BILL NUMBER: AB 234 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 18, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 6, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 23, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 14, 2009
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Huffman
FEBRUARY 5, 2009
An act to add Chapter 5.6 (commencing with Section 25460) to
Division 15 of the Public Resources Code, relating to energy ,
and declaring the urgency therefor, to take effect immediately
.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 234, as amended, Huffman. Energy: water use and energy
efficiency projects: federal stimulus funds.
Existing law establishes various programs to provide financial
assistance to public and private entities to improve their energy
efficiency.
This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation
and Development Commission, as a part of the implementation of
funding received under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 pursuant the federal State Energy Program and the
federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, to
coordinate with the Department of Water Resources and the State Water
Resources Control Board to identify opportunities to fund energy
efficiency actions that also may result in reduced water use. The
bill would impose requirements for the commission's guidelines for
disbursement of the federal stimulus funds. The bill would require
that water and energy efficiency programs and projects proceed only
to the extent they do not impair the commission's ability to meet the
federal deadlines for expenditure of federal stimulus funds provided
by the act pursuant to the 2 specified federal programs.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute.
Vote: majority 2/3 . Appropriation:
no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 5.6 (commencing with Section 25460) is added to
Division 15 of the Public Resources Code, to read:
CHAPTER 5.6. WATER USE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY ASSISTANCE
25460. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) The commission is expected to receive hundreds of millions of
dollars from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 (Public Law 111-5) for energy related activities including
energy efficiency programs and projects.
(b) Water use requires significant amounts of energy.
Approximately one-fifth of the electricity and one-third of the
nonpower plant natural gas consumed in the state are associated with
water delivery, treatment, and use.
(c) Greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced if we move, treat, and
use water more efficiently.
(d) The Public Utilities Commission and the commission have
researched the energy saving potential associated with water use
efficiency programs.
25460.5. For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms
have the following meaning:
(a) "Federal stimulus funds" means moneys received by the state
under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
(Public Law 111-5), pursuant to the federal State Energy Program and
the federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program.
(b) "Local water supplier" means a local retail or wholesale
public agency or private company supplying or storing water, or a
mutual water company.
25461. (a) The Legislature, by enacting this chapter, intends to
establish guidance for implementation of federal stimulus funds, in
order to maximize the benefits and encourage the integration of water
and energy efficiency programs.
(b) As part of the administration of the federal stimulus funds
received by the commission, the commission shall coordinate with the
Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control
Board to identify opportunities to fund energy efficiency actions
that also may result in reduced water use. Coordination may include,
but is not limited to, sharing information on areas to target,
prioritizing actions, and advising on implementation.
(c) To the extent authorized by federal law, the commission's
guidelines for disbursement of the federal stimulus funds shall do
all of the following:
(1) Include both of the following as eligible projects:
(A) Water use efficiency and water recycling projects that also
provide energy savings. These projects may include, but shall not be
limited to, appliance and toilet retrofit and installation of
recycled water pipes for commercial, institutional, or industrial
water sectors.
(B) Job training programs, including, but not limited to, water
and energy efficiency training for plumbers.
(2) Include in the calculation of energy savings for water use
efficiency and recycling projects, the energy savings associated with
the reduced treatment, reduced distribution and pumping, and reduced
urban or agricultural use of water.
(3) Provide opportunities for water and energy efficiency projects
to be cost-shared with local water suppliers.
(4) Include local water suppliers as eligible applicants.
(d) Water and energy efficiency programs and projects shall
proceed only to the extent they do not impair the commission's
ability to meet the federal deadlines for expenditure of federal
stimulus funds.
(e) This section applies only to federal stimulus funds received
under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
(Public Law 111-5), pursuant to the federal State Energy Program and
the federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program.
25462. This chapter does not imply that spending energy
efficiency funds on water efficiency programs should be done with
nonstimulus, ratepayer funds.
SEC. 2. This act is an urgency statute necessary
for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety
within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go
into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
To expedite the use of federal stimulus funds received under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)
pursuant to the federal State Energy Program and the federal Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program for energy efficiency
actions that also may result in reduced water use, and to maximize
the benefits and encourage the integration of water and energy
efficiency programs for the protection of the public health, safety,
and the environment, it is necessary for this measure to take effect
immediately.