25401.1 of the Public Resources Code, and end delete to repeal Section 782 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to renewable energy resources.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 539, as amended, Hueso. Renewable energy resources: geothermal.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. The Public Utilities Act authorizes the Public Utilities Commission, upon a complaint by a geothermal energy producer, to prohibit any electrical corporation from curtailing the generation, production, or transmission of electricity from a geothermal powerplant operated by the corporation, if the commission deems that the curtailment is not in the public interest.

This bill would repeal the above-described geothermal generation, production, or transmission curtailment authorization.

begin delete

The existing Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to continuously carry out studies, research projects, data collection, and other activities required to assess the nature, extent, and distribution of energy resources to meet the needs of the state, including, but not limited to, fossil fuels and solar, nuclear, and geothermal energy resources.

end delete begin delete

This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission and the Independent System Operator, to study barriers to developing new baseload in-state renewable electrical generation facilities, as defined, including geothermal electrical generating facilities, and barriers to maintaining existing contracts with baseload in-state renewable electrical generation facilities, and potential solutions to those barriers, including how to level the playing field for those baseload in-state renewable electrical generation facilities. The bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to report the results of the study and recommendations to the Legislature by January 1, 2017.

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

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

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SECTION 1.  

Section 25401.1 is added to the Public Resources
Code, to read:

25401.1.  

(a) The commission, in consultation with the Public
Utilities Commission and the Independent System Operator, shall
conduct a study to examine both of the following:

(1) The barriers to developing new baseload in-state renewable
electrical generation facilities, as defined in Section 25741,
including geothermal electrical generating facilities, and
maintaining existing contracts with baseload in-state renewable
electrical generation facilities.

(2) Potential solutions to those barriers, including how to level
the playing field for those baseload in-state renewable electrical
generation facilities.

(b) The commission shall report the results of the study and
recommendations to the Legislature by January 1, 2017.

(c) (1) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (b)
shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the
Government Code.

(2) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this
section is repealed on January 1, 2021.

end delete

begin delete SEC. 2. end delete
begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

Section 782 of the Public Utilities Code is
repealed.