BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �          1





                SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
                                 ALEX PADILLA, CHAIR
          

          SB 23 -  Simitian                                 Hearing Date:  
          May 3, 2011                S
          As Amended:         April 26, 2011           FISCAL       B
                                                                        
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                                      DESCRIPTION
           
           Current law  , effective upon the adjournment of the first 
          extraordinary session, requires investor-owned utilities (IOUs), 
          publicly owned utilities (POUs), community choice aggregators 
          (CCAs), and energy service providers (ESPs) to increase 
          purchases of renewable energy such that at least 33% of retail 
          sales are procured from renewable energy resources by December 
          31, 2020. In the interim each entity would be required to 
          procure an average of 20% of renewable energy for the period of 
          January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2013; 25% by December 31, 
          2016, and 33% by 2020. This is known as the Renewable Portfolio 
          Standard (RPS).

           Current law  , effective upon the adjournment of the first 
          extraordinary session, requires the California Energy Commission 
          (CEC) to study and report to the Legislature on run-of-river 
          hydroelectric generating facilities in British Columbia no later 
          than June 30, 2011.

           This bill  extends the deadline for that report for one year to 
          June 30, 2012.

           Current law , effective upon the adjournment of the first 
          extraordinary session, requires the California Public Utilities 
          Commission to determine resource adequacy standards for wind and 
          solar energy resources no later than July 1, 2011.

           This bill  extends the deadline for one year to July 1, 2012.

           Current law  , effective upon the adjournment of the first 
          extraordinary session, requires the CEC to adopt regulations, on 
          or before July 1, 2011, for enforcement of the RPS requirements 











          of POUs.

           This bill  extends the regulation deadline for one year to July 
          1, 2012.

                                       COMMENTS
           
          The Governor signed SB x1 2 (Simitian) on April 12th.  The bill 
          will take effect 90 days after the adjournment of the first 
          extraordinary session which has not yet occurred.  In the 
          meantime there were three deadlines in that bill by which the 
          CEC and CPUC were to adopt rules, regulations or issue reports 
          this summer.  The delay in enactment of SB x1 2 and the delay in 
          adjournment of the special session require that the deadlines be 
          extended by one year for these agencies to complete their work.

          Both proponents and opponents of SB x1 2 cite the need for 
          further revisions to that measure in order to ensure that 
          implementation of the new 33% standard is carried out 
          efficiently and effectively.  The author is considering those 
          provisions.

                                       POSITIONS
           
           Sponsor:
           
          Author

           Support:
           
          Pacific Gas and Electric Company (if amended)

           Oppose:
           
          None on file


          


































          Kellie Smith 
          SB 23 Analysis
          Hearing Date:  May 3, 2011