AB 645 — Electricity: California Renewables Portfolio Standard.

Summary

(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as defined, while local publicly owned electric utilities, as defined, are under the direction of their governing boards. Existing law establishes the California Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) program, which expresses the intent of the Legislature that the amount of electricity generated per year from eligible renewable energy resources be increased to an amount that equals at least 33% of the total electricity sold to retail customers in California per year by December 31, 2020. Existing law requires the PUC, by January 1, 2012, to establish the quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources to be procured by each retail seller 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 that retail sellers procure not less than 33% of retail sales in all subsequent years. Existing law makes the requirements of the RPS program applicable to local publicly owned electric utilities, except that the utility's governing board is responsible for implementation of those requirements, instead of the PUC, and certain enforcement authority with respect to local publicly owned electric utilities is given to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and State Air Resources Board, instead of the PUC. This bill would additionally express the intent of the Legislature for the purposes of the RPS program that the amount of electricity generated per year from eligible renewable energy resources be increased to an amount equal to at least 50% by December 31, 2030, and would require the PUC, by January 1, 2017, to establish the quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources to be procured by each retail seller for specified compliance periods sufficient to ensure that the procurement of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources achieves 50% of retail sales by December 31, 2030, and that retail sellers procure not less than 50% of retail sales in all subsequent years. The bill would require the governing boards of local publicly owned electric utilities to ensure that specified quantities of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources to be procured for specified compliance periods to ensure that the procurement of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources achieve 50% of retail sales by December 31, 2030, and that the local publicly owned electric utilities procure not less than 50% of retail sales in all subsequent years. (2) Under existing law, a violation of the RPS program is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill would expand the RPS program, a violation of these provisions would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the definition of a crime. (3) By placing additional requirements upon local publicly owned electric utilities, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) 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 reasons.

Bill Text

Action History

1. August 27, 2015

   In committee: Held under submission.

2. August 17, 2015

   In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

3. July 07, 2015

   From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 3.) (July 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

4. June 18, 2015

   Referred to Com. on E., U., & C.

5. June 03, 2015

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

6. June 03, 2015

   Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 46. Noes 29. Page 1846.)

7. June 01, 2015

   Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

8. May 28, 2015

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

9. May 13, 2015

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

10. May 06, 2015

    In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

11. April 28, 2015

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 3.) (April 27). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

12. April 21, 2015

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. (Ayes 10. Noes 5.) (April 20). Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

13. March 09, 2015

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

14. February 25, 2015

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 27.

15. February 24, 2015

    Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

• Rendon · Cosponsor
• Williams · Primary

Votes

Subjects