ASSEMBLY MEASURES
AB 71 (Cunneen) -- As Enacted, 07/14/99
Requires, commencing on July 1, 2000,
the Department of Transportation to extend the use of high-occupancy vehicle
(HOV) lanes or access ramps to inherently low-emission vehicles (ILEVs),
regardless of vehicle occupancy or ownership, until December 31, 2003.
Commencing on January 1, 2004, this authorization will only apply to super
ultra-low emission vehicles (SULEVs) until December 31, 2007. Owners of these
types of vehicles will be required to purchase distinctive decals, labels, or
other identifiers to distinguish them from other vehicles for the purpose of
enforcing HOV lane or ramp use. In addition, this measure will authorize the
Governor to remove individual HOV lanes or portions of HOV lanes from
low-emission vehicle access during periods of peak congestion under specified
conditions.
Status: Chaptered - No. 330
AB 470 (Wildman) -- Last Amended, 09/01/99
Would have authorized school
districts to enter into design-build contracts for their school construction
projects. The bill would have also required the Superintendent of Public
Instruction, in consultation with the Energy Commission, Department of General
Services (DGS), school district and industry representatives, to develop a school
district owner's checklist for design-build projects. The checklist would have
been required to be developed by June 30, 2000. Further, this bill would have
required each agency granted design-build authority to provide a specified report
on design-build projects (completed on or after December 31, 1996) to the Joint
Legislative Audit Committee before December 31, 2001. Finally, this measure
would have prohibited the withholding of contract retention proceeds by school
districts and would instead authorize the withholding of subcontractor retention
proceeds in the design-build process. AB 470 would have sunset on January 1,
2005.
Status: Vetoed by Governor
AB 811 (Keeley) -- As Enacted, 08/25/99
Requires the California Public Utilities
Commission to establish a Power Exchange credit based on actual energy usage.
Status: Chaptered - No. 408
AB 995 (Wright) -- Last Amended, 04/14/99
Would require the Independent System
Operator (ISO) to coordinate with transmission owners to implement policies
regarding the reliability and operation of the transmission grid.
Status: Pending in Senate Energy Committee
AB 1002 (Wright) -- Last Amended, 08/17/99
Would require the California Public
Utilities Commission to establish a surcharge on natural gas usage to fund
low-income assistance programs, public interest research and cost-effective
energy efficiency and conservation activities. Two categories of exceptions to
this surcharge are included: (1) those customers that use natural gas to generate
electricity for sale, gas used in cogeneration facilities to generate
electricity, and gas sold for resale to customers, and (2) districts or
municipalities operating their own public purpose programs, if approved by the
CPUC. In addition, the bill would modify the residual load service (RLS) tariff.
Status: Pending in Senate Energy Committee
AB 1105 (Jackson) -- As Enacted, 06/15/99
Requires the Energy Commission to
prepare two legislative reports: (1) a transition plan for the transfer of the
public goods energy efficiency programs from the Public Utilities Commission to
the Energy Commission and (2) an operational plan that recommends a
post-transition administrative structure for the programs.
Status: Chaptered - No. 67
AB 1393 (Wright) -- As Enacted, 09/03/99
Provides for the continuation of energy
efficiency programs targeted to low-income gas and electricity customers. The
programs will be administered by the state's investor-owned utilities.
Status: Chaptered - No. 700
AB 1421 (Wright) -- As Enacted, 08/18/99
Requires gas corporations to provide
bundled gas service unless a customer chooses to purchase gas from another
entity. Only when a customer purchases natural gas from another provider could
basic services be obtained from anyone other than the utility. The measure also
requires that the distribution rate for gas service will continue to include
after-meter services.
Status: Chaptered - No. 909
AB 1551 (Pescetti) -- As Enacted, 09/02/99
Authorizes applicant school districts
to certify that an energy audit was completed when submitting final drawings to
the State Architect. The audit will be required to demonstrate that the building
as designed would exceed minimum building efficiency standards. The bill will
allow the costs of these audits and money received from the Public Goods Charge
programs, to qualify as part of a district's matching fund requirements under the
School Facilities Program. In addition, AB 1551 extends the sunset date to
January 1, 2005, for revenue bond authority for the State Public Works Board
(SPWB) to finance energy and conservation projects at State-owned sites.
Further, the measure clarifies that the total amount of revenue bonds issued by
the SPWB may not exceed a total amount of $500,000,000.
Status: Chaptered Ð
No. 981
AB 1571 (Villaraigosa) -- As Enacted, 09/02/99 -- Urgency
Creates the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program and
Trust Fund, which provides incentives for the replacement or retrofit of
heavy-duty diesel engines with lower emission models. The Energy Commission is
responsible for implementing infrastructure demonstration and development, and
advanced technology research and development programs. The bill also requires
that all funds be encumbered prior to January 1, 2002. In addition, this measure
establishes an advisory board to assess the implementation of the program.
Finally, this bill requires the California Air Resources Board (CARB), in
cooperation with participating districts, to provide a report to: (1) the
Legislature on the program's status by March 1, 2001, and annually thereafter
through 2003 and (2) the Governor, Legislature, and the advisory board on the
program's implementation of the diesel emissions incentives program funded under
the State Budget Act of 1998, by January 15, 2000.
Status: Chaptered - No. 923
AB 1626 (Migden) -- Last Amended, 06/15/99
Would alter the California Building
Standards Commission's criteria for approving proposed building standards.
Status: Pending in Senate Housing Committee
AB 1663 (Utilities and Commerce Committee) -- Last Amended, 08/17/99
Would have
extended the sunset dates of both the Energy Conservation Assistance Account
(ECAA) and the Local Jurisdiction Account (LJA) to the year 2011, would have made
several technical changes to improve consistency between the accounts, and would
have addressed issues raised by the recent restructuring of the electricity
industry. In addition, AB 1663 would have extended the sunset date to January 1,
2005, for revenue bond authority for the State Public Works Board (SPWB) to
finance energy and conservation projects at State-owned sites. Further, the
measure would have clarified that the total amount of revenue bonds issued by the
SPWB may not exceed a total amount of $500,000,000.
Status: Vetoed by Governor
ACR 48 (Battin) -- Last Amended, 07/15/99
Would request the California Air
Resources Board (CARB), in conjunction, with the Energy Commission, to report to
the Legislature the costs and benefits of requiring Californians to use only
California reformulated gasoline, on or before January 1, 2000.
Status: Pending in the Assembly
SENATE MEASURES
SB 96 (Peace) -- As Enacted, 06/14/99
Revises provisions relating to the
governing structures of the Independent System Operator and the Power Exchange,
and the duties of the Electricity Oversight Board.
Status: Chaptered - No. 510
SB 98 (Alarcon) -- As Enacted, 04/14/99 -- Urgency
Extends the imposition of a $1 vehicle license fee (VLF) surcharge on motor
vehicle registration in the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD)
to January 1, 2005. The fee supports the District's clean fuels program. In
addition, the bill requires SCAQMD to establish an Office of Technology
Advancement to administer the clean-burning fuels program and to establish an
advisory group to make recommendations regarding the program, technology
advancement and pollution reduction; and submit a detailed report to the
Legislative Analyst and certain legislative committees regarding the program.
Status: Chaptered - No. 36
SB 110 (Peace) -- As Enacted, 08/26/99f
Eliminates reference to the integrated
assessment of need (IAN) from the Energy Commission's Electricity Report and the
requirement that proposed powerplants and transmission lines must be in
conformance with the IAN as a basis for certification. The bill also extends the
exemption from the notice of intention (NOI) process to all natural gas-fired
powerplants. In addition, the bill requires the Energy Commission to report to
the Governor and Legislature by March 31, 2000, concerning potential improvements
to the powerplant siting process, reporting requirements, and data collection
requirements related to electricity industry restructuring. The bill also
requires the Energy Commission to conduct a biennial environmental assessment
concerning restructuring, beginning July 1, 2001. Finally, the bill requires the
Resources Agency to review its certification of the Energy Commission's
powerplant siting process.
Status: Chaptered - No. 581
SB 123 (Peace) -- Last Amended, 05/18/99
Would provide that refiners,
distributors, manufacturers, or transporters of petroleum products may not
prevent a branded gasoline franchisee from purchasing the franchisor's branded
petroleum products from any location or through any vendor in the franchisor's
wholesale network.
Status: Pending in Assembly Utilities and Commerce
Committee
SB 177 (Peace) -- As Enacted, 09/07/99
Eliminates the ability of public
utilities offering competitive services to condemn property for the purpose of
competing with other utilities. It additionally establishes a public hearing
process to be conducted by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in
the local jurisdiction of the pertaining site, for determining if the public
interest would be served through an eminent domain action. Status: Chaptered -No. 774
SB 192 (Perata) -- Last Amended, 09/03/99
Would require the Energy
Commission to submit quarterly reports to the Legislature that contain
information on the amount of MTBE used by each refiner during the previous
quarter, beginning on April 1, 2000. This bill would also prohibit the sale of
gasoline containing MTBE on and after January 1, 2003.
Status: Pending on the Assembly Floor
SB 280 (Bowen) -- Last Amended, 09/07/99
Would, commencing on January 1, 2000,
require new and existing State buildings to be designed, constructed, and
equipped to exceed the minimum building energy efficiency standards as mandated
under existing law. This bill would also require that all cost-effective
efficiencies be incorporated into affected building systems when a State building
is renovated or retrofitted. Publicly funded school buildings would be exempt
from this measure. However, the bill would encourage University of California
(UC) Regents to comply with its provisions. In addition, the bill would require
that specific methodologies be employed when designing all public buildings and
that a post-construction process be employed to ensure that those buildings
function as intended. Further, this bill would require the Integrated Waste
Management Board to adopt green building standards, and that those standards be
employed in State office buildings constructed after October 1, 2001. Finally,
this bill would require the Department of General Services (DGS) to ensure
compliance with the bill's provisions.
Status: Pending on the Senate Floor for
concurrence
SB 282 (Kelley) -- As Enacted, 06/29/99
Requires the Energy Commission to report
on the causes of high rates for electrical service to agricultural customers,
including a comparison of rates with other customer classes and other states.
The Commission may recommend in the report strategies for agricultural customers
to reduce their electric service costs and identify factors that may affect their
rate structure. The report is due to the Legislature by September 1, 2000. In
addition, the bill requires the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to
identify activities the CPUC proposes to reduce energy costs and rates for rural
and agricultural customers. The CPUC is also required to report on its
achievements in reducing those costs and rates.
Status: Chaptered - No. 322
SB 482 (Baca) -- As Enacted, 04/08/99
Extends the sunset on the program by
which the State Trade & Commerce Agency is able to provide loans to persons to
upgrade, replace or remove petroleum underground storage tanks to meet
environmental rules designed to prevent leakage of fuel into groundwater. (This
loan program is referred to as the RUST program.) The sunset is extended from
December 22, 1999, to January 1, 2002.
Status: Chaptered - No. 516
SB 529 (Bowen) -- Last Amended, 09/08/99
Requires the California Air Resources
Board (CARB) to subject any proposed motor vehicle fuel regulations to a
multimedia evaluation. The California Environmental Policy Council (CEPC), as a
result of the evaluation, will be required to review all potentially beneficial
and adverse environmental impacts of any motor vehicle fuel specifications
adopted by the California Air Resources Board on or after January 1, 2000.
Status: Chaptered - No. 813
SB 655 (Peace) -- Last Amended, 08/16/99f
Would have created grant programs for
the purchase of solar water heating systems, storage for grid-connected
solar-electric systems, and for specified distributed electrical generation
systems. The Energy Commission would have been required to develop the guidelines
and implement these programs. The grant programs would have become operative upon
receiving funding from the Budget Act. The grant programs would have sunset on
July 1, 2005. In addition, the Public Utilities Commission would have been
required to develop interconnection requirements, operation standards, and
standby rates for distributed generation systems.
Status: Vetoed by the
Governor
SB 735 (Budget Committee) -- As Enacted, 09/09/99 -- Urgency
Augments and restores several appropriations from the Budget Act of 1999. The
bill also establishes the scope of a report on electric system reliability. The
report will examine efficiency, distributed generation, and time-of-use metering.
The report is due March 1, 2000.
Status: Chaptered - No. 1021
SB 767 (Budget Committee) -- As Enacted, 07/15/99
Makes numerous appropriations
affecting a variety of state agencies. As it relates to the Energy Commission,
this bill appropriates $392,000 from the General Fund to the California Energy
Commission for an assistance program in Kern County. The program will fund a
project to convert a pedestrian traffic light system to energy-efficient light
emitting diodes (LED).
Status: Chaptered - No. 1003
SB 989 (Sher) -- As Enacted, 09/07/99
Primarily codifies Executive Order D-5-99,
which, among other things, requires the Energy Commission, in consultation with
the California Air Resources Board (CARB), to develop a timetable for the removal
of MTBE from gasoline at the earliest possible date. The bill also requires the
Commission to provide a reassessment report to the Legislature and the Governor
pursuant to the MTBE phase-out ban on or before July 1, 2000. Further, other
state agencies will be required to take various actions related to the phase-out
and underground fuel storage tanks. Finally, the bill enacts several other
provisions to prevent MTBE from contaminating certain sources of water and
requires multimedia evaluations on new fuel specifications.
Status: Chaptered
Ð No. 812
SB 1001 (Burton) -- As Enacted, 09/10/99
Requires the Energy Commission to
submit quarterly reports to the Legislature regarding the amount of MTBE that was
used by each refiner during the previous quarter, beginning on April 1, 2000.
Status: Chaptered - No. 814
SB 1131 (Burton) -- As Enacted, 09/03/99 -- Urgency
Appropriates $1 million from the State General Fund to allow the Attorney General
(AG) to conduct an investigation into gasoline pricing practices and to review
pending oil company mergers and their potential impact on California consumers.
However, the Governor "blue-penciled" the $1 million appropriation and instead
asked the Attorney General to implement the provisions of the bill within
existing resources.
Status: Chaptered - No. 956 (line-item veto)
SB 1153 (Brulte) -- As Enacted, 07/14/99
Requires the California Public
Utilities Commission (CPUC) to determine the most efficient and cost-effective
way to provide natural gas public purpose programs in a consistent manner among
public utility gas corporation service territories, and to develop and implement
efficient and cost-effective programs on or before July 1, 2001. The bill
authorizes the CPUC to conduct compliance and financial audits for purposes of
the programs.
Status: Pending in Assembly Utilities Committee
SB 1186 (Ortiz) -- As Enacted, 09/03/99
Requires the California Air Resources
Board (CARB), in consultation with the Department of Food and Agriculture, and in
cooperation with the Energy Commission and the California Integrated Waste
Management Board (CIWMB), to prepare and submit to the Legislature
recommendations for ensuring the consistency and predictability of the supply of
rice straw for cost-effective off-field uses on or before January 1, 2001.
Status: Chaptered - No. 640
SB 1194 (Sher) -- Last Amended, 04/20/99
Would require the California Public
Utilities Commission (CPUC) to study the feasibility of having a nonprofit public
benefit corporation administer energy efficiency and conservation programs
established pursuant to the restructuring of the electricity industry. The study
would be required to be done before January 1, 2002.
Status: Vetoed by
Governor
SB 1253 (Sher) -- Last Amended, 08/16/99
Would have directed the Energy
Commission, in consultation with numerous state agencies, to update the inventory
of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from sources identified in the Commission's
1998 inventory on or before January 1, 2001. In addition, the bill would have
required the Energy Commission, in consultation with the California Air Resources
Board (CARB), to provide state, regional and local agencies, and other interests
with information regarding cost-effective and technically feasible methods for
reducing or mitigating those emissions. The Commission would have also been
required to update the inventory every five years using current scientific
methods. Further, this bill would have established a climate change advisory
committee, to which the Energy Commission would designate one of its
commissioners as chair, to make recommendations regarding the most equitable and
efficient methods to implement international and national climate change
requirements and standards.
Status: Vetoed by Governor
SB 1298 (Energy Committee) -- Last Amended, 05/28/99
Petroleum Violation Escrow
Account (PVEA) spot bill
Status: Pending in Assembly Transportation Committee
SB 1299 (Peace) -- As Introduced, 03/01/99
Would eliminate the requirement that
publicly-owned utilities provide a report on their low-income weatherization
program to the Energy Commission and that the Energy Commission submit such
information to the Legislature in its biennial conservation report.
Status: Died in the Assembly