BILL NUMBER: AB 1302 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 27, 2011
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 31, 2011
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Williams
FEBRUARY 18, 2011
An act to add Section 713 to the Public Utilities Code,
relating to electricity. An act to add Section 25235
to the Public Resources Code, relating to electricity.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1302, as amended, Williams. Electricity distribution
grid upgrade plan. Distributed generation.
The existing Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation
and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources
Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission). Existing
law requires the Energy Commission to undertake a continuing
assessment of trends in the consumption of electricity and other
forms of energy and to analyze the social, economic, and
environmental consequences of those trends and to collect from
electric utilities, gas utilities, and fuel producers and wholesalers
and other sources, forecasts of future supplies and consumption of
all forms of energy.
This bill would require each large electrical corporation, as
defined, and large local publicly owned electric utility, as defined,
to provide maps and other information identifying and designating
zones within their respective service territories that are optimal
for deployment of distributed generation to the Energy Commission,
the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), if on electrical Corporation,
and the Independent System Operator, by December 31, 2012. The bill
would require the Energy Commission, in consultation with the PUC, to
develop guidelines for those electrical utilities to utilize in
creating maps and other information identifying and designating those
zones. The bill would require the Energy Commission to review each
electrical utility's designation of zones and approve or disapprove
the designation of zones made by each electrical utility. The bill
would require, upon approval by the Energy Commission, that each
electrical utility make this information available on its Internet
Web site. The bill would require state agencies to give priority for
the approval of distributed generation projects proposed to be
located within a zone designated pursuant to these provisions.
(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has
regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical
corporations.
The bill would require an electrical corporation to complete a
distribution grid upgrade plan, pursuant to a specified schedule, in
order to accommodate the increasing number of wholesale distributed
generation projects expected to be created under new and existing
renewable energy programs.
Because a violation by an electrical corporation of the bill's
requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated
local program.
(2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse
local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes no .
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 25235 is added to the
Public Resources Code , to read:
25235. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have
the following meanings:
(1) "Large electrical corporation" means an electrical
corporation, as defined in Section 218 of the Public Utilities Code,
that sells electricity at retail to 75,000 or more customers.
(2) "Large local publicly owned electric utility" means a local
publicly owned electric utility, as defined in Section 224.3 of the
Public Utilities Code, that sells electricity at retail to 75,000 or
more customers.
(b) (1) (A) The commission, in consultation with the Public
Utilities Commission, shall develop guidelines for large electrical
corporations and large publicly owned electric utilities in creating
maps and other information that identify and designate zones within
their respective service territories that are optimal for deployment
of distributed generation.
(B) The guidelines shall require a large electrical corporation or
large publicly owned electric utility to include all of the
following in maps and other information identifying and designating
zones:
(i) The location of primary distribution lines, distribution
substations, and transmission facilities.
(ii) Identification numbers for specific substations and lines.
(iii) Nominal circuit voltage.
(iv) Maximum normal circuit capacity in the summer.
(v) Amount of distributed generation existing on the circuit.
(vi) Difference between the maximum normal circuit capacity in the
summer and the sum of the allocated capacity substation transformer
bank rating that the circuit is connected to.
(vii) Maximum normal substation transformer bank rating for the
summer.
(viii) Projected peak load for the substation transformer bank for
the summer.
(ix) Amount of distributed generation existing on the substation
transformer.
(x) Any distribution circuit with generation interconnection
potential for one megawatt, two megawatt, three megawatt, and five
megawatt distributed generation facilities.
(xi) Known areas of transmission system constraints.
(xii) Known areas where short circuit duty levels are near
equipment short circuit duty limitations.
(2) (A) On or before December 31, 2012, each large electrical
corporation shall provide the commission, the Public Utilities
Commission, and the Independent System Operator, and each large
publicly owned electric utility shall provide the commission and the
Independent System Operator, with maps and other information
identifying and designating those zones within their respective
service territories that if each utility determines are optimal for
deployment of distributed generation. The commission shall review
each utility's designation of zones that are optimal for deployment
of distributed generation and approve or disapprove the designation
of zones made by each utility. If disapproved, the commission shall
indicate in what manner the designation should be revised and order
the utility to promptly submit a designation that corrects the
deficiency.
(B) If a large electrical corporation or large publicly owned
electric utility does not provide the commission with the information
described in subparagraph (A) on or before December 31, 2012, the
commission shall identify and designate those zones within the
service territory of the large electrical corporation or the large
publicly owned electric utility that the commission determines are
optimal for deployment of distributed generation, and shall impose a
fee on the large electrical corporation or large publicly owned
electric utility to recoup reasonable costs incurred by the
commission in identifying and designating the zones.
(3) Upon approval by the commission, each large electrical
corporation and large publicly owned electric utility shall make this
information available on its Internet Web site so that the
information appears when a term search is performed on that Internet
Web site using the term "distributed generation."
(4) Each large electrical corporation and large publicly owned
electric utility shall periodically update its designation of zones
that are optimal for deployment of distributed generation, as
circumstances change, and provide this information to the commission
and make that information available on the utility's Internet Web
site.
(c) All state agencies shall give priority for the approval of
distributed generation projects proposed to be located within a zone
designated pursuant to this section.
SECTION 1. Section 713 is added to the Public
Utilities Code, to read:
713. (a) As used in this section, "wholesale distributed
generation" means renewable energy generation that interconnects to
the distribution grid and provides electricity to an electrical
corporation.
(b) An electrical corporation shall complete a distribution grid
upgrade plan, extending for a three-year period from the date of
completion of the plan, in order to accommodate the increasing number
of wholesale distributed generation projects expected to be created
under new and existing renewable energy programs. The first plan
shall be due no later than July 1, 2012. An updated plan shall be due
every two years thereafter. Interested parties shall be allowed to
comment on each plan prior to its finalization.
SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this
act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local
agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a
new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or
changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of
Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a
crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the
California Constitution.