BILL ANALYSIS
SB 730
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 730 (Wiggins)
As Amended August 16, 2010
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :Vote not relevant
UTILITIES & COMMERCE 15-0 APPROPRIATIONS
17-0
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|Ayes:|Bradford, Knight, Tom |Ayes:|Fuentes, Conway, Bradford, |
| |Berryhill, Buchanan, | |Huffman, Coto, Davis, De |
| |Carter, Fletcher, Fong, | |Leon, Gatto, Hall, Harkey, |
| |Fuentes, Fuller, | |Miller, Nielsen, Norby, |
| |Furutani, Huffman, Ma, | |Skinner, Solorio, |
| |Skinner, Swanson, | |Torlakson, Torrico |
| |Villines | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+---------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the California Public Utilities Commission
(PUC) to ensure that local and regional interests are considered
when evaluating energy-efficiency investments, and requires
investor owned utilities (IOUs) to collaborate with regional
authorities and other public agencies when developing its
energy-efficiency programs.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee,
PUC would incur ongoing special fund costs of around $120,000 for
the equivalent of one position to coordinate between these
entities and IOUs across the broad range of utility energy
efficiency programs. [Public Utilities Reimbursement Account]
COMMENTS : Local governments on their own initiative and through
state programs and policies have launched a variety of programs to
reduce energy consumption and regional gas emissions. For
instance, the County of Sonoma, all nine cities within the County,
Sonoma County Water Agency, Sonoma County Transportation Authority
and the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space
District have all adopted the most aggressive emission reduction
targets in the United States, which is 25% below 1990 levels by
2015. To meet this ambitious goal, last year the community
successfully sponsored legislation to create the nation's first
regional climate protection authority [AB 881 (Huffman and
SB 730
Page 2
Wiggins), Chapter 375, Statutes of 2009]. Working closely with
the Sonoma County and its cities, Sonoma County Regional Climate
Protection Agency (SCRCPA) is deploying an energy conservation
effort that involves coordinating and implementing a county-wide
building retrofit program.
In September 2009, PUC approved the 2010-2012 Utility
Energy-Efficiency Portfolios. These portfolios, administered by
the investor owned utilities (IOU's), contain $3.1 billion in
ratepayer-supported programs for energy efficiency. Of these
funds, the portfolios provide $260 million in energy-efficiency
funding to selected cities, counties and regional governments.
Current law requires PUC to ensure that regional and local
interests, multifamily dwellings, and energy service industry
capabilities are encouraged to participate in program
implementation. This bill requires the PUC to encourage
participation from local governments and other regional interests
in the design, revision and implementation of energy-efficiency
programs.
This bill requires IOU's to collaborate with county climate
protection authorities or other public agencies when developing or
revising energy-efficiency programs.
Analysis Prepared by : DaVina Flemings / U. & C. / (916)
319-2083 FN: 0006036