Governor Vetoes EOB Bill, Signs Others

Senator Debra Bowen?s (D-Redondo Beach) bill abolishing the Electricity Oversight Board was vetoed by the governor September 22. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger deferred changing the board?s authority in light of the administration?s current efforts to revamp many energy agencies under the California Performance Review. ?As proposed, this bill would complicate and compromise the administration?s ability to integrate the state?s fragmented energy functions and implement a comprehensive energy policy,? wrote Schwarzenegger. However, he noted that he ?concurs with the singular intent to abolish a non-essential board.? Bills signed include: AB 1684: Mark Leno?s (D-San Francisco) bill establishes that distributed generation run on nonrenewable fuel must meet certain NOx emissions in order to be eligible for California Public Utilities Commission incentives. AB 2509: This bill by Alan Nakanishi (R-Lodi) defines the legal standing of a microutility?one with fewer than 200,000 customers. SB 1201: By Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch), this bill allows the Bay Area Rapid Transit District a special exemption in order to get electricity from publicly owned utilities?not just PG&E?in order to reduce costs. SB 1488: Spurred by complaints about the CPUC?s reliance on confidential meetings, reports, and hearings, Bowen?s bill requires the commission to initiate proceedings to examine its secrecy practices ?to provide for meaningful public participation and open decision making.? SB 1565: This Bowen bill requires the California Energy Commission to adopt a strategic plan for the transmission grid and include it in the commission?s integrated energy policy report. SB 1891: Multiunit structures will not have to have separate individual gas meters if the majority of energy used for water or space heating is through solar or cogeneration. The bill, by the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications, also adds technical cleanup language. At press time, the governor had yet to signal a veto on Southern California Edison?s reregulation bill, AB 2006, authored by Fabian N??ez (D-Los Angeles). Earlier this week, The Utility Reform Network called a press conference alleging the governor is listening only to big business interests on the bill?shutting out consumer groups. Lenny Goldberg, TURN lobbyist, said the minute the governor vetoes the bill, the group will let him know, ?We?ll be back.? The fate of SB 1478 by Byron Sher (D-Palo Alto) as of press time was unknown, with some saying it is headed for a veto. The bill would accelerate the renewables portfolio standard to 2010 and would provide for what some call too-limited green tag trading.

Over 11K Stories!

| Independently Powered Energy News

Governor Vetoes EOB Bill, Signs Others

vdharadmin

Related Posts

Op-Ed: Before and After Net Energy Metering 3, A Thought Experiment

Auld Lang Zine

CPUC Chops Solar Rooftop Payments & Adds Battery Incentives, Few are Happy

Ferguson?s Forecast