BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
1030 (Blumenfield)
Hearing Date: 08/17/2009 Amended: 07/13/2009
Consultant: Mark McKenzie Policy Vote: T&H 9-1
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 1030 would authorize the Institute of the
Environment (IOE) at the University of California, Los Angeles
to map the renewable energy development potential of property
owned or controlled by the Department of Transportation
(Caltrans), upon receipt of funding for the project. The bill
would also require Caltrans to cooperate with the IOE on the
mapping project and respond to proposals to develop renewable
energy facilities on Caltrans property within 90 days.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Fund
IOE mapping project unknown, significant cost pressures to
fund General/
renewable energy potential mapping
project Federal/
Private
Caltrans absorbable costs to coordinate with
IOESpecial*
____________ and review proposals through permit
process
* State Highway Account
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STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Existing law authorizes Caltrans to purchase and maintain
property for the purpose of constructing and operating
transportation facilities. This bill is intended to provide an
inventory of Caltrans property that may be suitable for
renewable energy development.
AB 1030 does not provide funding for the mapping project, but
instead authorizes the IOE, upon receipt of funding, to
undertake a project for mapping Caltrans property that may be
suitable for renewable energy development, including the
provision of global positioning data available to the public
that indicates solar and wind energy potential. At a minimum,
this project would require the compilation of comprehensive data
on properties owned and controlled by Caltrans, a detailed
survey of facilities that are located on Caltrans property and
rights-of-way, the development of a geographic information (GIS)
system and searchable database that can be accessed by the
public, and research and modeling of areas that may be suitable
for renewable energy development. Costs for the IOE to complete
the mapping project are unknown, but substantial, likely several
hundred thousand dollars. Since the bill authorizes
implementation of the mapping project only upon receipt of
funding by the IOE, this bill creates cost pressures of this
magnitude.
The bill would also require Caltrans to cooperate with the IOE
on the project, and to respond within 90 days to any proposal to
develop a renewable energy project on Caltrans-controlled
property. A response would specify whether the property in
question is available for sale, lease, or encroachment permit
and whether the project
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AB 1030 (Blumenfield)
would be compatible with the current and projected use of that
property. Caltrans indicates costs to coordinate with the IOE
on the mapping project would be absorbable and similar to
requests for information under the Public Records Act.
Furthermore, ongoing costs to review proposals would be minor
and absorbable under the existing duty to review requests for
encroachment permits.
Staff notes that it is unclear where this mapping database would
be hosted, but there may be ongoing information technology costs
related to implement the program onto state systems and for
database management.
This bill could also create cost pressures to expand the mapping
project to include other state-owned property, or to expand the
applicability to other potential public-private partnerships for
joint development of state property.