BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 69
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 23, 2001

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                              Carole Migden, Chairwoman

                     AB 69 (Wright) - As Amended:  May 14, 2001 

          Policy Committee:                               
          UtilitiesVote:17-0 (Consent)
                        Natural Resources                     10-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill:

          1)Requires the Governor's Clean Energy GREEN TEAM to make the  
            expedited repowering of existing powerplants a top priority  
            consistent with ensuring the plants operate in a manner least  
            threatening to the environment.  

          2)Encourages all regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over  
            powerplants to take all actions within their authority to  
            promote and accelerate the repowering of existing powerplants  
            in a manner that reduces the impact on the environment.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Negligible fiscal impact.

           COMMENTS  

           Background and Purpose  .  AB 970 (Ducheny) Chapter 329, Statutes  
          of 2000 created the  governor's GREEN TEAM, which, according to  
          the governor, 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."  The GREEN  
          TEAM may have up to 15 members and consists of the heads of  
          state energy-related agencies and federal, state, and local  
          environment- and natural resouces-related agencies.  The author  
          is also carrying AB 36 X1, which establishes an expedited  
          six-month siting process for repowering projects in California.   








                                                                  AB 69
                                                                  Page  2

          The author indicates that AB 69, by focusing the attention of  
          the GREEN TEAM on repowering projects, is a partner to AB 36 X1.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)319-2081