| Independently Powered Energy News

Assembly legislation curbing energy consultants’ work with cities seeking to provide electricity passed the Assembly Utilities & Commerce Committee May 4. Other legislation directs a study be conducted on the effectiveness of private utilities’ energy efficiency programs. After a municipality offers community choice aggregation, AB 976 by Assemblymember Isadore Hal (D-Compton) prohibits energy consultants from contracting with those entities. The California Coalition of Utility Employees, the bill sponsor, told the committee that it wants to ensure “consultants don’t have an agenda to feather their own nest.” CUE also is vigorously fighting a Senate bill strengthening community choice aggregators, SB 790. “This is another attempt by utilities to disparage and burden local efforts,” said Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael). Only one county in California, Marin, offers community choice aggregation. The Sierra Club is the main opponent of the bill. The club insists it would support the measure only if the same conflict-of-interest provisions apply to investor-owned utilities. The bill holds community aggregators “to a different standard than other load-serving entities,” said Jim Metropulos, Sierra Club lobbyist. Several lawmakers expressed reservations about the bill. Existing law already prohibits conflicts-of-interest, according to those members. “I see no need for this bill and reserve the right to recall it,” said Assemblymember Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood), panel chair. The committee chair, however, voted for the bill because May 6 is the deadline for moving bills out of chamber of origin policy committees. AB 976 passed 10-2, and heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Legislation by another lawmaker focuses on investor-owned utilities, specifically the effectiveness of ratepayers funding energy efficiency programs. AB 904 by Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (D-Oakland) directs the California Public Utilities Commission to study the effectiveness of the multi-billion dollar lighting, appliance, and home energy efficiency programs. “The more we improve energy efficiency and reduce use the more benefit to ratepayers,” Skinner told the committee. She noted that disputes have arisen over utilities’ efficiency programs and the rewards reaped by their shareholders. In the 2006-08 cycle, $2 billion was approved for the programs. Yet, benefits were below the costs, according to the author. In the next three-year cycle, the CPUC approved spending $3 billion on energy efficiency but the results, methodologies, and shareholder incentives were hotly contested. The Utility Reform Network lobbyist Lenny Goldberg said the bill attempts to redress the energy efficiency paradox of more efficient appliances being used for longer periods of time, negating hoped for energy savings. The bill faced no opposition, passing on 14-0 vote. The committee also passed the following: -Skinner’s AB 1214 seeks to speed up transmission that connects to renewable projects. The bill is sponsored by BrightSource, which has a large permitted solar thermal project in the Southern California desert. It passed 12-0 and goes to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. -AB 642 by Assemblymember Charles Calderon (D-City of Industry) promotes the development of algae based biofuels. The bill, passed 15-0, directs the State Lands Commission to lease state lands to private entrepreneurs developing algae-based fuel projects. Unlike state oil extraction that is untaxed the state can benefit financially from the leases, the author said. -AB 1302 by Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) requires private and public utilities to make public comprehensive maps of their distribution systems to optimize the use of distributed renewable projects. It passed 8 to 2. -Another Skinner bill diverts part of the annual $325 million for low-income efficiency funds to hot water heater and heating retrofits in subsidized permanent low-income multifamily dwellings of which there are 1,400. It faced considerable opposition for taking funds away from other low-income efficiency programs. AB 1124 won approval on an 11-2 vote.

No Result