BILL ANALYSIS 1
1
SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
DEBRA BOWEN, CHAIRWOMAN
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|SB 1299 - Senate EU&C |Hearing Date:April 13, | S|
|Committee |1999 | |
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|As Introduced:March 1, 1999 | | B|
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DESCRIPTION
This bill eliminates the requirements that publicly-owned
utilities report to the California Energy Commission (CEC),
and that the CEC in turn report to the Legislature,
regarding low-income weatherization programs.
KEY QUESTION
1)Is there any value in having the CEC collect, and pass on
to the Legislature, reports on the status of
publicly-owned utilities' low-income weatherization
programs?
BACKGROUND
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Weatherization
Assistance Program (WAP) provides grants to states, which
in turn provide grants to local agencies, to install energy
conservation measures for low-income households, especially
those with children, and the elderly and disabled, to
reduce financial hardships.
In California, the Community Services Department (CSD)
operates the WAP. Under the CSD's program, each
publicly-owned electric and gas utility must provide home
weatherization services such as attic insulation,
weather-stripping, minor housing repairs and related energy
conservation measures to improve the energy efficiency of
low-income homes. The utilities are responsible for
developing and implementing their own low-income
weatherization program
SB 1601 (Rosenthal), Chapter 809, Statutes of 1992,
requires publicly-owned utilities to provide low-income
weatherization services. SB 1601 was intended to ensure
that all low-income households have access to such
weatherization programs from either a privately or
publicly-owned utility. Previously, only investor-owned
utilities were required to provide low-income
weatherization services.
In addition, SB 1601 required publicly-owned utilities to
submit a status report to the CEC regarding these programs
every two years. As part of the biennial Conservation
Report to the Legislature, the CEC is required to summarize
the programs and their compliance with weatherization
statutes. SB 1299 repeals these reporting requirements,
but not the substantive low-income weatherization
requirements.
COMMENTS
1) Programs yes, report no. Energy efficiency offers
numerous environmental and economic benefits.
Investments in weatherization save an average household
approximately $193 in gas energy costs annually.
However, the report associated with these programs
appears to be no longer needed.
1) The CEC's first low-income weatherization report, which
included the 1993-94 weatherization reports from both
privately or publicly owned utilities, was drafted in
1995. However, the 1995 report was never finalized or
released because the CEC's biennial Conservation Report
was never published.
2) According to the CEC, the enactment of AB 1890
(Brulte), Chapter 854, Statutes of 1996, which revised
the CEC's responsibilities, further delayed the release
of the report. The CEC is unaware of any public
interest or request for the information that the report
provides. In addition, the CEC's understanding is that
the weatherization program information may already be
provided to the public at the local level through
municipal utilities.
1) Get on the omnibus. This bill is intended to serve as
the Committee's omnibus code maintenance bill. As such,
a number of technical, non-controversial provisions will
be added as it moves through the process. As is the
practice with omnibus bills, if a provision is added to
the bill that attracts opposition, that provision will
be removed.
POSITIONS
Support:
California Municipal Utilities Association
Oppose:
None reported to Committee.
Lawrence Lingbloom
SB 1299 Analysis
Hearing Date: April 13, 1999