California 2009-2010 Regular Session Status: To Executive

AB 64 — Energy: renewable energy resources: generation and transmission.

Last action — Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2009-2010 Regular Session. It reached “To Executive” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as defined. Existing law requires the PUC to require the state's 3 largest electrical corporations, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Edison, to identify a separate electrical rate component to fund programs that enhance system reliability and provide in-state benefits. This rate component is a nonbypassable element of local distribution and collected on the basis of usage. Existing PUC resolutions refer to the nonbypassable rate component as a "public goods charge." The public goods charge moneys are collected to support cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation activities, public interest research and development not adequately provided by competitive and regulated markets, and renewable energy resources. The existing Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) . Existing law establishes the Renewable Resource Trust Fund as a fund that is continuously appropriated, with certain exceptions for administrative expenses, in the State Treasury and requires that certain moneys collected to support renewable energy resources through the public goods charge are deposited into the fund and authorizes the Energy Commission to expend the moneys pursuant to the Renewable Energy Resources Program. This bill would make conforming changes to terms used in the Renewable Energy Resources Program statutes that would be made by SB 14 of the 2009–10 Regular Session. (2) The Public Utilities Act imposes various duties and responsibilities on the PUC with respect to the purchase of electricity and requires the PUC to review and adopt a procurement plan and a renewable energy procurement plan for each electrical corporation pursuant to the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (RPS program) . The RPS program requires that a retail seller of electricity, including electrical corporations, community choice aggregators, and electric service providers, but not including local publicly owned electric utilities, purchase a specified minimum percentage of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources in any given year as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to retail end-use customers each calendar year. The RPS program requires the PUC to implement annual procurement targets for each retail seller to increase its total procurement of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources by at least an additional 1% of retail sales per year so that 20% of its retail sales of electricity are procured from eligible renewable energy resources no later than December 31, 2010. Existing law requires the PUC to make a determination of the existing market cost for electricity, which PUC decisions call the market price referent, and to limit an electrical corporation's obligation to procure electricity from eligible renewable energy resources, that exceeds the market price referent, to an amount collected through the renewable energy public goods charge. This bill would delete an existing requirement that the PUC adopt flexible rules for compliance for retail sellers. The bill would require the PUC to direct each electrical corporation to prepare a renewable energy procurement plan that includes certain matter and to review and update the plan. The bill would, to the extent feasible, require that the renewable energy procurement plan be proposed, reviewed, and adopted by the PUC pursuant to the general procurement plan process. The bill would require that an electrical corporation's proposed procurement plan include a showing that the electrical corporation will, in order to fulfill its unmet resource needs, procure resources from eligible renewable energy resources in an amount sufficient to meet its procurement targets pursuant to the RPS program. The bill would authorize an electrical corporation to apply to the PUC for approval to construct, own, and operate an eligible renewable energy resource and require the PUC to approve the application if certain conditions are met, until corporation owned and operated resources provide 8.5% of the corporation's anticipated retail sales. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime. Because certain provisions of this bill are within the act and require action by the PUC to implement its requirements, a violation of these provisions would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the definition of a crime. (3) The Public Utilities Act prohibits any electrical corporation from beginning the construction of, among other things, a line, plant, or system, or of any extension thereof, without having first obtained from the PUC a certificate that the present or future public convenience and necessity require or will require that construction, termed a certificate of public convenience and necessity. Existing law requires the PUC, in acting upon an application by an electrical corporation for a certificate of public convenience and necessity, to deem new transmission facilities necessary to the provision of electric service if the PUC finds that new transmission facilities are necessary to facilitate achievement of the renewable power goals established under the RPS program. Existing law requires the PUC, upon finding that new transmission facilities are necessary to facilitate achievement of the renewable power goals established under the RPS, to take all feasible actions to ensure that the transmission rates established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) are fully reflected in any retail rates established by the PUC. This bill would require the PUC to issue a decision on an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity within 18 months of the filing of a completed application under specified circumstances. The bill would require the PUC, in acting upon an application by an electrical corporation for a certificate of public convenience and necessity, to deem new transmission facilities necessary to the provision of electric service if the PUC finds that new transmission facilities are reasonably necessary or appropriate to facilitate achievement of the renewables portfolio standard. The bill would require the PUC to provide assurance of the eligibility for recovery in retail rates of any increase in transmission costs incurred by an electrical corporation resulting from the construction of transmission facilities in certain circumstances and to allow recovery in retail rates of any increase in transmission costs if not approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission if the PUC determines the costs were prudently incurred pursuant to a specified law. (4) Existing law establishes the Department of Fish and Game in the Natural Resources Agency, and generally charges the department with the administration and enforcement of the Fish and Game Code. This bill would require the department to establish an internal division with the primary purpose of performing comprehensive planning and environmental compliance services with priority given to projects involving the building of eligible renewable energy resources. (5) The existing restructuring of the electrical industry within the Public Utilities Act provides for the establishment of an Independent System Operator (ISO) . Existing law requires the ISO to ensure efficient use and reliable operation of the transmission grid consistent with achieving planning and operating reserve criteria no less stringent than those established by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council and the American Electric Reliability Council. Pursuant to existing law, the ISO's tariffs are required to be approved by the FERC. This bill would require the ISO and other California balancing authorities to work cooperatively to integrate and interconnect eligible renewable energy resources to the transmission grid by the most efficient means possible with the goal of minimizing the impact and cost of new transmission facilities needed to meet both reliability needs and the renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements, and to accomplish this in a manner that respects the ownership, business, and dispatch models for transmission facilities owned by electrical corporations, local publicly owned electric utilities, joint power agencies, and merchant transmission companies. (6) The bill would require the Energy Commission, by July 1, 2010, to update previously conducted studies relating to determining the effective load carrying capacity of wind and solar energy resources on the electrical grid. The bill would require the PUC to use those values in establishing the contribution of those resources toward meeting specified resource adequacy requirements. (7) 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. (8) The provisions of the bill would only become operative if the bill and SB 14 of the 2009–10 Regular Session are both enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2010.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.

  2. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.

  3. Vetoed by Governor.

  4. Enrolled and to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.

  5. Senate amendments concurred in. To enrollment. (Ayes 50. Noes 28. Page 3408.)

  6. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  7. Read third time, passed, and to Assembly. (Ayes 23. Noes 14. Page 2428.)

  8. Withdrawn from committee. Ordered placed on third reading file.

  9. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  10. Senate Rule 29.3 suspended.

  11. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  12. Read second time and amended. Ordered to third reading.

  13. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 3.) (September 10).

  14. Joint Rule 62(a) suspended.

  15. Joint Rule 61(a)(12) suspended. (Page 2380.)

  16. Re-referred to Com. on E., U., & C.

  17. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  18. Read second time. To third reading.

  19. (received by desk August 28, 2009 pursuant to JR61(a)(11))

  20. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 8. Noes 5.) (August 27).

  21. In committee: Placed on Appropriations suspense file.

  22. Withdrawn from committee. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  23. From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on RLS. Re-referred. (Ayes 6. Noes 5.) (July 7).

  24. In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  25. In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  26. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on E., U., & C.

  27. Referred to Coms. on E., U., & C. and RLS.

  28. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  29. Read third time, passed, and to Senate. (Ayes 44. Noes 31. Page 2067.)

  30. Read second time. To third reading.

  31. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 5.) (May 28).

  32. In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  33. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  34. Read second time and amended.

  35. From committee: Amend, do pass as amended, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 3.) (April 29).

  36. In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  37. In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  38. Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

  39. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.

  40. From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Re-referred. (Ayes 8. Noes 5.) (April 1).

  41. Re-referred to Com. on U. & C.

  42. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on U. & C. Read second time and amended.

  43. Re-referred to Com. on U. & C.

  44. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on U. & C. Read second time and amended.

  45. Referred to Coms. on U. & C. and NAT. RES.

  46. Read first time.

  47. From printer. May be heard in committee January 9.

  48. Introduced. To print.

Sponsors

  • Bass · Cosponsor
  • Fuentes · Cosponsor
  • Krekorian · Primary
  • Leno · Cosponsor
  • Padilla · Cosponsor
  • Simitian · Cosponsor

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 5 co-sponsors · 116 not signed on · 5 voted No

Sponsors (1)

  • Krekorian

Co-sponsors (5)

  • Bass
  • Fuentes
  • Leno
  • Padilla
  • Simitian

Not signed on (116)

116 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 116 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

AB 64 KREKORIAN Concurrence in Senate Amendments

Passed 59 Yea · 31 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 552901
Democratic 3000
Republican 1200
Total 593101
% of votes cast 65%34%0%1%
How each member voted (91)
Member Party Vote
Hagman — Nay
Hall — Yea
Carter — Yea
Yamada — Yea
Chesbro — Yea
Conway — Nay
Eng — Yea
Feuer — Yea
Fuentes — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Charles — Yea
Hayashi — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Huber — Yea
De — Yea
La — Yea
Torre — Yea
De — Yea
Leon — Yea
Fong — Yea
Bonnie — Yea
Lowenthal — Yea
V. — Yea
Manuel — Yea
Perez — Yea
John — Yea
A. — Yea
Perez — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Salas — Yea
Saldana — Yea
Cook — Nay
Coto — Yea
Davis — Yea
Bill — Nay
Tom — Nay
Huffman — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Mendoza — Yea
Anderson — Nay
Bass — Yea
Blakeslee — Nay
Block — Yea
DeVore — Nay
Monning — Yea
Ruskin — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Torlakson — Yea
Torrico — Yea
Fletcher — Nay
Audra — Nay
Garrick — Nay
Gilmore — Nay
Harkey — Nay
Jeffries — Nay
Knight — Nay
Miller — Nay
Nestande — Nay
Silva — Nay
Smyth — Nay
Torres — Not Voting
Tran — Nay
Villines — Nay
Adams — Nay
Ammiano — Yea
Beall — Yea
Blumenfield — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Brownley — Yea
Buchanan — Yea
Hill — Yea
Krekorian — Yea
Logue — Nay
Ma — Yea
Nava — Yea
Nielsen — Nay
Solorio — Yea
Swanson — Yea
Emmerson — Nay
Evans — Yea
Fuller — Nay
Furutani — Yea
Beth Gaines — Nay
Bill Berryhill — Nay
Bill Berryhill — Nay
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea
Niello, Roger W. Republican Nay
Strickland, Tony Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Assembly 3rd Reading AB64 Krekorian By Simitian

Passed 24 Yea · 14 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 211403
Democratic 2000
Republican 1000
Total 241403
% of votes cast 59%34%0%7%
How each member voted (41)
Member Party Vote
Yee — Yea
Hancock — Yea
Florez — Yea
Harman — Nay
Lowenthal — Yea
Negrete — Yea
Cedillo — Yea
Huff — Nay
Kehoe — Yea
Leno — Yea
Liu — Not Voting
Runner — Nay
Cogdill — Nay
Corbett — Yea
McLeod — Yea
Oropeza — Not Voting
Price — Yea
Romero — Yea
Steinberg — Yea
Alquist — Yea
Ashburn — Nay
Correa — Nay
Ducheny — Yea
Dutton — Nay
Wiggins — Yea
Wolk — Yea
Wright — Not Voting
Aanestad — Nay
Benoit — Nay
Hollingsworth — Nay
Maldonado — Yea
Pavley — Yea
Simitian — Yea
Walters — Nay
Wyland — Nay
Cox — Nay
DeSaulnier — Yea
Denham — Nay
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Strickland, Tony Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended.

Passed 6 Yea · 3 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 5300
Democratic 1001
Republican 0001
Total 6302
% of votes cast 55%27%0%18%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Lowenthal — Yea
Kehoe — Yea
Benoit — Nay
Wiggins — Yea
Wright — Nay
Simitian — Yea
Corbett — Yea
Cox — Nay
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Not Voting
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Strickland, Tony Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

Do pass.

Passed 8 Yea · 5 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 8500
Total 8500
% of votes cast 62%38%0%0%
How each member voted (13)
Member Party Vote
Yee — Yea
Hancock — Yea
Runner — Nay
Leno — Yea
Oropeza — Yea
Price — Yea
Walters — Nay
Corbett — Yea
Cox — Nay
Wolk — Yea
Kehoe — Yea
Wyland — Nay
Denham — Nay

Official roll call →

Placed on Appropriations Suspense file.

Passed 13 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 13000
Total 13000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (13)
Member Party Vote
Yee — Yea
Hancock — Yea
Runner — Yea
Corbett — Yea
Kehoe — Yea
Leno — Yea
Price — Yea
Wolk — Yea
Oropeza — Yea
Walters — Yea
Wyland — Yea
Cox — Yea
Denham — Yea

Official roll call →

AB 64 KREKORIAN Assembly Third Reading

Passed 53 Yea · 34 Nay · 5 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 503204
Democratic 2001
Republican 1200
Total 533405
% of votes cast 58%37%0%5%
How each member voted (92)
Member Party Vote
Tran — Nay
Charles — Yea
Ammiano — Yea
Beall — Yea
Eng — Yea
Feuer — Yea
De — Yea
La — Yea
Torre — Yea
De — Yea
Leon — Yea
Fong — Yea
Bonnie — Yea
Lowenthal — Yea
V. — Yea
Manuel — Yea
Perez — Yea
John — Yea
A. — Yea
Perez — Yea
Salas — Yea
Saldana — Yea
Chesbro — Yea
Conway — Nay
Cook — Nay
Bill — Nay
Tom — Nay
Portantino — Not Voting
Villines — Nay
Fuentes — Yea
Furutani — Yea
Garrick — Nay
Hagman — Nay
Hall — Yea
Fletcher — Nay
Audra — Nay
Bass — Yea
Blakeslee — Nay
Duvall — Nay
Hayashi — Yea
Hernandez — Nay
Huber — Nay
Huffman — Yea
Knight — Nay
Krekorian — Yea
Logue — Nay
Mendoza — Yea
Miller — Nay
Monning — Yea
Nestande — Nay
Price — Yea
Ruskin — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Smyth — Nay
Swanson — Yea
Torres — Yea
Torrico — Yea
Adams — Nay
Anderson — Nay
Block — Not Voting
Blumenfield — Yea
Brownley — Yea
Buchanan — Yea
Harkey — Nay
Hill — Yea
Jeffries — Nay
Lieu — Yea
Ma — Yea
Nava — Yea
Nielsen — Nay
Silva — Nay
Solorio — Yea
Torlakson — Yea
Carter — Yea
Emmerson — Nay
Coto — Yea
Evans — Yea
Davis — Yea
DeVore — Nay
Yamada — Not Voting
Fuller — Nay
Galgiani — Not Voting
Gilmore — Nay
Beth Gaines — Nay
Bill Berryhill — Nay
Bill Berryhill — Nay
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Not Voting
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea
Niello, Roger W. Republican Nay
Strickland, Tony Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Do pass.

Passed 16 Yea · 6 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 15500
Democratic 1000
Republican 0100
Total 16600
% of votes cast 73%27%0%0%
How each member voted (22)
Member Party Vote
Charles — Yea
Fuentes — Yea
De — Yea
Leon — Yea
John — Yea
A. — Yea
Perez — Yea
Hall — Yea
Audra — Nay
Harkey — Nay
Krekorian — Yea
Duvall — Nay
Nielsen — Nay
Solorio — Yea
Torlakson — Yea
Ammiano — Yea
Miller — Nay
Price — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Davis — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Strickland, Tony Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.

Passed 8 Yea · 6 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 7602
Democratic 1000
Total 8602
% of votes cast 50%38%0%13%
How each member voted (16)
Member Party Vote
Carter — Yea
Tom — Nay
Berryhill — Nay
Fuller — Nay
Furutani — Yea
Blakeslee — Nay
Duvall — Nay
Krekorian — Yea
Smyth — Nay
Swanson — Yea
Torrico — Not Voting
Buchanan — Not Voting
Huffman — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Fuentes — Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

energy
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Frequently asked questions

What does AB 64 do?
(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as defined. Existing law requires the PUC to require the state's 3 largest electrical corporations, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Edison, to identify a separate electrical rate component to fund programs that enhance system reliability and provide in-state benefits. This rate component is a nonbypassable element of local distribution and collected on the basis of usage. Existing PUC resolutions refer to the nonbypassable rate component as a "public goods charge." The public goods charge moneys are collected to support cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation activities, public interest research and development not adequately provided by competitive and regulated markets, and renewable energy resources. The existing Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) . Existing law establishes the Renewable Resource Trust Fund as a fund that is continuously appropriated, with certain exceptions for administrative expenses, in the State Treasury and requires that certain moneys collected to support renewable energy resources through the public goods charge are deposited into the fund and authorizes the Energy Commission to expend the moneys pursuant to the Renewable Energy Resources Program. This bill would make conforming changes to terms used in the Renewable Energy Resources Program statutes that would be made by SB 14 of the 2009–10 Regular Session. (2) The Public Utilities Act imposes various duties and responsibilities on the PUC with respect to the purchase of electricity and requires the PUC to review and adopt a procurement plan and a renewable energy procurement plan for each electrical corporation pursuant to the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (RPS program) . The RPS program requires that a retail seller of electricity, including electrical corporations, community choice aggregators, and electric service providers, but not including local publicly owned electric utilities, purchase a specified minimum percentage of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources in any given year as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to retail end-use customers each calendar year. The RPS program requires the PUC to implement annual procurement targets for each retail seller to increase its total procurement of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources by at least an additional 1% of retail sales per year so that 20% of its retail sales of electricity are procured from eligible renewable energy resources no later than December 31, 2010. Existing law requires the PUC to make a determination of the existing market cost for electricity, which PUC decisions call the market price referent, and to limit an electrical corporation's obligation to procure electricity from eligible renewable energy resources, that exceeds the market price referent, to an amount collected through the renewable energy public goods charge. This bill would delete an existing requirement that the PUC adopt flexible rules for compliance for retail sellers. The bill would require the PUC to direct each electrical corporation to prepare a renewable energy procurement plan that includes certain matter and to review and update the plan. The bill would, to the extent feasible, require that the renewable energy procurement plan be proposed, reviewed, and adopted by the PUC pursuant to the general procurement plan process. The bill would require that an electrical corporation's proposed procurement plan include a showing that the electrical corporation will, in order to fulfill its unmet resource needs, procure resources from eligible renewable energy resources in an amount sufficient to meet its procurement targets pursuant to the RPS program. The bill would authorize an electrical corporation to apply to the PUC for approval to construct, own, and operate an eligible renewable energy resource and require the PUC to approve the application if certain conditions are met, until corporation owned and operated resources provide 8.5% of the corporation's anticipated retail sales. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime. Because certain provisions of this bill are within the act and require action by the PUC to implement its requirements, a violation of these provisions would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the definition of a crime. (3) The Public Utilities Act prohibits any electrical corporation from beginning the construction of, among other things, a line, plant, or system, or of any extension thereof, without having first obtained from the PUC a certificate that the present or future public convenience and necessity require or will require that construction, termed a certificate of public convenience and necessity. Existing law requires the PUC, in acting upon an application by an electrical corporation for a certificate of public convenience and necessity, to deem new transmission facilities necessary to the provision of electric service if the PUC finds that new transmission facilities are necessary to facilitate achievement of the renewable power goals established under the RPS program. Existing law requires the PUC, upon finding that new transmission facilities are necessary to facilitate achievement of the renewable power goals established under the RPS, to take all feasible actions to ensure that the transmission rates established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) are fully reflected in any retail rates established by the PUC. This bill would require the PUC to issue a decision on an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity within 18 months of the filing of a completed application under specified circumstances. The bill would require the PUC, in acting upon an application by an electrical corporation for a certificate of public convenience and necessity, to deem new transmission facilities necessary to the provision of electric service if the PUC finds that new transmission facilities are reasonably necessary or appropriate to facilitate achievement of the renewables portfolio standard. The bill would require the PUC to provide assurance of the eligibility for recovery in retail rates of any increase in transmission costs incurred by an electrical corporation resulting from the construction of transmission facilities in certain circumstances and to allow recovery in retail rates of any increase in transmission costs if not approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission if the PUC determines the costs were prudently incurred pursuant to a specified law. (4) Existing law establishes the Department of Fish and Game in the Natural Resources Agency, and generally charges the department with the administration and enforcement of the Fish and Game Code. This bill would require the department to establish an internal division with the primary purpose of performing comprehensive planning and environmental compliance services with priority given to projects involving the building of eligible renewable energy resources. (5) The existing restructuring of the electrical industry within the Public Utilities Act provides for the establishment of an Independent System Operator (ISO) . Existing law requires the ISO to ensure efficient use and reliable operation of the transmission grid consistent with achieving planning and operating reserve criteria no less stringent than those established by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council and the American Electric Reliability Council. Pursuant to existing law, the ISO's tariffs are required to be approved by the FERC. This bill would require the ISO and other California balancing authorities to work cooperatively to integrate and interconnect eligible renewable energy resources to the transmission grid by the most efficient means possible with the goal of minimizing the impact and cost of new transmission facilities needed to meet both reliability needs and the renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements, and to accomplish this in a manner that respects the ownership, business, and dispatch models for transmission facilities owned by electrical corporations, local publicly owned electric utilities, joint power agencies, and merchant transmission companies. (6) The bill would require the Energy Commission, by July 1, 2010, to update previously conducted studies relating to determining the effective load carrying capacity of wind and solar energy resources on the electrical grid. The bill would require the PUC to use those values in establishing the contribution of those resources toward meeting specified resource adequacy requirements. (7) 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. (8) The provisions of the bill would only become operative if the bill and SB 14 of the 2009–10 Regular Session are both enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2010.
Who sponsors AB 64?
AB 64 is sponsored by Bass, Fuentes, Krekorian, Leno, Padilla, and Simitian.
What is the current status of AB 64?
This bill died with 2009-2010 Regular Session. It reached “To Executive” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track AB 64?
Track AB 64 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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