BILL NUMBER: AB 238INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Adams FEBRUARY 6, 2009 An act to amend Section 399.11 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to energy. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 238, as introduced, Adams. Renewable energy resources. Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as defined. The Public Utilities Act imposes various duties and responsibilities on the commission with respect to the purchase of electricity and requires the commission to review and adopt a procurement plan and a renewable energy procurement plan for each electrical corporation pursuant to the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program. The renewables portfolio standard program requires that a retail seller of electricity purchase a specified minimum percentage of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, in any given year as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to retail end-use customers each calendar year. Existing law includes legislative findings and declarations relative to the program that include a declaration that new and modified electric transmission facilities may be necessary to facilitate the state achieving its renewables portfolio standard targets. This bill would revise the legislative findings and declarations to declare that new and modified electric transmission facilities, including the employment of smart grid technologies, may be necessary to facilitate the state achieving its energy efficiency goals and renewables portfolio standard targets. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 399.11 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 399.11. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) In order to attain a target of generating 20 percent of total retail sales of electricity in California from eligible renewable energy resources by December 31, 2010, and for the purposes of increasing the diversity, reliability, public health , and environmental benefits of the energy mix, it is the intent of the Legislature that the commission and the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission implement the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program described in this article. (b) Increasing California's reliance on eligible renewable energy resources may promote stable electricity prices, protect public health, improve environmental quality, stimulate sustainable economic development, create new employment opportunities, and reduce reliance on imported fuels. (c) The development of eligible renewable energy resources and the delivery of the electricity generated by those resources to customers in California may ameliorate air quality problems throughout the state and improve public health by reducing the burning of fossil fuels and the associated environmental impacts and by reducing in-state fossil fuel consumption. (d) The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program is intended to complement the Renewable Energy Resources Program administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and established pursuant to Chapter 8.6 (commencing with Section 25740) of Division 15 of the Public Resources Code. (e) New and modified electric transmission facilities , including the employment of smart grid technologies, may be necessary to facilitate the state achieving its energy efficiency goals and renewables portfolio standard targets.