BILL NUMBER: AB 1393 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 16, 1999
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 24, 1999
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 15, 1999
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Wright
FEBRUARY 26, 1999
An act to amend Sections 382 and 2790 of, and to add Section 327
to, the Public Utilities Code, relating to public utilities.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1393, as amended, R. Wright. Low-income electric and gas
customers.
(1) Existing law The Public Utilities Act
requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a program
of assistance to low-income electric and gas customers, which is
referred to as the California Alternate Rates for Energy or CARE
program.
This bill would require the electric corporations and
gas corporations that participate in the CARE program to administer
low-income energy efficiency and rate assistance programs as
described. The bill would require the administrators of the program
to undertake certain functions and would allow the commission to
require these participating corporations to competitively bid, to the
extent practical, service delivery components of these programs. The
bill would require the bidding criteria to recognize specified
factors, subject to commission modification. The bill would make
conforming changes.
Because a violation of the Public Utilities Act
act is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated
local program by creating new crimes.
(2) Existing law requires the commission to require an electric or
gas corporation to perform home weatherization services, as defined,
for low-income customers, as determined by the commission.
This bill would revise the definition of "weatherization."
(3) 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 327 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:
327. (a) The electric and gas corporations
that participate in the California Alternative Rates for Energy
program, as established pursuant to Section 739.1, shall administer
low-income energy efficiency and rate assistance programs described
in Sections 739.1, 739.2, and 2790. In administering these programs
the electric and gas corporations, to the extent
practical, shall do all of the following:
(1) Continue to leverage funds described in subdivision (a) with
funds available from state and federal sources.
(2) Work with state and local agencies and with
, community-based organizations , and other entities
to ensure efficient and effective delivery of programs.
(3) Encourage local employment and job skill development.
(4) Maximize the participation of eligible participants.
(5) Work to reduce consumers electric and gas
consumption, and bills.
(b) The commission may require the electric and
gas corporations described in subdivision (a) to competitively bid,
to the extent practical, service delivery components of these
programs. The bidding criteria, at a minimum, shall recognize all of
the following factors:
(1) The bidder's experience in delivering programs and services,
including, but not limited to, weatherization, appliance repair and
maintenance, energy education, outreach and enrollment services, and
bill payment assistance programs to targeted communities.
(2) The bidder's knowledge of the targeted communities.
(3) The bidder's ability to reach targeted communities.
(4) The bidder's ability to utilize and employ people from the
local area.
(5) The bidder's ability to provide local job training.
(6) Other attributes that benefit local communities.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the commission may modify its
bid criteria based upon public input from a variety of sources,
including representatives from low-income communities and the program
administrators identified in subdivision (b), in order to ensure the
effective and efficient delivery of high quality low-income energy
efficiency programs.
SEC. 2. Section 382 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to
read:
382. (a) Programs provided to low-income electricity customers,
including, but not limited to, targeted energy-efficiency services
and the California Alternative Rates for Energy program shall be
funded at not less than 1996 authorized levels based on an assessment
of customer need. The commission shall allocate funds necessary to
meet the low-income objectives in this section.
(b) The electric and gas corporations that
participate in the California Alternative Rates for Energy program
shall administer the programs described in subdivision (a). In
administering these programs, the electric and gas
corporations, to the extent practical, shall do all of the
following:
(1) Continue to leverage funds described in subdivision (a) with
funds available from state and federal sources.
(2) Work with state and local agencies and with
, community-based organizations , and other entities
to ensure efficient and effective delivery programs.
(3) Encourage local employment and job skill development.
(4) Maximize the participation of eligible participants.
(5) Work to reduce consumers electric and gas
consumption, and bills.
(c) The commission may require the electric and gas
corporations described in subdivision (b) to competitively
bid, to the extent practical, service delivery components of these
programs. The bidding criteria, at a minimum, shall recognize all of
the following factors:
(1) The bidder's experience in delivering programs and services,
including, but not limited to, weatherization, appliance repair and
maintenance, energy education, outreach and enrollment services, and
bill payment assistance programs to targeted communities.
(2) The bidder's knowledge of the targeted communities.
(3) The bidder's ability to reach targeted communities.
(4) The bidder's ability to utilize and employ people from the
local area.
(5) The bidder's ability to provide local job training.
(6) Other attributes that benefit local communities.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), the commission may modify its
bid criteria based upon public input from a variety of sources,
including representatives from low-income communities and the program
administrators identified in subdivision (b) in order to ensure the
effective and efficient delivery of high quality low-income energy
efficiency programs.
SEC. 3. Section 2790 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to
read:
2790. (a) The commission shall require an electrical or gas
corporation to perform home weatherization services for low-income
customers, as determined by the commission under Section 739, if the
commission determines that a significant need for those services
exists in the corporation's service territory, taking into
consideration both the cost effectiveness of the services and the
policy of reducing the hardships facing low-income households.
(b) (1) For purposes of this section, "weatherization" may
include, where feasible, any of the following measures for any
dwelling unit:
(A) Attic insulation.
(B) Caulking.
(C) Weatherstripping.
(D) Low flow showerhead.
(E) Waterheater blanket.
(F) Door and building envelope repairs that reduce air
infiltration.
(2) The commission shall direct any electrical or gas corporation
to provide as many of these measures as are feasible for each
eligible low-income dwelling unit.
(c) "Weatherization" may also include other building conservation
measures, energy-efficient appliances, and energy education programs
determined by the commission to be feasible, taking into
consideration for all measures both the cost effectiveness of the
measures as a group and the policy of reducing the
whole and the policy of reducing energy-related hardships
facing low-income households.
SEC. 4. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIIIB 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 XIIIB of the California Constitution.