BILL NUMBER: AB 515	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 19, 2005
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 6, 2005

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Richman
    (   Principal coauthor:   Assembly Member
  Levine   ) 
   (  Coauthor:   Assembly Member 
 Canciamilla   Coauthors:   Assembly
Members   Bogh   and Canciamilla  )

                        FEBRUARY 16, 2005

   An act to add Section 139 to the Water Code, relating to the State
Water Project.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 515, as amended, Richman.  State Water Project: solar
photovoltaic panels and systems.
   Under existing law, the Department of Water Resources operates the
State Water Project.
   This bill would require the department to establish a program to
authorize private entities to lease space above appropriate
conveyance facilities of the State Water Project for the purposes of
installing solar photovoltaic panels and  generating
electricity from those panels   related systems for the
generation and transfer of electricity  . The bill would require
the department to evaluate proposals for installing solar
photovoltaic panels  , with   and related
systems. The bill would   require a proposal submitted to
the department for evaluation to include an engineering study of the
proposed solar photovoltaic panels and related systems. The bill
would require  the costs  of the engineering study and the
department'   s evaluation  to be paid by the person or
entity making the request. The bill would authorize the department
to negotiate compensation for an agreement for the installation of
solar photovoltaic panels and related systems for the transfer of
electricity, that is equal to or exceeds the cost to the department
of meeting its obligations under the agreement.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares that it is in the
interest of the state to conserve resources and to promote projects
that further that interest.
  SEC. 2.  Section 139 is added to the Water Code, to read:
   139.  (a) The department shall establish a program to authorize
private entities to lease space above appropriate conveyance
facilities of the State Water Project for the purpose of installing
solar photovoltaic panels and systems for generating electricity from
those panels and transferring electricity through the related
systems. Upon request, the department shall evaluate proposals for
installing solar photovoltaic panels and related systems for the
generation and transfer of electricity.  The cost 
 A proposal submitted to the department for evaluation shall
include, but is not limited to, an engineering study of the proposed
solar photovoltaic panels and related systems. The costs  of the
 engineering study and the department's  evaluation shall
be paid by the person or entity making the request.
   (b) For the purposes of carrying out subdivision (a), the
department may negotiate any level of compensation for an agreement
for the installation of solar photovoltaic panels and related systems
that is equal to, or greater than, the cost to the department of
meeting its obligations under the agreement.