BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                             


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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                  SB 1299|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses   |                         |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524          |                         |
|(916) 445-6614         Fax: (916) |                         |
|327-4478                          |                         |
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                       THIRD READING
                              

Bill No:  SB 1299
Author:   Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications  
Committee
Amended:  As introduced
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  :  Senate Rule 28.8
 

  SUBJECT  :    Low-income weatherization report

  SOURCE  :     Author

 
 DIGEST  :    This bill eliminates the requirements that  
publicly-owned utilities report to the California Energy  
Commission, and that the California Energy Commission in  
turn report to the Legislature, regarding low-income  
weatherization programs.

  ANALYSIS  :    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)  
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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 California Energy Commission  
is required to summarize the programs and their compliance  
with weatherization statutes.

This bill 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.

2.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.








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3.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.

4.  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.

  FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
Local:  No


  SUPPORT  :   (Verified  5/7/99)

California Municipal Utilities Association


NC:cm  5/10/99   Senate Floor Analyses 

               SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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