Bill Text: CA AB2462 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 2462

Bill Title: Public Utilities Commission: written reports: energy.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-24 - In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file. [AB2462 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB2462-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly April 08, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2462

Introduced by Assembly Member Calderon

February 13, 2024

An act to amend ~~Sections 913 and~~ Section 913.1 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to energy.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2462, as amended, Calderon. Public Utilities Commission: written reports: energy.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. ~~Existing law requires the commission to annually prepare a written report on the costs of programs and activities conducted by certain electrical corporations and gas corporations.~~ Existing law requires the commission to annually prepare and submit to the Governor and Legislature a ~~separate~~ written report that contains the commission’s recommendations for actions that can be undertaken during the succeeding 12 months to limit utility cost and rate increases consistent with the state’s energy and environmental goals, including goals for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, and requires the commission, in preparing the ~~separate~~ report, to require certain electrical corporations and gas corporations to study and report on measures they recommend be undertaken to limit costs and rate increases.

This bill would require that the written report on the costs of programs and activities to also identify how the current rate trends affect households across their full portfolio of all energy uses, as provided, and how the adoption of electricity across more end-uses may reduce the total cost of energy for households over time. The bill would require the separate report to also consider how the adoption of electrification may impact total energy costs borne by consumers, as specified, and contain recommendations that may take longer than 12 months to implement, but could lead to substantial reductions in monthly ~~electric bills, and would~~ electricity bills. The bill would also expand the above-described goals to additionally include goals for encouraging beneficial electrification.

Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.

Because the above provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing certain of these requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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 Local Program: YES

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.Section 913 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:
913.
(a)The reporting requirements of this section apply to electrical corporations with at least 1,000,000 retail customers in California and gas corporations with at least 500,000 retail customers in California.
(b)The commission shall prepare a written report on the costs of programs and activities conducted by each electrical corporation and gas corporation that is subject to this section, including activities conducted to comply with their duty to serve. The report shall be completed on an annual basis before April 1 of each year, and shall identify, clearly and concisely, all of the following:
~~(1)Each program mandated by statute and its annual cost to ratepayers.~~
~~(2)Each program mandated by the commission and its annual cost to ratepayers.~~
~~(3)Energy purchase contract costs and bond-related costs incurred pursuant to Division 27 (commencing with Section 80000) of the Water Code.~~
~~(4)All other aggregated categories of costs currently recovered in retail rates as determined by the commission.~~
(5)How the current rate trends affect households across their full portfolio of all energy uses, such as gasoline in transportation and natural gas for heating, and how the adoption of electricity across more end-uses may reduce the total cost of energy for households over time.
~~(c)The report required by subdivision (b) shall be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature no later than April 1 of each year.~~
~~(d)The commission shall post the report required by subdivision (b) in a conspicuous area of its internet website.~~

SEC. 2.SECTION 1.

Section 913.1 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:

913.1.

(a) The commission, by May 1, 2010, and by each May 1 thereafter, shall prepare and submit a written report, separate from and in addition to the report required by Section 913, to the Governor and Legislature that considers how the adoption of electrification may impact total energy costs borne by consumers, including electricity, natural gas, and fuel for transportation, contains the commission’s recommendations for actions that can be undertaken during the succeeding 12 months to limit utility cost and rate increases, and contains recommendations that may take longer than 12 months to implement, but could lead to substantial reductions in monthly electricity bills, consistent with the state’s energy and environmental goals, including goals for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and encouraging beneficial electrification.

(b) In preparing the report required by subdivision (a), the commission shall require electrical corporations with 1,000,000 or more retail customers in California, and gas corporations with 500,000 or more retail customers in California, to study and report on measures the corporation recommends be undertaken to limit costs and rate increases.

SEC. 3.SEC. 2.

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B 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 XIII B of the California Constitution.