BILL NUMBER: AB 515	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 26, 2005
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 19, 2005
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 6, 2005

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Richman
   (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Levine)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members  Bogh  
  and Canciamilla   Berg,  
Bogh,   Canciamilla,   Leno,   and Nation
 )

                        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   authorize 
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 related systems for the generation and transfer of
electricity. The bill would require the department to evaluate
proposals for installing solar photovoltaic panels 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   may 
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. A
proposal submitted to the department for evaluation shall include,
but  is not   need not be  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.