California Senate Bill SB1422 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 1422INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Glazer FEBRUARY 19, 2016 An act to amend Section 727.5 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to public utilities. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1422, as introduced, Glazer. Water corporations: rate regulation. Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission is vested with regulatory authority over public utilities and other specified entities, including water corporations. Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission, in establishing rates for water service, to establish separate charges for costs associated with customer service, facilities, and fixed and variable operating costs, as specified. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions. 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 727.5 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 727.5. (a)  In   The commission, in  establishing rates for water service,  the commission  shall consider, and may establish, separate charges for costs associated with customer service, facilities, variable operating costs, including fixed and variable costs associated with supplying the water, or other components of the water service provided to water users. (b) The commission shall consider, and may authorize, a water corporation to assess a fee for future water service, or a reservation charge for future water service, for persons or entities occupying or owning property within the service territory of the water corporation. (c) The commission shall consider, and may authorize, a water corporation to establish a balancing account, rate stabilization fund, or other contingency fund, the purpose of which shall be the long-term stabilization of water rates. (d) The commission shall consider, and may authorize, a water corporation to establish programs, including rate designs, for achieving conservation of water and recovering the cost of these programs through the rates. (e) In establishing rates for recovery of the costs of used and useful water plant, the commission may utilize a capital structure and payback methodology that shall maintain the reliability of water service, shall minimize the long-term cost to ratepayers, shall provide equity between present and future ratepayers, and shall afford the utility an opportunity to earn a reasonable return on its used and useful investment, to attract capital for investment on reasonable terms and to ensure the financial integrity of the utility.