BILL ANALYSIS 1
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SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
ALEX PADILLA, CHAIR
PURSUANT TO S.R. 29.10
SB 730 - Wiggins Hearing Date:
August 20, 2010 S
As Amended: August 16, 2010 FISCAL B
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DESCRIPTION
Existing law requires the California Public Utilities Commission
(CPUC) to develop and administer cost-effective energy efficiency
programs to be administered by investor owned utilities (IOUs).
Existing law requires the CPUC, in evaluating energy efficiency
investments by IOUs, to ensure that local and regional interests,
multi-family dwellings, and energy service industry capabilities are
incorporated into the IOU's energy portfolios and encourages those
local entities to participate in program implementation.
This bill requires the CPUC to ensure that local and regional
interests including the Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection
Authority's (SCRCPA) are considered when evaluating energy
efficiency investments.
The bill requires IOUs to collaborate with county climate protection
authorities, or other public agencies when developing or revising
energy efficiency programs.
BACKGROUND
In its work to implement AB 32 (Nunez/Pavley, 2006) the California
Air Resources Board (CARB) has encouraged local governments to adopt
a greenhouse gas reduction goal for municipal operations that
parallel the state commitment to reduce GHG emissions by
approximately 15% from current levels by 2020. Local and regional
interests have also been incorporated into the energy efficiency
program goals of the CPUC.
On their own initiative and through the above described policies,
several local governments have launched programs to reduce energy
consumption and GHG production at the local level. Sonoma County,
all nine cities within the county, the county water agency,
transportation authority, and agricultural preservation and open
space district, have adopted an emission reduction target of 25%
below 1990 levels by 2015. To meet this goal, the community
sponsored AB 881 (Huffman, 2009) creating the nation's first
regional climate protection authority, the SCRCPA. The SCRCPA has
begun deploying energy efficiency and GHG reduction measures
including coordination and implementation of a county-wide building
retrofit program.
COMMENTS
1. Author's Purpose . The SCRCPA desires to be an active
participant in Pacific Gas & Electric's (PG&E's) energy
efficiency portfolio design. According to the author, this bill
is intended to maximize Sonoma County's efforts to reduce GHG
emissions and achieve energy efficiency by requiring utility
companies such as PG&E, to plan and coordinate their energy
efficiency efforts with the SCRCPA and similar entities. The
author believes local energy efficiency and climate change
initiatives approved and supported by local communities, need
to be harmonized and coordinated with the CPUC efforts on
energy efficiency in order to help avoid duplicative programs.
Current law requires the CPUC to ensure that regional and local
interests, multifamily dwellings, and energy service industry
capabilities are encouraged to participate in program
implementation. SB 730 attempts to clarify the definition of a
regional interest to include the SCRPA and would thereby
attempt to ensure local governments a seat at the policy-making
table.
2. Gut & Amend . When the Senate passed SB 730 on June 2nd,
2009, the bill extended the tipping fee paid on solid waste
disposal to operators of transfer or processing stations that
transfer solid waste out of the state. The June 21st Assembly
amendments deleted that language and converted the bill into a
measure to amend Section 399.4 of the Public Utilities Code,
relating to energy efficiency. Because this topic was never
heard in the Senate, the Senate Rules Committee has referred
the amended bill under Senate Rule 29.10 to this committee for
a hearing on the Assembly's amendments. At this hearing, the
Committee has four choices:
1. Send the bill back to the Senate Floor, recommending
concurrence.
2. Send the bill back to the Senate Floor, recommending
nonconcurrence.
3. Send the bill back to the Senate Floor, without
recommendation.
4. Hold the bill.
POSITIONS
Sponsor:
Sonoma County Water Agency
Support:
City of Healdsburg
City of Sonoma
Sonoma County
Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority
Town of Windsor
Oppose:
None on file
Maurice Pitesky
SB 730 Analysis
Hearing Date: August 20, 2010