BILL ANALYSIS
AB 69
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 7, 2001
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Howard Wayne, Chair
AB 69 (Wright) - As Introduced: December 13, 2000
SUBJECT : Environmental quality.
SUMMARY : This bill makes changes to the Governor's GREEN TEAM
by requiring the GREEN TEAM to make the expedited repowering of
existing powerplants in the state a top priority.
EXISTING LAW : Under the California Energy Security and
Reliability Act of 2000 (Government Code section 12078, et seq.)
1)Establishes the Governor's Clean Energy GREEN TEAM (GREEN
TEAM), consisting of a chair and not more than 15 members
appointed by the Governor, various federal, state, and local
agency representatives with jurisdiction over powerplant
siting activities in the state.
2)Requires the GREEN TEAM to undertake various activities
designed to expedite construction of new, clean energy
generation in the state to address the state's energy needs.
THIS BILL :
1)Changes the timeline for which the work of the GREEN TEAM from
90 days after the effective date of the bill, to December 6,
2000.
2)Requires the GREEN TEAM to make the expedited repowering of
existing powerplants in the state a top priority consistent
with ensuring that those plants operate in a manner that
lessens their impact on the environment.
3)Encourages all regulatory agencies in the state with
jurisdiction over powerplants to take all actions within their
authority to promote and accelerate the repowering of existing
powerplants and to do so in a manner that lessens their impact
on the environment.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
COMMENTS :
AB 69
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1)Background
AB 970 (Ducheny) Chapter 329, Statutes of 2000 created the
Governor's GREEN TEAM which is charged with "devising strategies
for bringing additional fossil fuel and renewable power sources
online in California without compromising laws governing the
environment, public health and safety and public participation."
(Governor Gray Davis' Statement to the Clean Energy GREEN TEAM,
October 11, 2000) The GREEN TEAM was also required to provide
assistance to people constructing powerplants through a series
of documents and consultation no later than December 6, 2000.
Since that time, the GREEN TEAM staff has been continuing their
work to bring additional power online through assistance to
developers who wish to build new powerplants.
2)This Bill Is Similar To AB 36 X1
This bill is similar to AB 36 X1, in the current First
Extraordinary Session, also by Assemblyman Wright. That bill is
currently before the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.
According to the author's office, AB 36 X1 establishes an
expedited six-month siting process for repowering projects in
California. AB 69 is a partner to that bill by focusing the
attention of the GREEN TEAM on repowering projects in
California.
3)Technical Amendment
This bill requires the GREEN TEAM to make repowering powerplants
a priority by December 6, 2000. Since that date has passed by
several months, the Committee may wish to consider changing the
date with the following amendment:
On page 3, line 5 delete "December 6, 2000" and insert "January
1, 2002"
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file
Opposition
AB 69
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None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Kyra Emanuels Ross / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092