BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair

                                           626 (Kehoe)
          
          Hearing Date:  05/18/2009           Amended: As introduced
                                          As proposed to be amended
          Consultant:  Brendan McCarthy   Policy Vote: EU&C 11-0, T&H 9-1
          _________________________________________________________________ 
          ____
          BILL SUMMARY: SB 626 requires the Public Utilities Commission to  
          develop and implement policies to overcome barriers to the  
          widespread deployment of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.
          _________________________________________________________________ 
          ____
                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions         2009-10      2010-11       2011-12     Fund
                                                                  
          Developing policies    $140       $140                  Special  
          *

          * PUC Utilities Reimbursement Account
          _________________________________________________________________ 
          ____

          STAFF COMMENTS: 
          
          SB 626 would require the Public Utilities Commission, by January  
          2011, to evaluate and implement policies to develop  
          infrastructure sufficient to overcome barriers to the widespread  
          deployment of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. The  
          Commission is directed to work with the Energy Commission, Air  
          Resources Board, electrical corporations, and the automotive  
          industry. The Commission is directed to address impacts on  
          electrical infrastructure, electrical grid stability, whether  
          incentives are necessary to promote the use of plug-in hybrid  
          and electric vehicles, technological advances that may be  
          needed, regulatory impediments, and the potential impacts on the  
          state's greenhouse gas emission reductions targets relating to  
          the deployment of plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.

          The Commission estimates the cost to complete a proceeding on  
          this issue by January 2011 to be about $280,000 over two fiscal  
          years. The Commission does not have an estimate of the potential  
          costs to implement any of the policies that may be developed in  










          that proceeding. Implementation of measures to increase the use  
          of these technologies may require the expenditure of state funds  
          or may be performed by electric utilities under direction of the  
          Commission.

          As proposed to be amended, the bill would limit Commission  
          requirements to evaluating policies and adopting rules.