BILL ANALYSIS � 1
SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
ALEX PADILLA, CHAIR
AB 1391 - Utilities & Commerce Hearing
Date: June 21, 2011 A
As Introduced: February 23, 2011 Non-FISCAL B
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DESCRIPTION
Current law requires the state's investor owned utilities
(IOUs), publicly owned utilities (POUs) (except the Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power), and other entities offering
retail electric service, to credit all electricity generated by
a customer-owned solar or wind system against the customer's
usage of electricity sold by the utility, on a kilowatt hour
basis (kWh), a procedure known as "net energy metering" (NEM).
Participation by all utilities is capped at 5 percent of each
utility's aggregate peak electricity demand and the size of
individual solar and wind systems is limited to those that will
offset all or part of the customer's own electrical requirements
to a maximum of 1 megawatt (MW). This program also exempts the
customer from paying transmission and distribution costs. This
is commonly referred to as full retail NEM.
This bill deletes a report required to be submitted by the
California Public Utilities Commission in 2010.
BACKGROUND
Full retail net metering was expanded when the California Solar
Initiative was established by the Legislature in 2006. At that
time the Legislature called for an analysis of the costs and
benefits of net-energy metering by 2010. The required report
was submitted and this bill strikes the report from the codes as
part of an effort to maintain the codes.
ASSEMBLY VOTES
Assembly Floor (77-0)
Assembly Natural Resources Committee
(9-0)
Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee
(15-0)
POSITIONS
Sponsor:
Author
Support:
None on file
Oppose:
None on file
Kellie Smith
AB 1391 Analysis
Hearing Date: June 21, 2011