Cal. PUC § 398.4 — California Code / Code puc / Division 1 / Part 1 / Chapter 2.3 / Article 14 / Section 398.4
Section 398.4
Status: in_force

(a) Every retail supplier that makes an offering to sell electricity that is consumed in California shall disclose its electricity sources and the associated greenhouse gases emissions intensity for the previous calendar year.

(b) The disclosures required by this section shall be made to potential end-use consumers in all product-specific written promotional materials that are distributed to consumers by either printed or electronic means, including the retail supplier’s internet website, if one exists, except that advertisements and notices in general circulation media shall not be subject to this requirement.

(c) The disclosures required by this section shall be made annually to end-use consumers of the offered electricity. The annual disclosure shall be made on the retail supplier’s internet website by October 1 of each year, and in written promotional materials by the end of the first complete billing cycle for the fourth quarter of the year, and shall be consistent with information provided to the Energy Commission pursuant to Section 398.5. A retail supplier may distribute the disclosures required by this section via email to any end-use consumer that has consented to receive email in lieu of printed materials.

(d) The disclosures required by this section shall be made separately for each portfolio offering made by the retail supplier.

(e) On or before January 1, 1998, the Energy Commission shall specify guidelines for the format and means for disclosure required by Section 398.3 and this section, based on the requirements of this article and subject to public hearing.

(f) The costs of making the disclosures required by this section shall be considered to be generation related.

(g) The disclosures required by this section shall comply with the following:

(1) A retail supplier’s disclosure of its electricity sources shall be expressed as a percentage of annual sales derived from each of the following categories:

(A) Electricity from unspecified sources.

(B) Purchases of electricity from specified sources.

(2) A retail supplier’s disclosure of its electricity sources shall also separately identify total California system electricity, which is the sum of all in-state generation and net electricity imports by fuel type.

(h) Each of the categories specified in subdivision (g) shall be additionally identified as a percentage of annual sales that is derived from the following fuels, sources of energy, or electricity products:

(1) Coal.

(2) Large hydroelectric (greater than 30 megawatts).

(3) Natural gas.

(4) Nuclear.

(5) Eligible renewable energy resources pursuant to the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11)), including any of the following:

(A) Biomass and biowaste.

(B) Geothermal.

(C) Eligible hydroelectric.

(D) Solar.

(E) Wind.

(6) Other categories as determined by the Energy Commission.

(7) The portion of annual sales derived from unbundled renewable energy credits shall be included in the disclosures in a format determined by the Energy Commission. A retail supplier may include additional information related to the sources of the unbundled renewable energy credits.

(i) All electricity sources disclosed as purchases of electricity from specified sources shall meet the requirements of subdivision (d) of Section 398.2.

(j) Purchases of electricity from specified sources identified pursuant to this section shall be from sources connected to the Western Electricity Coordinating Council interconnected grid.

(k) (1) Each retail supplier shall disclose both the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of any electricity portfolio offered to its retail customers and the Energy Commission’s calculation of greenhouse gas emissions intensity associated with all statewide retail electricity sales, consistent with the requirements of this subdivision.

(2) The Energy Commission shall do all of the following:

(A) Adopt a methodology, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, for the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions intensity for each purchase of electricity by a retail supplier to serve its retail customers.

(B) Calculate the greenhouse gas emissions intensity associated with statewide retail electricity sales based on the greenhouse gas emissions for total California system electricity.

(C) Rely on the most recent verified greenhouse gas emissions data while ensuring that greenhouse gas emissions intensity factors for electricity from specified and unspecified sources are available to retail suppliers with sufficient advance notice to permit timely reporting.

(D) Establish guidelines for adjustments to a greenhouse gas emissions intensity factor for a reporting year for any local publicly owned electric utility demonstrating generation of quantities of electricity in previous years in excess of its total retail sales and wholesale sales from specified sources that do not emit any greenhouse gases. Adjustments authorized by the guidelines established by the Energy Commission shall not permit excess generation procured in a single year to be counted more than once or to be resold to another retail supplier as a specified source.

(E) Ensure that there is no double-counting of the greenhouse gas emissions or emissions attributes associated with any unit of electricity production reported by a retail supplier for any specific generating facility or unspecified source located within the Western Electricity Coordinating Council when calculating greenhouse gas emissions intensity.

(F) (i) On or before January 1, 2018, adopt guidelines, through an open process, subject to public comment, and adopted by a vote of the Energy Commission, for the reporting and disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions intensity associated with retail sales based on the requirements of this subdivision. Beginning June 1, 2020, retail suppliers shall be required to report data on greenhouse gas emissions intensity associated with retail sales occurring after December 31, 2018.

(ii) Any new community choice aggregator formed after January 1, 2016, shall not be required to report data on greenhouse gas emissions intensity associated with retail sales until at least 24 months, but shall be required to report that data no later than 36 months, after serving its first retail customer.

(3) Any marketing or retail product claims relating to the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of the electric supply portfolio of a retail supplier shall be consistent with the methodology adopted by the Energy Commission pursuant to this section. Retail suppliers may provide additional information to customers describing other actions relating to greenhouse gases that are unrelated to the electric supply portfolio.

(l) The provisions of this section shall not apply to generators providing electric service onsite, under an over-the-fence transaction as described in Section 218, or to an affiliate or affiliates, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 372.