Bill Text: CA SB1006 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Electricity: transmission capacity: reconductoring and grid-enhancing technologies.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-22 - Set for hearing April 29. [SB1006 Detail]
Download: California-2023-SB1006-Amended.html
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Amended
IN
Senate
April 17, 2024 |
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Amended
IN
Senate
March 18, 2024 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 1006
| Introduced by Senator Padilla |
February 01, 2024 |
An act to add Section 454.58 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1006, as amended, Padilla.
Electricity: transmission capacity: reconductoring and grid-enhancing technologies.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with jurisdiction over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law establishes the policy of the state that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 90% of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2035, 95% of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2040, 100% of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2045, and 100% of electricity procured to serve all state agencies by December 31, 2035. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act is a crime.
This bill would require transmission utilities, as defined, on or before January 1, 2026, to jointly prepare a grid-enhancing technologies strategic plan that is designed to
to, among other things, cost-effectively increase transmission capacity and increase capacity to connect new renewable energy and zero-carbon resources, among other things. resources. The bill would require each transmission utility, on or before January 1, 2026, and at least every 4 years thereafter, to complete an evaluation of which of its transmission and distribution lines can be reconductored with advanced conductors in a cost-effective manner to, among other things, increase transmission or distribution capacity and increase capacity to connect new renewable energy and zero-carbon resources. The bill would, upon completion of the plan and the evaluation, require the transmission utilities to submit the plan and evaluation to the commission and to make the plan and evaluation
publicly available. The bill would authorize the commission to redact portions of the plan and evaluation if the redaction is necessary to protect system security. The bill would require the plan and evaluation to include a timeline for implementation, as specified. The bill would require each transmission utility to report the progress in implementing the plan in its integrated resource plan.
Because the above-described requirements would be a part of the act, a violation of which would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
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.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 454.58 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:454.58.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(1) California must dramatically increase the capacity of its electrical transmission and distribution systems to meet the goals of Section 454.53 and to decarbonize its economy.
(2) The increase in transmission and distribution capacity must be done rapidly and cost-effectively.
(3) California transmission utilities and the Independent System Operator are not
may not be fully using available technology that can quickly and cost-effectively increase transmission capacity.
(4) Reconductoring existing transmission lines with advanced conductors and installing grid-enhancing technologies, such as advanced power flow control systems, dynamic line rating systems, and topology optimization software, can quickly and cost-effectively increase transmission capacity.
(5) The benefits of these technologies include lower electricity rates, less wildfire risk, increased reliability, less transmission line congestion, less curtailment of renewable generation resources, and increased capacity to interconnect new renewable generation, storage, and other zero-carbon resources.
(6) Grid-enhancing technologies are usually very low cost hardware and software items that can pay for themselves very quickly.
(7) Reconductoring existing transmission lines with advanced conductors in existing rights-of-way can be accomplished at a fraction of the cost of building new transmission lines and are therefore often quite cost-effective. cost effective.
(8) Grid-enhancing technologies can be deployed within months and reconductoring with advanced conductors can be accomplished within one or two
years. Other types of transmission capacity increases can take many years.
(b) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Grid-enhancing technologies” means hardware and software that dynamically increases the capacity of electrical lines and improves the efficiency, reliability, and safety of the grid. Grid-enhancing technologies include, but are not limited to, dynamic line rating systems, advanced power flow control systems, and topology optimization software.
(2) “Reconductored with advanced conductors” means replacing the existing electric conductor with a conductor that has a direct current electrical resistance at least 10 percent lower than existing conductors of a similar diameter on the
system and may include rebuilding support structures or other associated facilities.
(3) “Transmission utilities” means electrical corporations that are participating transmission owners that have turned over operation of their transmission systems to the Independent System Operator.
(c) (1) On or before January 1, 2026, the transmission utilities shall jointly prepare a grid-enhancing technologies strategic plan. The transmission utilities shall request the Independent System Operator to participate in preparing the plan.
(2) Upon completion of the plan, the transmission utilities shall submit the plan to the commission and make the plan publicly available. The commission may authorize portions of the plan to be redacted if necessary to protect system security.
(3) The plan shall include a timeline for implementation. As part of each subsequent integrated resource plan filed by the transmission utilities pursuant to Section 454.52, each transmission utility shall report its progress in implementing the plan.
(4) The plan shall be designed to achieve all of the following that are cost-effective: cost effective:
(A) Increase transmission capacity.
(B) Reduce transmission system congestion.
(C) Reduce curtailment of renewable and zero-carbon resources.
(D) Increase reliability.
(E) Reduce the risk of igniting wildfire. wildfire, by means of investments that are consistent with the transmission utility’s approved wildfire mitigation plan.
(F) Increase capacity to connect new renewable energy and zero-carbon resources.
(d) (1) Beginning January 1, 2026, and at least every four years thereafter, each transmission utility shall complete an evaluation of which of its
transmission and distribution lines can be reconductored with advanced conductors in a cost-effective manner. Each transmission utility shall request that the Independent System Operator participate in evaluating the transmission lines.
(2) The evaluation shall include a timeline for implementing distribution projects and self-approved transmission projects, and shall include a plan for proposing to the Independent System Operator projects for approval where that approval is required.
(3) The evaluation shall identify electrical lines where reconductoring with advanced conductors can cost-effectively achieve one or more of the following:
(A) Increase transmission or distribution capacity.
(B) Reduce transmission or distribution system congestion.
(C) Reduce curtailment of renewable and zero-carbon resources.
(D) Increase reliability.
(E) Reduce the risk of igniting wildfire. wildfire, where the investment is consistent with the transmission utility’s approved wildfire mitigation plan.
(F) Increase capacity to connect new renewable energy and
zero-carbon resources.
(G) Reduce line losses.
(H) Increase the ability to quickly energize new customers or serve increased customer load.
(4) Upon completion of the evaluation, each transmission utility shall submit the evaluation to the commission and make it publicly available. The commission may authorize portions of the evaluation to be redacted if necessary to protect system security.
(e) The commission shall request the Independent System Operator to consider the results of the plan prepared pursuant to subdivision (c) and each evaluation prepared pursuant to subdivision
(d) as part of its transmission planning process for economic, reliability, and policy analysis.
The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1 of this act, which adds Section 454.58 of the Public Utilities Code, imposes a limitation on the public’s right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies within the meaning of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution. Pursuant to that constitutional provision, the Legislature makes the following findings to demonstrate the interest protected by this limitation and the need for protecting that interest:
To ensure system security of the electrical transmission and distribution systems, it is in the interest of the state to prevent the public
disclosure of information that may compromise the system security of those systems.
