BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 870|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
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|327-4478 | |
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CONSENT
Bill No: SB 870
Author: Padilla (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
SENATE ENERGY, UTIL. & COMM. COMMITTEE : 11-0, 5/3/11
AYES: Padilla, Fuller, Berryhill, Corbett, De Le�n,
DeSaulnier, Pavley, Rubio, Simitian, Strickland, Wright
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Energy: State Energy Resources Conservation and
Development
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the chair of the California
Energy Commission (CEC) to appear before the appropriate
policy committees to report on the activities of the CEC.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law
1. Establishes the CEC with five appointed members, one of
whom serves
as the chairman of the body.
2. Requires the President of the California Public
Utilities Commission to
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appear before the appropriate policy committees of the
Legislature each
year to report on the activities of the commission.
Background
The CEC is an energy policy and planning agency created by
the Legislature in 1974. The CEC responsibilities include:
1. Forecasting future energy needs and keeping historical
energy data;
2. Licensing thermal power plants 50 megawatts or larger;
3. Promoting energy efficiency by setting the state's
appliance and building
efficiency standards and working with local government
to enforce those
standards;
4. Supporting public interest energy research that
advances energy science
and technology through research, development, and
demonstration
programs;
5. Supporting renewable energy by providing market support
to existing,
new, and emerging renewable technologies; providing
incentives for
small wind and fuel cell electricity systems; and
providing incentives for
solar electricity systems in new home construction;
6. Implementing the state's Alternative and Renewable Fuel
and Vehicle
Technology Program; and
7. Planning for and directing state response to energy
emergencies.
The Governor nominates and the Senate approves five people
to act as full-time energy commissioners. They are
appointed to staggered five-year terms of office. From the
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five members, the Governor also picks a Chairman and Vice
Chair for two-year terms. Each of the appointees comes
from a specific background: the law, economics,
environmental studies or sciences, engineering or science,
and the public at large.
The basic programs of the CEC and most of its staff are
funded through a surcharge on electricity consumption. As
of November 8, 2010, this is set at two-and-nine-tenths of
one mil ($0.00029) per kilowatt/hour (kWh) of electricity
consumed by all electrical customers. If an average
residential customer uses 600 kWh of electricity per month,
they would pay 17.4 cents per month toward CEC operations.
Federal money for specific energy efficiency programs
supplements the CEC budget. These funds are segregated in
the state treasury as the Energy Resources Program Account.
Additionally, the CEC manages public goods charge monies
collected by the investor-owned utilities for renewable
energy, research, research and development, and other
federal and state funds for specific programs.
Prior Legislation
SB 1467 (Padilla), 2009-10 Session . Vetoed. Governor's
Veto Message:
"I am returning Senate Bill 1467 without my signature.
In addition to making several non-substantive changes to
the Public Utilities Code and the Public Resources Code,
this bill requires the Chairperson of the State Energy
Resources Conservation and Development Commission
(Commission) to appear annually before the Senate Committee
on Energy, Utilities and Communications and the Assembly
Committee on Utilities and Commerce to report on the
activities of the Commission.
This bill is unnecessary. During my Administration, the
Chairperson of the Commission has always been accessible to
the Legislature and, in fact, has appeared on several
occasions this year before both committees to report on
Energy Commission activities.
If the Legislature would like to invite the Chairperson to
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appear before their committees, they simply need to call.
In this bill's absence, I am ordering DGS to check all
phone lines between the Legislature and the Chairperson's
office to make sure they are in good working order."
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
the author intends to improve communication between the CEC
and the Legislature and facilitate oversight of the CEC's
programs.
RM:rm 5/16/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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