BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2296
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 12, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2296 (Saldana) - As Amended: April 27, 2010
Policy Committee: UtilitiesVote:9-3
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill allows a solar energy system located on or adjacent to
the end-use customer's owned or rented premises to be eligible
for ratepayer-funded incentives from the California Solar
Initiative (CSI).
FISCAL EFFECT
Ongoing annual special fund cost of $115,000 for one position to
oversee specific implementation of the expanded site definitions
for eligible solar energy systems, including monitoring the
impact of the site definition change on the program outcome,
coordinating consistent policies with net metering tariffs and
interconnection rules, and overseeing implementation of database
changes to track the revised site definition.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . According to the author, this bill is intended to
allow a resident, commercial establishment, or owner of a
multi-family dwelling to place a solar energy system near his
or her principal location, and be eligible for CSI rebates.
Some multi-family dwellings may not be optimal for solar
installation directly on the roof-top. Allowing near-site
application may expand the use of solar to generate
electricity for multi-family dwellings.
2)Background . SB 1 (Murray)/Chapter 132 of 2006, created the CSI
with the goal of installing 3,000 MW of solar PV in California
within 10 years. The PUC reports that the CSI remains on
target to meet the goal of 1,750 MW installed in the territory
of the investor-owned utilities (IOUs) by 2017. (In addition
AB 2296
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to the IOUs, 1,750 MW, the New Homes Solar Programs, run by
the California Energy Commission, is responsible for 400 MW
and, the publicly-owned utilities are responsible for the
balance of the statewide goal.) Although each utility
territory is progressing at different rates, the 322 MW both
installed and in the pipeline represent 18 percent of the
total program's goal of 1,750 MW after two years in the
10-year program.
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081