BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1298|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1298
Author: Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications
Committee
Amended: 5/28/99
Vote: 21
SENATE ENERGY, U. & C. COMMITTEE : 9-0, 4/13/99
AYES: Bowen, Baca, Brulte, Hughes, Kelley, Mountjoy,
Solis, Speier, Vasconcellos
NOT VOTING: Alarcon, Peace
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 13-0, 5/27/99
AYES: Johnston, Alpert, Bowen, Burton, Escutia, Johnson,
Karnette, Kelley, Leslie, McPherson, Mountjoy, Perata,
Vasconcellos
SUBJECT : Energy resources: federal oil overcharge funds
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill provides $14 million from the
Petroleum Violation Escrow Account to the California Energy
Commission for energy conservation projects, including
grants to reduce the cost of zero-emission vehicles and
infrastructure purchased by local air quality management
districts, cities, counties, the State Department of
General Services, the Senate Rules Committee, and the
Assembly Rules Committee, and for a regional bicycle
project.
ANALYSIS : The Petroleum Violation Escrow Account (PVEA)
CONTINUED
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funds are disbursements from the federal government arising
from court judgments and settlements of oil company
violations of federal regulations from 1973-1981. The
funds are administered by various federal departments and
are available to the states for specified purposes which
generally must relate to energy conservation. The
California Energy Commission (CEC) is the California agency
charged with determining whether a given proposal meets the
criteria for PVEA funding.
In 1997, the last year in which legislative PVEA projects
were funded, roughly $33 million was available. This year,
the PVEA account has roughly $14 million, of which $9
million is budgeted for low income residence weatherization
work performed by the California Conservation Corps (CCC)
and $1 million is budgeted for energy conservation work by
the CEC, leaving about $4 million available for individual
member projects.
Recently-approved PVEA projects have included funding for
grants to municipalities for energy conservation measures,
funding for CEC energy efficiency and demonstration
programs, funding for alternative fuel vehicles, and
funding for local energy conservation measures and
transportation efficiency programs.
This bill appropriates the money to the CEC for grants that
are available to all local air quality management
districts, on a matching basis, for local programs to buy
down the cost of zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure
($2.5 million) and for grants that are available to all
counties and cities, on a competitive basis, to buy-down
the cost of acquiring zero-emission vehicles and
infrastructure for use in their own fleets ($1 million).
This bill also appropriates $500,000 for grants to the
State Department of General Services, the Senate Committee
on Rules and the Assembly Committee on Rules to acquire
zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure. The bill also
appropriates $250,000 to the San Joaquin Council of
Governments for a regional bicycle proejct.
Comments
This bill is the Senate PVEA vehicle and it will be amended
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to include any projects requested by a Senator which the
CEC determines to be qualified for PVEA funding.
Given the relatively low amount of money available, the
prospects for funding individual PVEA requests this year
are poor. This bill is simply a vehicle to itemize
projects should additional PVEA monies become available.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: Yes Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
Appropriates $14 million from the PVEA.
NC:cm 5/29/99 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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