Amended in Senate February 20, 2014

Amended in Assembly May 8, 2013

Amended in Assembly March 21, 2013

Amended in Assembly March 14, 2013

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 407

Introduced by Assembly Member V. Manuel Pérez

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(Principal coauthor: Senator Hueso)

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February 15, 2013

begin delete An act to amend Section 71100 of, and to add Section 71103.6 to, the Public Resources Code, relating to the environment. end delete begin insert An act to add Section 25328 to the Public Resources Code, relating to energy. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 407, as amended, V. Manuel Pérez. begin delete Environment: New River Watershed Water Quality, Public Health, and River Parkway Development Program. end delete begin insert Renewable energy resources: Salton Sea. end insert

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The Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. The act requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, beginning November 1, 2003, and by November 1 of every odd year thereafter, to adopt an integrated energy policy report that includes an overview of major energy trends and issues facing the state, an assessment and forecast of system reliability, and the need for resource additions, efficiency, and conservation. The act requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, beginning November 1, 2004, and by November 1 of each even year thereafter, to prepare an energy policy review to update the analyses from the integrated energy policy report or to raise energy issues that have emerged since the release of the integrated energy policy report.

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The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, also known as the RPS program, requires a retail seller of electricity, as defined, and local publicly owned electric utilities to purchase specified minimum quantities of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, for specified compliance periods, sufficient to ensure that the procurement of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources achieves 25% of retail sales by December 31, 2016, and 33% of retail sales by December 31, 2020, and in all subsequent years.

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This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission and the Independent System Operator, to convene a stakeholders group to identify impediments and recommended steps that should be taken to properly maintain, develop, integrate, and transmit electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources located in and around the Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area and the Geysers Geothermal Field. The bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to include its evaluations and recommendations in the next integrated energy policy report or energy policy review update.

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Existing law requires the California-Mexico Border Relations Council, contingent upon the execution of an agreement with the City of Calexico to provide the necessary funding, to develop a strategic plan (New River Improvement Project strategic plan) to guide the implementation of the New River Improvement Project containing specified elements.

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This bill would require a state agency awarding or granting funds for projects associated with the New River to ensure that the grants, loans, or other forms of financial support are expended in a manner consistent with the New River Improvement Project strategic plan.

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Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

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begin insert Section 25328 is added to the end insert begin insert Public Resources
Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

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begin insert 25328. end insert   

(a) The commission, in consultation with the Public
Utilities Commission and the Independent System Operator, shall
convene a stakeholders group to identify impediments and
recommended steps that should be taken to properly maintain,
develop, integrate, and transmit electricity generated by eligible
renewable energy resources located in and around the Salton Sea
Known Geothermal Resource Area and the Geysers Geothermal
Field. The commission and stakeholders shall, at a minimum, do
all of the following:

(1) Analyze the effectiveness of the value for assessing
procurement contracts for eligible renewable energy resources
approved by the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to
subdivision (c) of Section 454.5 of the Public Utilities Code that
includes integration of those resources into the operation of the
electrical grid, analyze whether the value has resulted in
development of new eligible renewable energy resources located
in Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area and the Geysers
Geothermal Field, and make recommendations on whether other
measures are appropriate to ensure that eligible renewable energy
resources are appropriately developed in and around the Salton
Sea.

(2) Analyze the costs and the value provided by baseload
renewable energy projects.

(3) Analyze whether state loan guarantees, loans, or state funds
could be made available to assist developers of geothermal and
other eligible renewable energy resources to access capital and
long-term financing.

(4) Analyze the feasibility of establishing streamlined permitting
process for geothermal project developments located in California.

(5) Analyze the environmental and other benefits of injecting
treated wastewater into existing geothermal resources.

(6) Analyze the avoided transmission costs associated with
reliance on existing renewable energy resources to satisfy the state
renewable energy and other environmental policy mandates.

(7) Consider methods to expedite transmission line development
from the Imperial Irrigation District balancing authority area to
utilities and regional independent system operators.

(b) The commission shall include its evaluations and
recommendations in the next integrated energy policy report
adopted pursuant to subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) of, or energy
policy review update adopted pursuant to subdivision (d) of,
Section 25302.

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SECTION 1.  

Section 71100 of the Public Resources Code is
amended to read:

71100.  

The following definitions govern the construction of
this part:

(a) “Cal BECC” means the California Border Environmental
Cooperation Committee established on July 22, 1994, by the
Governors of California, Baja California, and Baja California Sur.

(b) “California-Baja California border region” means the region
described in Chapter IV of the US-Mexico Border XXI Program,
Framework Document, published October 1996.

(c) “Fund” means the California Border Environmental and
Public Health Protection Fund established pursuant to Section
71101.

(d) “New River Improvements Project strategic plan”means the
strategic plan developed pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section
71103.5.

SEC. 2.  

Section 71103.6 is added to the Public Resources Code,
to read:

71103.6.  

A state agency awarding or granting funds for
projects associated with the New River shall ensure that the grants,
loans, or other forms of financial support are expended in a manner
consistent with the New River Improvements Project strategic
plan.

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