Bill Text: CA AB1214 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Electrical transmission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2012-06-26 - In committee: Set, second hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. [AB1214 Detail]
Download: California-2011-AB1214-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 1214 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 27, 2011
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 10, 2011
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 26, 2011
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 31, 2011
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Skinner
FEBRUARY 18, 2011
An act to add Section 1103 to the Public Utilities Code, relating
to electricity.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1214, as amended, Skinner. Electrical transmission.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has
regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical
corporations, as defined. The Public Utilities Act prohibits any
electrical corporation from beginning the construction of, among
other things, a line, plant, or system, or of any extension thereof,
without having first obtained from the CPUC a certificate that the
present or future public convenience and necessity require or will
require that construction (certificate of public convenience and
necessity). The existing California renewables portfolio
standard program (RPS program) establishes requirements for retail
sellers, as defined, and local publicly owned electric utilities, as
defined, to procure minimum quantities of eligible renewable energy
resources, as defined, for various compliance periods.
This bill would require the Independent System Operator (ISO) and
the CPUC to jointly evaluate all electrical transmission facilities
that have been identified in the ISO transmission process
that serve solar development areas ISO's most recently
approved transmission plan and determine which of those transmission
facilities are necessary or useful to interconnect eligible
renewable energy resources to facilitate achievement of the
procurement requirements established for retail sellers and local
publicly owned electric utilities pursuant to the RPS program .
The bill would require the CPUC and ISO, by March 31, 2012, to
publish a report identifying new and upgraded electrical
transmission facilities that serve solar development areas that can
potentially be placed in service by December 31, 2016, including an
analysis of any barriers to permitting, construction, or placement
into service of each facility by December 31, 2016, and the means to
eliminate or minimize the effects of those barriers
that includes a time frame for obtaining all governmental approvals
for, construction of, and placement into service of, each of the
transmission facilities determined to be necessary or useful to
interconnect eligible renewable energy resources pursuant to the bill'
s requirements . The bill would require the CPUC and the ISO to
coordinate the ISO's transmission planning process and
identification of needed transmission facilities with the CPUC's
issuance of certificates of public convenience and necessity for
transmission facilities.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 1103 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:
1103. (a) (1) In order to
maximize benefits to the state of the federal investment tax credit,
the Independent System Operator (ISO) and the commission shall
jointly evaluate do both of the following:
(1) Evaluate all electrical
transmission facilities, including new facilities or upgrades of
existing facilities, that have been identified in the ISO
transmission planning process as being facilities that serve solar
development areas, as indicated by interconnection requests by solar
facility project developers. ISO's most recently
approved transmission plan and determine which of those transmission
facilities are necessary or useful to interconnect eligible renewable
energy resources to facilitate achievement of the procurement
requirements established for retail sellers and local publicly owned
electric utilities pursuant to the California renewables portfolio
standard program (Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11) of
Chapter 2.3).
(2) By March 31, 2012, the ISO and the commission shall publish a
report identifying new and upgraded electrical transmission
facilities that serve solar development areas that can potentially be
placed in service by December 31, 2016. The commission shall consult
with transmission project developers in identifying the new and
upgraded electrical transmission facilities that serve solar
development areas. The report shall include a timeframe for obtaining
all governmental approvals for, construction of, and placement into
service of, each transmission project. The report shall include an
analysis of any barriers to permitting, construction, or placement
into service of each transmission facility by December 31, 2016, and
the means to eliminate or minimize the effects of those barriers.
(2) Publish a report by March 31, 2012, that includes a time frame
for obtaining all governmental approvals for, construction of, and
placement into service of, each of the transmission facilities
determined to be necessary or useful to interconnect eligible
renewable energy resources pursuant to paragraph (1). The report
shall also include an analysis of any barriers to permitting,
construction, or placement into service of each identified new or
upgraded transmission facility by December 31, 2016, and the means to
eliminate or minimize the effects of those barriers, including
temporary transmission solutions and regulatory changes to allow
additional eligible renewable energy resource projects to deliver its
electricity by December 31, 2016. The ISO and commission shall
consult with the relevant transmission project developers in
preparing the report. Nothing in this paragraph prohibits the
commission from incorporating the report into another report by the
commission to the Legislature that is required under other law.
(b) (1) The commission and
the ISO shall coordinate the ISO's transmission planning process and
identification of needed transmission facilities with the commission'
s issuance of certificates for transmission facilities pursuant to
this chapter. chapter by doing all of the
following:
(2) The commission and the ISO shall evaluate alternatives for
building or upgrading transmission facilities that may enhance
achievement of the objectives of the California renewables portfolio
standard program (Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11) of
Chapter 2.3) and the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006
(Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500) of the Health and
Safety Code).
(3) The ISO shall provide the commission with a formal assessment
of the new or upgraded transmission facilities needed within its
balancing authority area for each alternative identified pursuant to
paragraph (2).
(1) The commission shall annually provide the ISO one or more
resource scenarios consistent with the planning horizon of the ISO's
transmission planning process. The resource scenarios shall be
consistent with achievement of the procurement requirements
established for retail sellers and local publicly owned electric
utilities pursuant to the California renewables portfolio standard
program (Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11) of Chapter 2.3).
(2) As part of its transmission planning process, the ISO shall
identify any new or upgraded transmission facilities needed under the
commission's resource scenarios and identify transmission
alternatives to those new or upgraded transmission facilities
considered by the ISO. The ISO and the commission shall cooperate in
identifying transmission alternatives pursuant to this paragraph.
(4)
(3) The commission shall give substantial weight to
applications for certificates for transmission facilities that are
consistent with the ISO's final approved transmission plan
if the plan considers the alternatives identified pursuant to
paragraph (2). identified by the ISO's transmission
planning process pursuant to paragraph (2).
