BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1435|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1435
Author: Padilla (D)
Amended: 04/05/10
Vote: 21
SENATE ENERGY, U.&C. COMMITTEE : 10-0, 4/20/10
AYES: Padilla, Dutton, Corbett, Florez, Kehoe, Lowenthal,
Oropeza, Simitian, Strickland, Wright
NO VOTE RECORDED: Cox
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Energy Commission: chair duties
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the chair of the California
Energy Commission (CEC) to appear annually before the
appropriate policy committee to report on the activities of
the CEC, and strikes technical and unnecessary heading from
the Public Resource Code.
ANALYSIS : The CEC is an energy policy and planning
agency created by the Legislature in 1974. The CEC
responsibilities include:
1. Forecasting future energy needs and keeping historical
energy data.
2. Licensing thermal power plants 50 megawatts or larger.
CONTINUED
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3. Promoting energy efficiency by setting the state's
appliance and building efficiency standards and working
with local government to enforce those standards.
4. Supporting public interest energy research that advances
energy science and technology through research,
development, and demonstration programs.
5. Supporting renewable energy by providing market support
to existing, new, and emerging renewable technologies;
providing incentives for small wind and fuel cell
electricity systems; and providing incentives for solar
electricity systems in new home construction.
6. Implementing the state's Alternative and Renewable Fuel
and Vehicle Technology Program.
7. Planning for and directing state response to energy
emergencies.
The Governor nominates and the Senate approves five people
to act as full-time energy commissioners. They are
appointed to staggered five-year terms of office. From the
five members, the Governor also picks a Chairman and Vice
Chair for two-year terms. Each of the appointees comes
from a specific background: the law, economics,
environmental studies or sciences, engineering or science,
and the public at large.
The basic programs of the CEC and most of its staff are
funded through a surcharge on electricity consumption.
State law directs electric utility companies to gather a
state energy surcharge. As of January 1, 2005, this is set
at two-tenths of one mil ($0.00022) per kilowatt/hour (kWh)
of electricity consumed by all electrical customers. These
funds are segregated in the state treasury as the Energy
Resources Program Account (ERPA). For a home that consumes
600 kWh of electricity in a month, the contribution to ERPA
is 13.2 cents per month or $1.58 per year. Additionally,
the CEC manages public goods charge monies collected by the
investor-owned utilities for renewable energy, research,
research and development, and other federal and state funds
for specific programs.
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The author's office intends to improve communication
between the CEC and the Legislature and facilitate
oversight of the CEC's programs.
Existing law also requires the President of the California
Public Utilities Commission to appear before the
appropriate policy committees of the Legislature each year
to report on the activities of the Commission.
This bill requires the chair of the CEC to also appear
before the appropriate policy committees to report on the
activities of the CEC.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
DLW:do 5/4/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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