BILL ANALYSIS
AB 460
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 460 (Wyman)
As Amended May 31, 2001
Majority vote
NATURAL RESOURCES 10-0 APPROPRIATIONS 21-0
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|Ayes:|Wayne, Hollingsworth, |Ayes:|Migden, Bates, Alquist, |
| |Dickerson, Harman, | |Aroner, Ashburn, Cedillo, |
| |Jackson, Keeley, | |Corbett, Correa, Daucher, |
| |Negrete McLeod, Migden, | |Goldberg, Maldonado, |
| |Pavley, Wyman | |Robert Pacheco, Papan, |
| | | |Pavley, Runner, Simitian, |
| | | |Thomson, Wesson, Wiggins, |
| | | |Wright, Zettel |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Allocates, subject to funds being appropriated in the
annual Budget Act, $10 million from the State Energy Resources
Conservation and Development Commission (CEC) to the
Transmission Authority of Northern California for environmental
studies of Path 15.
EXISTING LAW : Under the Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources
Conservation and Development Act (Public Resources Code section
25000, et seq.) provides CEC with the authority to certify any
powerplant or related facility, which includes the first point
of interconnection with a transmission line, for any facility 50
megawatts (MW) or greater.
FISCAL EFFECT : Because the bill has been amended to be subject
to a Budget Act appropriation, there is no immediate fiscal
effect.
COMMENTS : Generally, transmission is the movement of
high-voltage electricity over long distances. Path 15, located
between Tracy and Bakersfield, is a specific group of
high-voltage power lines that feed electricity back and forth
between Northern and Southern California. A "bottle neck"
occurs on the transmission lines, and in particular with Path
15, when the demand for power supply from Southern California
exceeds the capacity of the transmission lines. For the last
several months, Path 15 has been a principal component of the
AB 460
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blackouts Californians have experienced.
Working together, private groups, municipal utilities, the
federal government and the state have identified a potential
two-phase solution to the current traffic jam on Path 15. Phase
one of the Path 15 expansion will provide for an additional
500kV-transmission line between Los Banos and Gates (the two
critical substations on either end of Path 15). This phase will
provide 500-700MW of additional capacity on the Path 15 lines.
Phase two of the Path 15 expansion will provide for additional
transmission lines. When completed, the expansion project will
provide improved reliability and accessibility (transfer of
electrons) between northern and southern California.
Analysis Prepared by : Kyra Emanuels Ross / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092
FN: 0001178