BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 515|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 515
Author: Richman (R), et al
Amended: 6/23/05 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE : 11-0, 6/21/05
AYES: Kuehl, Margett, Aanestad, Bowen, Dutton,
Hollingsworth, Kehoe, Lowenthal, Machado, Migden, Romero
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 5/31/05 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : State Water Project: solar photovoltaic panels
and systems
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill authorizes the Department of Water
Resources to establish a program to lease space above State
Water Project conveyance facilities, such as aqueducts, to
private entities for installing solar panels and generating
electricity from those panels.
ANALYSIS :
Existing Law
1. Under existing law, the Department of Water and
Resource (DWR) has the authority to lease or rent State
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AB 515
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Water Project (SWP) rights of way, easements, or
property. The law further specifies that to the extent
the proceeds from such leases exceed DWR's costs, DWR
must use proceeds for SWP purposes.
2. Under existing law, it is state policy to promote the
development and use of renewable energy sources,
including photovoltaic solar panels. Existing law also
requires that no later than January 1, 2007, solar energy
equipment is to be installed on all state buildings and
state parking facilities, where feasible.
This bill authorizes DWR to establish a program to lease
space above SWP conveyance facilities, such as aqueducts,
to private entities, for the installation of solar panels
and to generate electricity from those panels.
DWR, upon request, requires to evaluate proposals for
installing solar photovoltaic panels and related systems
for the generation and transfer of electricity.
1. A proposal submitted to the department for evaluation
shall include, but need not be limited to, an engineering
study of the proposed solar photovoltaic panels and
related systems.
2. The costs of the engineering study and the department's
evaluation shall be paid by the person or entity making
the request.
DWR authorizes to negotiate any level of compensation that
is equal to, or greater than, the cost to the department of
meeting its obligations under the agreement.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/16/05)
Environmental Entrepreneurs
Natural Resources Defense Council
Northern California Community Technologies
AB 515
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ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
California has a long-standing policy to maintain a
diversified energy portfolio. Advancements in solar
generation technologies, which increased efficiencies and
lowered costs, have made solar a viable cost effective
generation alternative, particularly because solar's
peaking generation capacity correlates well with utilities'
daily load patterns.
AB 515 will encourage the deployment of solar generation
panels along the State Water Project, which includes about
660 miles of open canals and pipelines. Many of those
hundreds of miles is suitable for solar electricity
generation portfolio. Not only such a project attract
investment and jobs to California, but it also reduces
evaporation from the canals and minimize environmental
drawbacks associated with 'solar farms.'"
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Aghazarian, Arambula, Baca, Bass, Benoit, Berg,
Bermudez, Blakeslee, Bogh, Calderon, Canciamilla, Chan,
Chavez, Chu, Cogdill, Cohn, Coto, Daucher, De La Torre,
DeVore, Dymally, Emmerson, Evans, Frommer, Garcia,
Goldberg, Hancock, Harman, Haynes, Jerome Horton, Shirley
Horton, Houston, Huff, Jones, Karnette, Keene, Klehs,
Koretz, La Malfa, La Suer, Laird, Leno, Leslie, Levine,
Lieber, Liu, Matthews, Maze, Montanez, Mountjoy, Mullin,
Nakanishi, Nation, Nava, Negrete McLeod, Niello, Oropeza,
Parra, Pavley, Plescia, Richman, Ridley-Thomas, Sharon
Runner, Ruskin, Saldana, Salinas, Spitzer, Strickland,
Torrico, Tran, Umberg, Vargas, Villines, Walters, Wolk,
Wyland, Yee, Nunez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Gordon, McCarthy
CTW:do 8/16/05 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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