BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       


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                              UNFINISHED BUSINESS


          Bill No:  SB 31X
          Author:   Alpert (D)
          Amended:  As introduced
          Vote:     27 - Urgency

           
           SENATE VOTES NOT RELEVANT

          ASSEMBLY VOTES NOT RELEVANT  


            SUBJECT  :    Energy conservation

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill appropriates $408.65 million for a  
          variety of new programs relating to energy conservation,  
          efficiency and distributed generation.

          Assembly Amendments  delete the previous version.  As it  
          left the Senate, the bill required appointments to the  
          governing board of the Independent System Operator be for  
          three years, with staggered terms, and required Senate  
          confirmation.

           ANALYSIS  :   Existing law:

          1.Establishes various energy efficiency programs under the  
            auspices of California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)  
            and the California Energy Commission (CEC).

          2.Requires electric and gas corporations to file rate  
            schedules.
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          3.Provides for customer-generators to utilize net metering  
            under specified terms.

          This bill establishes the Summer 2001 Energy Efficiency  
          Projects by Community College  Districts, State Building  
          Energy Retrofits, Renewable Energy Loan Guarantee Program,  
          Mobile Efficiency Brigade, Energy Conservation Act of 2001,  
          Small Business Energy Efficiency Refrigeration Loan Program  
          and requires the CPUC to designate a baseline quantity of  
          gas and electricity and require every gas and electric  
          corporation to file a schedule of rates and charges  
          providing baseline rates.  Makes provisions for net  
          metering and waiver of standby charges for solar or wind  
          customer generators until January 1, 2003.

           Comments  

          This bill contains many of the provisions brought forward  
          in AB 29X (Kehoe), but adds the 2001 Energy Efficiency  
          Projects by Community College Districts to retrofit and  
          construct energy efficient buildings and provide other  
          means of making the community college system energy  
          self-sufficient.  This bill allocates $408.65 million for  
          all of the energy efficiency programs, including a mobile  
          energy brigade, retrofitting of state buildings and the  
          various educational institution measures.

          This bill also provides for CPUC to establish a reasonable  
          level of baseline quantity for gas and electric service  
          allowing for variance for customers who are using both gas  
          and electric and those who are primarily served by  
          electricity in their homes.  This bill also allows for  
          additional accommodation with baseline usage for customers  
          with medical or other specified additional energy needs.   
          The utilities must establish baseline rates.

          Finally, this bill expands the existing definition of  
          customer-generators eligible for access to the electricity  
          grid on a standby basis and waives standby charges for  
          eligible customer-generators using solar or wind  
          generation.  This bill provides for terms under which net  
          metering may be provided to distributed  
          generation-customers and specifies obligations of utilities  







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          to provide meters for customers to provide them under  
          certain circumstances.




           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  Yes   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  Yes

          NC:kb  4/5/01   Senate Floor Analyses 

                       SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  NONE RECEIVED

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