BILL ANALYSIS
AB 435
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 435 (De La Torre)
As Amended April 14, 2009
Majority vote
UTILITIES AND COMMERCE 15-0
APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Fuentes, Duvall, Tom |Ayes:|De Leon, Nielsen, |
| |Berryhill, Blakeslee, | |Ammiano, |
| |Buchanan, Carter, Fong, | |Charles Calderon, Davis, |
| |Fuller, Furutani, | |Duvall, Fuentes, Hall, |
| |Huffman, Krekorian, | |Harkey, Miller, |
| |Skinner, Smyth, Swanson, | |John A. Perez, Price, |
| |Torrico | |Skinner, Solorio, Audra |
| | | |Strickland, Torlakson, |
| | | |Krekorian |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the California Public Utilities Commission
(PUC) to study the efficacy of conducting concurrent
environmental review of proposed transmission facilities by
federal and state agencies.
FISCAL EFFECT : Minor absorbable costs to the PUC for the
required assessment.
COMMENTS : It's about a 10-year process to site and construct a
transmission line, depending on the distance and complexity of
the geography. The California Independent System Operator
(CAISO) performs much of the transmission planning. The
responsibility for actually building the transmission lines lies
with the transmission-owning utilities. Most of these utilities
need to obtain approval from PUC before they can construct new
transmission lines. PUC conducts a public hearing process and
issues a CPCN if it deems the project is warranted. The
utilities must then initiate a filing at the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) to request cost-recovery for both
inter- and intra-state transmission lines.
The utilities are frequently delayed with construction because
AB 435
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the federal government owns much of the land that transmission
lines must cross. Of the federal government agencies required
to provide approval, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is
involved the most. The transmission-owning utilities are
concerned that BLM process is too slow, there's not enough
staff, and the existing staff are spread too thin among the 50
states. The state imposes additional delays depending on
whether the transmission line traverses a state park, or whether
there's an endangered species in the proposed corridor.
Analysis Prepared by : Gina Adams / U. & C. / (916) 319-2083
FN: 0001179