BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1030
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 13, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                  AB 1030 (Blumenfield) - As Amended:  May 4, 2009 

          Policy Committee:                               
          TransportationVote:11-2

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the Director of Caltrans to:

          1)Furnish data required by the Institute of the Environment at  
            the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for mapping  
            the renewable energy development potential of state property  
            under Caltrans control.  The mapping project is to include  
            global positioning mapping to be available to the public  
            indicating solar and wind renewable energy potential.

          2)Respond within 30 days to any proposal to develop renewable  
            energy regarding whether the property is available and  
            compatible with current and projected uses of the property.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Caltrans indicates that, because the term "data" is not  
            defined in the bill, the department is unsure whether the  
            requested data would be readily available in the type and  
            format required by UCLA.  Given the department's extensive  
            land holdings, if a substantial amount of staff time would be  
            needed to compile, format and transmit the  requested data,  
            Caltrans could require one to five positions at a one-time  
            cost of $140,000 to $700,000.

          2)Costs for Caltrans to respond within 30 days to proposals to  
            develop renewable energy on its property would be absorbable.

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose  .  The author contends that much of Caltrans'  








                                                                  AB 1030
                                                                  Page  2

          property-roadways, soundwalls, etc.-has the potential to host  
          renewable energy facilities and that the development and  
          maintenance of an inventory of such assets would "allow  
          promising renewable energy opportunities and new ventures to be  
          developed and pursued."  He cites the example of the state of  
          Oregon, where solar generators are being incorporated into  
          soundwalls, and Great Britain, which is reportedly using  
          piezoelectric crystals in its roadbeds to generate electricity  
          when driven over.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081