BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 84 X2
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   September 6, 2001

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                              Carole Migden, Chairwoman

                   SB 84 X2 (Burton) - As Amended:  July 20, 2001 

          Policy Committee:                             Energy Costs &  
          Availability Vote:                            18-0

          Urgency:     Yes                  State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the California Energy Commission (CEC) to  
          implement a program to provide battery backup power for high  
          priority local traffic control signals.  Specifically, this bill  
          requires the CEC to:

          1)Determine a priority schedule for the installation of backup  
            power for traffic control systems based on factors such as  
            traffic volume, accident numbers, and the expected presence of  
            children.

          2)Provide 70/30 state/local matching grants to cities and  
            counties for these backup power units to be installed at  
            eligible traffic control systems and give priority to a city  
            or county that did not receive a grant from the state for  
            installation of light-emitting diode (LED) traffic signals. 

          3)Report, by June 1, 2004 to the governor and the Legislature,  
            on the grants provided and other related program activities.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Reallocates up to $10 million from existing state funds to  
          provide these matching grants to cities and counties; CEC  
          overhead for providing these grants is limited to 5% of the  
          total funds expended.  (General Fund.)

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  .  The author believes state funding should be made  
            available to local agencies operating LED traffic signals to  








                                                                  SB 84 X2
                                                                  Page  2

            ensure there is backup battery-powered energy to operate these  
            signals at high-priority intersections.  If and when a  
            blackout occurs, the installation of backup battery units  
            enable the already energy efficient LED traffic signals to  
            continue to operate.  These backup battery units cost about  
            $5,000 per intersection.  If $9.5 million worth of 70/30  
            matching grants are provided by the CEC, an estimated 2,800  
            intersections would be retrofitted with battery units to keep  
            them operating during blackouts.
           
          2)Suggested Amendments  .  a) Clarify the funding source by  
            specifying up to $10 million is to be redirected from the $850  
            million appropriated in SB 5x (Sher) and AB 25x (Kehoe);        
            b) Provide funding to reimburse local agencies that have  
            already installed back up systems.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Steve Archibald / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081