BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1552
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Date of Hearing: April 27, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON UTILITIES AND COMMERCE
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 1552 (Committee on Utilities and Commerce) - As Introduced:
March 10, 2009
SUBJECT : Electricity.
SUMMARY : Extends the sunset for a provision of law that allows
utilities to donate electricity to nonprofit organizations free
of charge. Makes a number of technical changes to various
provisions of the state law relating to public utilities.
EXISTING LAW
1)Authorizes a nonprofit charitable organization to acquire
electric commodity service through a direct transaction with
an electric service provider if electric commodity service is
donated free of charge without compensation until January 1,
2010.
2)Defines "retail seller" as an entity engaged in the retail
sale of electricity to end-use customers located within the
state including electrical corporations, community choice
aggregators and electric service providers.
3)Establishes a program under which "retail suppliers" disclose
accurate, reliable, and simple to understand information on
the generation attributes of the electricity they propose to
sell, including "eligible renewables."
THIS BILL:
1)Extends the authorization for a nonprofit charitable
organization, to acquire electric commodity service through a
direct transaction with an electric service provider if
electric commodity service is donated free of charge without
compensation until January 1, 2012.
2)Replaces the term "retail supplier" with "retail seller" and
replaces the term "eligible renewables" with "eligible
renewable energy resources" and would incorporate definitions
for those terms that are applicable to the California
Renewables Portfolio Standard Program.
AB 1552
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3)Replaces the term "California Energy Resources Conservation
and Development Commission" with "Energy Commission."
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
COMMENTS : This bill is intended to make minor technical
changes to definitions in order to clarify code pertaining to
utilities and renewable energy, as well as extend the sunset for
the authorization allowing utilities to donate electricity to
non-profits free of charge.
All of the provisions in this bill are non-substantive and
without opposition. In addition, the relevant regulatory
agencies have been consulted and have expressed no concerns.
As the code cleanup bill, the bill does not and will not contain
any section to which any party objects.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file.
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Nina Kapoor / U. & C. / (916) 319-2083