| Independently Powered Energy News

Updated Sept. 11

Fewer energy bills passed in the 2020 California legislative session than in any in the last two decades plus. The pandemic, shelter at home, and resulting focus on budget difficulties largely are responsible for the dramatic fall in energy measures making it to the governor’s desk.

“It was pretty much a bust,” Woody Hastings, the Climate Protection Center energy program manager, said.

Covid-19 not only forced the legislature to leave Sacramento, but subsequent infections caused lawmakers to return home after reconvening.

Among the legislation that awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature is one bill that creates grants for clean energy upgrades at schools. Another measure allows the utilities to spread out the costs to ratepayers of a fall in income from decreased commercial and industrial energy consumption. Other approved bills that made it over the final legislative hurdle before the session ended Aug. 31 expand the category of eligible biomethane technologies and create a committee to delve into the potential for creating a lithium industry in the Salton Sea region.

Both the Assembly and Senate Aug. 31 passed AB 841, by Asssemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), which directs the California Energy Commission to provide grants to schools to upgrade heating and cooling systems and increase the efficiency of other electric and water systems. The money is to come from unspent private utility energy efficiency funds, estimated at $800 million. The bill also mandates that the California Public Utilities Commission approve San Diego Gas & Electric’s EV infrastructure charging program by March 1. It proposes installing 2,000 chargers at workplaces and apartments over two years.

At the end of last month, the CPUC approved Southern California Edison charging ratepayers $436 million for about 40,000 light duty EV ports over the next four years. It is the largest approved utility charging program in the country.

Heading to the governor is AB 913 by Assemblymember Ian Calderon (D-Whittier), which allows the utilities to cover over time the costs of lost income from shelter-in-place and drop in business energy use. It authorizes utilities to issue bonds and pay them back over time/securitize them with ratepayer income.

Also approved was AB 1657 by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Imperial Valley) that seeks to spur the recovery of lithium from geothermal brine in the Salton Sea. It creates a Blue-Ribbon Committee at the California Energy Commission to issue a report by March 1 on the potential costs and benefits of extracting lithium from this mineral rich area.

Demand for battery-grade lithium for energy storage and electric vehicles is expected to grow tenfold over the next decade. Garcia’s bill also passed the legislature Aug. 31.

Also awaiting the governor’s signature is AB 3163 by Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) that allows biomethane captured from forest and agricultural waste to qualify as a renewable gas that can be sent through utility pipelines.

Another bill limits the access of immigration officials to utility customer data, particularly in the San Diego area. AB 2788 by Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) requires Immigration and Custom Enforcement to obtain subpoenas before they may gain access to customer utility records.

Most bills, however, died before reaching the legislative floors, including one setting an intent to create a California Green New Deal under AB 1839 by Rob Bonta (D-Oakland).

Another would have added $3 billion to utility ratepayers’ tab for wildfire reduction efforts by continuing an existing charge to 2051. The money under AB 1659, by Assemblymember Richard Bloom (D-Los Angeles) and other Democrats, would have been in addition to the $21 billion legislatively created wildfire fund--paid by ratepayers and shareholders-- that private utilities can tap into to reduce fire claims.

Another bill that did not make the cut was SB 1215 by Sen. Henry Stern (D-Calabasas). It would have mandated utilities work with local governments to identify critical circuits and microgrid projects in their territories.