BILL NUMBER: AB 2861	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Ting

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2016

   An act to add Section 769.5 to the Public Utilities Code, relating
to electricity.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2861, as introduced, Ting. Electricity: distribution grid
interconnection dispute resolution process.
   Existing law places various duties upon the Public Utilities
Commission with respect to distributed generation and requires each
electrical corporation to submit to the commission for its approval a
distribution resources plan proposal to identify optimal locations
for the deployment of distributed resources, as defined. Pursuant to
existing law, the commission has established operational and metering
requirements for a generation facility to be interconnected to an
electrical corporation's distribution grid.
   This bill would require the commission, by April 1, 2017, to
establish an expedited distribution grid interconnection dispute
resolution process, as specified, with the goal of resolving disputes
over interconnection applications within the jurisdiction of the
commission in no more than 60 days from the time the dispute is
formally brought to the commission.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 769.5 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:
   769.5.  (a) By April 1, 2017, the commission shall establish an
expedited distribution grid interconnection dispute resolution
process with the goal of resolving disputes over interconnection
applications that are within the jurisdiction of the commission in no
more than 60 days from the time the dispute is formally brought to
the commission.
   (b) The expedited distribution grid interconnection dispute
resolution process shall include the following elements:
   (1) A distribution grid interconnection technical advisory panel
consisting of at least eight individuals selected by the commission.
Four of the technical advisory panel members shall be from electrical
corporations and four shall not be from electrical corporations. The
commission shall determine the length of the term of each member. If
any member of the panel is an employee of, or contractor to, an
electrical corporation, an employee of a vendor with an open
application, or has a financial interest or financial relationship to
a person or corporation with a financial interest in the outcome of
the decision, that member shall not participate in any discussion
involving that electrical corporation, vendor, or financially
interested person or corporation.
   (2) A review panel of four members shall be selected from the
technical advisory panel for each dispute.
   (3) If an applicant is unable to resolve an
interconnection-related dispute after working with the electrical
corporation operating the distribution grid, the applicant may seek
resolution of the dispute using the commission's expedited
distribution grid interconnection dispute resolution process.
   (4) Upon agreeing to a final settlement of the dispute, parties
shall be free to withdraw from the dispute resolution process.
   (5) If the dispute is filed with the commission, the commission
shall ensure that a technical advisory panel shall review the dispute
and make a recommendation to the executive director of the
commission within 30 days of receiving the dispute.
   (6) The commission shall establish a public process to allow the
electrical corporation, the applicant, and other interested parties
to file written comments on the recommendation of the technical
advisory panel.
   (7) The panel shall request appropriate documents from the
electrical corporation involved in the dispute, including, but not
limited to, interconnection application studies.
   (8) The scope of the technical advisory panel's review shall be
limited to issues regarding compliance with the established
interconnection rules. Any recommendations shall ensure safe and
reliable interconnection.
   (9) The scope of the technical advisory panel's review is limited
to making recommendations to resolve specific customer disputes and
recommending associated corrective actions, and the panel shall have
no authority to assess penalties.
   (10) Upon receipt of the recommendation from the technical
advisory panel, the executive director shall have 30 days to review
the recommendation and to prepare an order to the electrical
corporation resolving the dispute. If the review panel from the
technical advisory panel cannot agree on recommendations, then each
recommendation of a review panel member shall be submitted to the
executive director, who shall make the decision resolving the
dispute.
   (11) Any interested person seeking commission review of the
executive director's determination shall file the request for review
within 10 days of the determination. Upon receipt of the request for
review, the executive director or the energy division director shall
prepare a proposed resolution of the matter for approval by the
commission.
   (c) The commission shall provide the members of the technical
advisory panel that are not from electrical corporations with an
appropriate per diem compensation consistent with Section 19822.5 of
the Government Code.