California Assembly Bill AB2271 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2271AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 13, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 17, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Quirk FEBRUARY 18, 2016 An act to add Section 713 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2271, as amended, Quirk. Electricity: research programs: peer review. Existing law provides the Public Utilities Commission with broad authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires the commission to convene, or continue, until August 26, 2025, an independent peer review panel to conduct an independent review of enhanced seismic studies and surveys of a certain nuclear powerplant. This bill would require the commission to establish a procedure for an independent peer review of certain research programs proposed by an electrical corporation for approval by the commission. The bill would require the independent peer review of a proposed research program to be conducted upon the commission's receipt of the proposed program. The bill would require the commission to make available to the public on its Internet Web site the results of the review upon approval of the program. 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 713 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read: 713. (a) For purposes of this section, "research programs" means programs for the development of novel and innovative processes that are proposed by electrical corporations for approval by the commission and that would be funded through the rates of ratepayers of the electrical corporations. Research programs do not include programs that are funded pursuant to the Public Interest Energy Research, Demonstration, and Development Program (Chapter 7.1 (commencing with Section 25620) of Division 15 of the Public Resources Code) or the Electric Program Investment Charge program developed pursuant to Section 25711.5 of the Public Resources Code. (b) The commission shall establish a procedure for  the  independent peer review of  research programs   a research program  proposed by an electrical  corporation.   corporation, to be followed if the research program will cost fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) or more.  The independent peer review shall be conducted in accordance with the procedure upon the commission's receipt of  a   the  proposed research program. (c) The commission shall make available to the public on its Internet Web site the results of the review upon the approval of the research program.