Electricity: customer generators: departing load charges., the official text

An act to add and repeal Section 25619.1 of the Public Resources Code, relating to electricity.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to develop and coordinate a program of research and development in energy supply, consumption, and conservation and the technology of siting facilities, and to give priority to those forms of research and development that are of particular importance to the state, as specified.
This bill would require the commission, until December 31, 2031, to study and design a new system for allowing electrical customers of electrical corporations, community choice aggregators, local publicly owned electric utilities, and electrical cooperatives to generate their own electricity on their commercial or residential sites. The bill would require the commission, in designing the new system, to ensure all electrical customers are treated fairly, increase transparency in the calculation and application of departing load charges, promote the development and integration of renewable energy sources, support the state’s clean energy goals, consider the benefits of customer-generated energy, and provide a mechanism for stakeholder input, as provided. The bill would require the commission, on or before December 31, 2027, to submit a report to the Legislature detailing the proposed new process for departing load charges and any recommendations for legislative action.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
Section 25619.1 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:
25619.1.
(a) For purposes of this section, all of the following definitions apply:
(1) “Electrical customer” means a customer of an electrical utility.
(2) “Electrical utility” means all of the following:
(A) An electrical corporation, as defined in Section 218 of the Public Utilities Code.
(B) A community choice aggregator, as described in Section 366.2 of the Public Utilities Code.
(C) A local publicly owned electric utility, as defined in Section 224.3 of the Public Utilities Code.
(D) An electrical cooperative, as defined in Section 2776 of the Public Utilities Code.
(b) The commission shall study and design a new system for allowing an electrical customer to generate their own electricity on their commercial or residential site. In designing the new system, the commission shall do all of the following:
(1) Ensure that all electrical customers are treated fairly.
(2) Increase transparency in the calculation and application of departing load charges, making it easier for electrical customers to understand how these charges are determined.
(3) Promote the development and integration of renewable energy resources and support the clean energy goals of the state.
(4) Consider the benefits of energy generated by electrical customers, including the ability of electrical utilities to avoid the cost of building new generation and transmission and the cost of purchasing additional electricity.
(5) Provide a mechanism for stakeholder input, including from representatives from electrical utilities, consumer advocacy groups, and other interested parties.
(c) The commission shall submit a report to the Legislature, on or before December 31, 2027, detailing the proposed new process for departing load charges and any recommendations for legislative action.
(d) (1) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (c) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(2) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section is repealed on December 31, 2031.