BILL NUMBER: AB 2590	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Blumenfield

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2012

   An act to add Section 321.9 to the Public Utilities Code, relating
to distributed generation.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2590, as introduced, Blumenfield. Distributed generation:
interconnection.
   Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission, in
consultation with the Independent System Operator and the State
Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to study,
and submit a report biennially to the Legislature and the Governor,
on the impacts of distributed energy generation on the state's
distribution and transmission grid.
   This bill would require the commission to annually prepare and
make available to the public a report with prescribed information on
distributed generation interconnection studies conducted by
electrical corporations in the previous year. The bill would require
the commission to require an electrical corporation to publish online
specified queue information, updated on a monthly basis, for all
interconnection projects, including withdrawn and rejected projects.
Because a violation of an order or decision of the commission
implementing that requirement would be a crime, the bill would impose
a state-mandated local program by expanding the definition of a
crime. The bill would require the commission to convene a rulemaking
either parallel to, or jointly with, the Independent System Operator
to harmonize confidentiality rules with respect to interconnection
requests and interconnection studies.
   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.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 321.9 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:
   321.9.  (a) (1) The commission shall annually prepare and make
available to the public a detailed report on each distributed
generation interconnection study conducted by an electrical
corporation in the previous year.
   (2) The report shall include, but is not limited to, all of the
following information:
   (A) Number of electrical corporation personnel and consultants
working on interconnection matters for each electrical corporation.
   (B) Date of the interconnection application.
   (C) Queue position date.
   (D) County and state location.
   (E) Study group, if in a cluster study.
   (F) Size of project.
   (G) Technology type.
   (H) Interconnection procedure status for each project.
   (I) Interconnection voltage.
   (J) Whether an interconnection agreement has been signed.
   (K) Initial requested in-service date.
   (L) Current requested in-service date.
   (M) Interconnection studies completed for each project, with the
dates of completion of these studies, costs charged to applicants,
actual costs to the electrical corporations completing the studies,
and status of the application.
   (3) The commission shall review all electrical corporation data on
this matter but shall ensure that the information is accurate
through verification with third parties when possible.
   (b) The commission shall require an electrical corporation to
publish online detailed queue information, updated on a monthly
basis, for all interconnection projects, including withdrawn and
rejected projects, including, but not limited to, all of the
following information:
    (1) Date of application.
   (2) Queue position date.
   (3) County and state location.
   (4) Study group, if in a cluster study.
   (5) Size of project.
   (6) Technology type.
   (7) Interconnection procedure status for each project.
   (8) Interconnection voltage.
   (9) Whether an interconnection agreement has been signed.
   (10) Initial requested in-service date.
   (11) Current requested in-service date.
   (12) Interconnection studies completed for each project, with the
dates of completion of these studies.
   (c) The commission shall convene a rulemaking either parallel to,
or jointly with, the Independent System Operator to harmonize
confidentiality rules with respect to interconnection requests and
interconnection studies. This rulemaking shall revise existing rules
of the commission implementing Section 583, including, but not
limited to, commission Decision 06-06-066, relating to issues over
which the state has jurisdiction. The revised rules shall require a
presumption of nonconfidentiality be enforced at all times and shall
require the commission, Independent System Operator, or electrical
corporation, as applicable, to provide a written statement
demonstrating why any particular information should be deemed
confidential.
  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.