Piles of Energy Bills Head to Other House

California renewable energy, climate change and clean technology bills passed their house of origin and head to hearings this month in committees in their sister legislative body. Legislation requiring greenhouse gas assessments of alternative fuels from cradle to grave to factor in the land use impacts of the underlying feedstock will be reheard by the Senate Appropriations Committee. AB 109 by former Assembly speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) also orders the California Energy Commission to develop an alternative fuels investment plan. Passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee on a 5-2 vote June 2, it will be taken up again by the panel after the measure is amended to require the alternative fuels life-cycle analysis to also include impacts to species and water and air quality. Assemblymember Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo) authored a bill to require that utility bills make clear rate changes. The Assembly passed AB 1763 on a 75-0 vote. It is up for hearing June 17 hearing in the Senate Energy Utilities & Commerce Committee. AB 1755, passed by the Assembly on a 78-0 vote, limits to five years the amount of time utilities can hold land bought to accommodate transmission lines but left undeveloped. By Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes (D-San Fernando), the bill passed on a 78-0 vote. It will be heard June 17 by the Senate energy panel. Greenhouse gas emission credits must be subject to third party verification under AB 1851. By Assemblymember Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara), the measure seeks to address the lack of consistency in credit offset verifications, and widely varying amount of global warming gases actually reduced. It passed the Assembly on a 47-32 vote, and is set for a June 19 Senate energy panel hearing. AB 1920 expands net metering for solar and wind projects, requiring utilities to credit the system owner annually for energy sent back to grid. The Assembly approved the measure by Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) on a 46-27 vote. The president of the California Public Utilities Commission’s authority is weakened to increase accountability by AB 1973. Authored by Assemblymember Ira Ruskin (D-Redwood City), it requires the governor’s appointment to the presidency of the CPUC to be quickly backed by the Senate. Currently, all CPUC members must be confirmed within one year of their appointment. The bill also requires the whole commission, and not just its president, to direct the executive director and staff. It is expected to be heard in the Senate energy committee June 17. The Assembly passed it on a 43-31 vote. The Energy Commission is required to develop standards for “zero net energy” residences by 2020, under AB 2112 by Assemblymember Lori Saldana (D-San Diego). It will be heard by the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee June 17. It won a 42-34 vote on the Assembly Floor. Voters this November would decide whether to approve a $2 billion bond measure to fund alternative energy development, energy efficiency, and conservation in low income communities, state facilities, and public schools under another Saldana bill, AB 2003. The bill is moving through Assembly committees. A bill by Assemblymember Lois Wolk (D-Davis) requires the Department of Water Resources to include climate change analysis in their reports and state-wide water plans. AB 2501 also mandates that DWR study the greenhouse gas impacts of water supply developments. It passed the Assembly Floor on a 46-31 vote. Requirements for residential energy audits at the time of a sale would be developed by the California Energy Commission under AB 2678. The bill by Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) passed the Assembly on a 44-33 vote May 28. A bill by Assembly Utilities & Commerce Committee chair Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys) removes time-of-use rates for solar projects subsidized by the $3.3 billion Million Solar Roofs--or Go Solar program. AB 2768 passed the Assembly 68-8, and is set for a hearing in the Senate Energy Utilities & Commerce Committee June 17. A bill authorizes pay as you drive insurance, which aims to curb emissions from drivers. Assemblymember Jared Huffman’s (D-San Rafael) AB 2863 complements action being taken by the Department of Insurance (see story on page 9). It is set for a hearing in the Senate Banking and Finance Committee June 19. AB 2883 by Assemblymember Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) seeks to increase solar power installations by freeing commercial companies that install and operate sun power systems from California Public Utilities Commission regulation. It passed the Assembly on a 76-0 vote and is scheduled for a June 16 hearing in the Senate energy committee. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is exempted from state environmental impact reviews when it signs power purchase deals for solar energy. The goal of AB 2988 by Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) is to facilitate muni solar deals by putting off environmental reviews until project details are nailed down. The Assembly approved it on a 47-1 vote last month, and sent it to the Senate Environmental Committee. Legislation to diffuse tensions between home owners with solar panels and neighbors with shade trees passed the Senate on a 38-0 vote. SB 1399 by Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) prohibits the cutting down of trees that predate the rooftop solar system and enactment of the Million Solar Roofs program. It will be heard June 16 in the Assembly Utilities & Commerce Committee. SB 1672 aims to create a $2.25 billion bond and revolving fund measure for the 2010 ballot to finance green technology training and jobs in schools and the commercial sector. The bill, by Senator Darrel Steinberg (D-Sacramento) seeks to curb the state’s high school dropout rate and create a skilled clean energy workforce. It sets aside at least 15 percent of the funds for “severely disadvantaged” communities. SB 1672 passed the Senate on a 27-11 vote May 29. It is set to be before the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on June 23. The size of renewable systems eligible for feed-in tariffs with Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison is expanded from 1.5 MW to 4 MW under SB 1714. By Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-Chino), the bill seeks to promote large scale solar projects in her sunny district. The Senate passed the bill on a 25-15 vote. Senate energy committee chair Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) calls on the CPUC to refocus and promote electric and low emission cars. SB 1737 passed the Senate on a 38-0 vote, and is slated for a June 16 hearing in the Assembly Utilities & Commerce Committee. A bill, SB 1760, expected to be used as a corollary to federal climate change legislation, was overhauled after the federal climate change legislation was filibustered. The measure by Senator pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) now creates a team to coordinate and develop the state’s global warming policy. It establishes a Climate Action Team, which is directed to also develop a research and development plan by 2010 on how to protect and adapt to climate change impacts. It also aims to promote green jobs and specifies that state agency missions must include climate change responses. SB 1760 passed the Senate floor on a 26-13 at the end of last month. Perata seeks to create standards for truth in greenhouse gas trading advertising in other legislation. There are no guidelines, regulations or oversight to ensure greenhouse gas credit trading claims are valid. SB 1762 attempts to remedy that void. It passed the Senate Floor on a 31-7 vote May 27.

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Piles of Energy Bills Head to Other House

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