Legislation at a Glance

CA Current

• Recurring Problem Forced Diablo Canyon Nuke Unit Offline October 21, 2020
  The untimely Oct. 15 shut down of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant’s Unit 2 is the second malfunction in a critical component of its electric generator, which was just rebuilt. In July, the same Pacific Gas & Electric unit was forced offline because then, as now, the cooling system that lowers the extreme heat inside […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• CPUC Judge Adds Ratepayer Protections to $337M SCE Bond October 21, 2020
  The California Public Utilities Commission pushes back against a controversial proposal by Southern California Edison to put its ratepayers on the hook for $337 million in new debt. The utility plans to raise the money from bondholders to cover its costs of hardening power equipment against fire threats, which will be fully repaid by SCE […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• “Super” CCA Collaboration for 500 MW of Long Duration Storage October 19, 2020
  Eight community choice aggregators are forming a procurement agency to jointly invest in much needed but neglected long duration energy storage. Leaders of the new Joint Powers Agency will issue a groundbreaking solicitation from their “super JPA“ that will pool the eight members’ resources and bid for up to 500 MW of long duration energy […]
  Herman Trabish
• The Buzz October 16, 2020
  The grid operator calls for conservation in the face of spiking temperatures along the Southern California Coast and in the northern part of the state. Peak demand is not the issue: the large Diablo nuclear power plant going offline and fire threats are. Federal energy regulators agree to allow carbon pricing into grid markets. But […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• News Roundup: Diablo Goes Down during Flex Alert October 16, 2020
  Updated Oct. 16 Temperatures at the Southern California coast and in parts of northern California are projected to be 15-25 degrees above normal and the state grid operator has called for residents and businesses to conserve electricity. Making matters worse is that the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant and its 2,200 megawatts of power went offline. […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Fed Regulators Make Way for Carbon Pricing in Wholesale Markets October 15, 2020
  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has opened the door a crack to allow state carbon pricing into wholesale markets, proposing a set of policy guidelines for grid operators. It was approved on a 2-1 vote cast Oct. 15. The California Independent System Operator has incorporated carbon pricing into its market since 2013, and the new proposal […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Energy Commission Approves $400M to Slash Vehicle Emissions October 14, 2020
  The California Energy Commission unanimously approved $384 million in funding for zero emissions vehicles over the next three years, significantly boosting its commitment to charging infrastructure. Much of the work will be carried out in struggling polluted communities. “This is a really an important moment for the state,” Commissioner Patty Monahan said during the agency’s […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• PG&E May Face Liability for New Fire, No Cal Customers Blacked Out October 14, 2020
  Updated Oct. 15 Pacific Gas & Electric’s equipment could have sparked the recent 56,000-acre wildfire in Shasta County that took the lives of four people and destroyed 204 buildings. The Shasta County District Attorney announced Oct. 12 that she and CalFire officials were analyzing whether PG&E was responsible for the Zogg Fire, which began on […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Lawmakers Told Grid Imbalances Can Be Solved by Next Summer October 13, 2020
  The California Assembly Utilities & Energy Committee Vice Chair Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) castigated the state’s three energy agencies at a Monday hearing, saying their joint report on rolling outages in August was essentially finger pointing and excuses. The heads of those agencies, the California Public Utilities Commission, grid operator and California Energy Commission, continued to […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• How High California Must Jump to Top Zero Emissions Bar October 13, 2020
  California can achieve a zero-emissions economy by 2045 with existing technologies, but only if the state adds a lot more solar, wind, and battery storage each year. It specifically requires that over the next 25 years, annual build outs of these resources exceed their single biggest growth year to date, according to a draft joint […]
  Herman Trabish