BILL NUMBER: AB 1284 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Leslie FEBRUARY 21, 2003 An act to amend Section 353.1 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to energy resources. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1284, as introduced, Leslie. Distributed energy resources. (1) Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to require each electrical corporation under the operational control of the Independent System Operator as of January 1, 2001, to modify its tariffs so that all customers installing new distributed energy resources are served under rates, rules, and requirements identical to those of a customer within the same rate schedule that does not use distributed energy resources, and to withdraw any provisions in otherwise applicable tariffs that activate other tariffs, rates, or rules if a customer uses distributed energy resources. Existing law subjects customers with distributed energy resources to a real-time pricing program adopted by the commission. Existing law defines "distributed energy resources" to mean any electric generation technology that meets certain criteria, including having commenced initial operation between May 1, 2001, and June 1, 2003. This bill would modify that initial operation criterion to include any electric generation technology having commenced initial operation between May 1, 2001, and June 1, 2005. Because a violation of a rule or order of the commission is a crime under existing law, this bill, by expanding the scope of commission regulation, would change the definition of a crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 353.1 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 353.1. As used in this article, "distributed energy resources" means any electric generation technology that meets all of the following criteria: (a) Commences initial operation between May 1, 2001, and June 1,20032005 , except that gas-fired distributed energy resources that are not operated in a combined heat and power application must commence operation no later than September 1, 2002. (b) Is located within a single facility. (c) Is five megawatts or smaller in aggregate capacity. (d) Serves onsite loads or over-the-fence transactions allowed under Sections 216 and 218. (e) Is powered by any fuel other than diesel. (f) Complies with emission standards and guidance adopted by the State Air Resources Board pursuant to Sections 41514.9 and 41514.10 of the Health and Safety Code. Prior to the adoption of those standards and guidance, for the purpose of this article, distributed energy resources shall meet emissions levels equivalent to nine parts per million oxides of nitrogen, or the equivalent standard taking into account efficiency as determined by the State Air Resources Board, averaged over a three-hour period, or best available control technology for the applicable air district, whichever is lower, except for distributed generation units that displace and therefore significantly reduce emissions from natural gas flares or reinjection compressors, as determined by the State Air ResourcesControlBoard. These units shall comply with the applicable best available control technology as determined by the air pollution control district or air quality management district in which they are located. SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.