BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 485|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 485
Author: Ma (D), et al.
Amended: 8/24/12 in Senate
Vote: 21
ALL PRIOR VOTES NOT RELEVANT
SUBJECT : Greenhouse gases
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill allows local officials to divert
property tax increment revenues to pay for public
facilities and amenities within transit village development
districts.
Senate Floor Amendments of 8/24/12 delete the previous
version of the bill relating to infrastructure refinancing
and replace the contents of the bill with new requirements
for crediting of revenue derived from allowances allocated
to electric utilities under a cap-and-trade program.
ANALYSIS : Existing law:
1.Under the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006
(CGWSA):
A. Requires the California Air Resources Board (ARB)
to determine the 1990 statewide greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions level and approve a statewide GHG emissions
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limit that is equivalent to that level, to be achieved
by 2020; and
B. Authorizes ARB to include the use of market-based
mechanisms to comply with these requirements.
1.Under Public Utilities Act provisions added by SB 1018,
the natural resources trailer bill:
A. Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to
require revenue received by electric utilities
resulting from freely allocated allowances pursuant to
a market-based mechanism to be credited directly to
specified retail customers; and
B. Authorizes the PUC to allocate up to 15% of those
revenues for clean energy and energy efficiency
projects.
This bill:
1.Requires the PUC to require revenues, including any
accrued interest, received by an electrical corporation
as a result of the direct allocation of greenhouse gas
allowances to electric utilities to be credited directly
to the residential, small business, public transportation
agency, and emissions-intensive trade-exposed retail
customers of the electrical corporation.
2.Requires the PUC, not later than January 1, 2013, to
require the adoption and implementation of a customer
outreach plan for each electrical corporation, including,
but not limited to, such measures as notices in bills and
through media outlets, for purposes of obtaining the
maximum feasible public awareness of the crediting of
greenhouse gas allowance revenues.
3.Allows the PUC to allocate up to 15 percent of the
revenues, including any accrued interest, received by an
electrical corporation as a result of the direct
allocation of greenhouse gas allowances to electrical
distribution utilities, for clean energy and energy
efficiency projects established pursuant to statute that
are administered by the electrical corporation and that
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are not otherwise funded by another funding source.
4.Defines "public transportation agency" to mean a public
agency that provides public transportation.
5.Requires revenues, in addition to existing law, which
requires the PUC, except as provided, to require
revenues, including any accrued interest, received by an
electrical corporation as a result of the direct
allocation of greenhouse gas allowances to electric
utilities to be credited directly to the residential,
small business, public transportation agency, and
emissions-intensive trade-exposed retail customers of the
electrical corporation, to be credited to public
transportation agency customers.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
RM:n 8/27/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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