BILL ANALYSIS 1
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SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
DEBRA BOWEN, CHAIRWOMAN
AB 2304 - Richman Hearing Date:
June 8, 2004 A
As Introduced: February 19, 2004 FISCAL
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DESCRIPTION
Current law requires the California Energy Commission (CEC)
to submit quarterly reports to the Legislature on the use
of MTBE in gasoline by refinery.
This bill deletes that requirement.
Current law establishes a program promoting the use of
methanol fuel.
This bill deletes that requirement.
Current law imposes a variety of reporting requirements on
the CEC with varying reporting intervals on the status of
its existing renewable energy program.
This bill consolidates those reporting requirements into a
single annual report.
BACKGROUND
MTBE has been used in gasoline to boost octane, in place of
lead, and to promote cleaner combustion. Concerns about
groundwater pollution led to the banning of MTBE in
California as of January 1, 2004. The MTBE reporting
requirement, established in 1999, is therefore unnecessary.
In 1986, the CEC was required to create a technology
demonstration for the use of methanol in heavy-duty diesel
engines, methanol-powered buses, and flexible fuel
vehicles. That program, funded by proceeds from
settlements and judgements against oil companies for
misreporting oil revenues from state oil leases, has
lapsed.
Since 1996, the CEC has administered a statutorily-created
program to encourage the use of renewable energy through
production incentives and consumer rebates. The
Legislature has required a variety of reports to monitor
the success and status of the program. Some of those
reports are required quarterly, others biannually or
annually. This bill consolidates those reports into a
single annual report.
COMMENTS
1.Reports, Reports, & More Reports . This bill is sponsored
by the CEC. The reporting consolidation reduces the
number of reports, but it doesn't alter the content of
what the CEC is statutorily required to study and report
on. While more frequent reporting may have been
appropriate when the program was first implemented, now
that the program has a track record, less frequent
reporting seems reasonable.
2.Material For A Committee Bill? The provisions in this
bill can be characterized as non-controversial code
clean-up. The members of this committee are authoring a
non-controversial code clean-up bill, SB 1891, which is
pending in the Assembly Utilities & Commerce Committee.
The author and committee may wish to consider whether
this bill should be consolidated into SB 1891.
ASSEMBLY VOTES
Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee(12-0)
Assembly Natural Resources Committee(9-0)
Assembly Appropriations Committee (20-0)
Assembly Floor (72-0)
POSITIONS
Sponsor:
California Energy Commission
Support:
None on file
Oppose:
None on file
Randy Chinn
AB 2304 Analysis
Hearing Date: June 8, 2004