BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1351
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 20, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Kevin De Leon, Chair
AB 1351 (Blakeslee) - As Amended: May 6, 2009
Policy Committee:
UtilitiesVote:13-0 (Consent)
Natural Resources 8-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill revises certification conditions for hydroelectric
facilities eligible for the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS)
to permit certification from an agency other than the State
Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), such as if the facility
is located in another state, as long as the facility is owned by
a retail seller of electricity to end-use California customers
or a publicly owned electric utility.
FISCAL EFFECT
Negligible fiscal impact to the Public Utilities Commission and
the California Energy Commission.
COMMENTS
Background and Purpose . Current law generally limits RPS
eligibility of hydroelectric facilities to facilities of 30
megawatts or less, but permits increases in electricity
production from facilities over 30 megawatts, if the increase
results from efficiency improvements and meets specified water
quality criteria, including that the facility, within the last
15 years, has received an exemption or certification from the
SWRCB pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act. This requirement
for SWRCB certification acts as a prohibition on out of state
facilities, which are not under SWRCB jurisdiction.
This bill is intended to accommodate RPS eligibility for
efficiency improvement at large, out-of-state hydroelectric
facilities, which may provide an additional incentive for
AB 1351
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facilities to undertake efficiency improvement and increase the
availability of resources for compliance with California's RPS.
The bill is limited to those out-of-state facilities owned by
public and private entities that sell electricity to California
customers.
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081