Bill Text: CA AB740 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Electricity: microgrids.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-07-02 - Re-referred to Com. on E., U. & C. [AB740 Detail]
Download: California-2019-AB740-Amended.html
Amended
IN
Senate
June 30, 2020 |
Amended
IN
Senate
July 02, 2019 |
Amended
IN
Senate
June 18, 2019 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
May 28, 2019 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
May 20, 2019 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 12, 2019 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 01, 2019 |
Introduced by Assembly Member Burke |
February 19, 2019 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
Under existing law, the California FAIR Plan Association is a joint reinsurance association formed by state insurers licensed to write and engaged in writing basic property insurance within this state to assist persons in securing basic property insurance and to formulate and administer a program and FAIR Plan for the equitable apportionment among insurers of basic property insurance. Existing law requires each insurer to participate in the writings, expenses, and profits and losses of the association in the proportion that its premiums written bear to the aggregate premiums written by all insurers in the program, as specified, but requires the plan to provide for a method for insurers who voluntarily write basic property insurance on risks located in areas designated as brush hazard areas to be
proportionately relieved of the liability to participate in the plan.
This bill would add to the insurers that are proportionately relieved of the liability to participate in the FAIR Plan those voluntarily writing basic property insurance on risks in high or very high fire hazard severity zones, as determined and mapped by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The bill would also revise the similar provision relating to areas designated as brush hazard areas by making it specifically applicable to areas so designated at the time coverage begins.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Digest Key
Vote:Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 8371.1 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:8371.1.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the commission shall ensure that the standards developed to facilitate the commercialization of microgrids pursuant to Section 8371 do not impose a size cap on a microgrid project that has both of the following characteristics:SEC. 2.
Section 8372 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:8372.
(a) Within 180 days of the first request from a customer or developer to establish a microgrid, the governing board of a local publicly owned electric utility shall develop and make available a standardized process for the interconnection of a customer-supported microgrid, including separate electrical rates and tariffs, as necessary. The separate rates and tariffs shall not compensate a customer for the use of diesel backup or natural gas generation, except as either of those sources is used pursuant to Section 41514.1 of the Health and Safety Code, or except for natural gas generation that is a distributed energy resource.Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of Section 10095, the facility shall, pursuant to regulations adopted by the commissioner, provide for a method whereby insurers who voluntarily write basic property insurance on risks located in areas designated at the time coverage begins as brush hazard areas by the Insurance Services Office (ISO) or designated as high fire hazard severity zones as determined and mapped by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or very high fire hazard severity zones as determined and mapped by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection pursuant to Section 51178 of the Government Code
will, to that extent, be proportionately relieved of the liability to participate in a plan adopted pursuant to this chapter. Furthermore, notwithstanding subdivision (c) of Section 10095, the facility shall, pursuant to regulations adopted by the commissioner, provide for a method whereby insurers who voluntarily write basic property insurance or business owners package insurance on risks located in areas designated as inner-city areas by the commissioner will, to that extent, be proportionately relieved of the liability to participate in a plan adopted pursuant to this chapter. This chapter does not preclude adoption of a plan or plans to allow proportionate credit for voluntary writings in other areas or for other classes of insurance.
This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
In order to provide assistance as soon as possible to homeowners in high and very high fire hazard severity zones who are having difficulty obtaining insurance, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.