Source: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=200520060SB107&showamends=false
Timestamp: 2020-06-05 22:54:21
Document Index: 510952959

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 7', 'art 1', 'art 2']

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SB-107 Renewable energy: Public Interest Energy Research, Demonstration, and Development Program.(2005-2006)
Section 25620.1 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:
25620.1.
(a) The commission shall develop, implement, and administer the Public Interest Research, Development, and Demonstration Program that is hereby created. The program shall include a full range of research, development, and demonstration activities that, as determined by the commission, are not adequately provided for by competitive and regulated markets. The commission shall administer the program consistent with the policies of this chapter.
(b) The general goal of the program is to develop, and help bring to market, energy technologies that provide increased environmental benefits, greater system reliability, and lower system costs, and that provide tangible benefits to electric electrical utility customers through the following investments: investments in the following:
(1) Advanced electricity and natural gas transportation technologies that reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions emissions of greenhouse gases beyond applicable standards, and that benefit electricity and natural gas ratepayers.
(2) Increased energy efficiency in buildings, appliances, lighting, and other applications beyond applicable standards, and that benefit electric electrical utility customers.
(3) Advanced electricity generation technologies that exceed applicable standards to increase reductions in greenhouse gas emissions emissions of greenhouse gases from electricity generation, and that benefit electric utility customers.
(4) Advanced electricity technologies that reduce or eliminate consumption of water or other finite resources, increase use of renewable energy resources, or improve transmission or distribution of electricity generated from renewable energy resources.
(c) To achieve the goals established in subdivision (b), the commission shall adopt a portfolio approach for the program that does all of the following:
(1) Effectively balances the risks, benefits, and time horizons for various activities and investments that will provide tangible energy or environmental benefits for California electricity customers.
(2) Emphasizes innovative energy supply and end use end-use technologies, focusing on their reliability, affordability, and environmental attributes.
(3) Includes projects that have the potential to enhance transmission and distribution capabilities.
(4) Includes projects that have the potential to enhance the reliability, peaking power, and storage capabilities of renewable energy.
(5) Demonstrates a balance of benefits to all sectors that contribute to the funding under Section 399.8 of the Public Utilities Code.
(6) Addresses key technical and scientific barriers.
(7) Demonstrates a balance between short-term, mid-term, and long-term potential.
(8) Ensures that prior, current, and future research not be unnecessarily duplicated.
(9) Provides for the future market utilization of projects funded through the program.
(10) Ensures an open project selection process and encourages the awarding of research funding for a diverse type of research as well as a diverse award recipient base and equally considers research proposals from the public and private sectors.
(11) Coordinates with other related research programs.
(d) The term “award,” as used in this chapter, may include, but is not limited to, contracts, grants, interagency agreements, loans, and other financial agreements designed to fund public interest research, demonstration, and development projects or programs.
It is the intent of the Legislature in establishing this program, to increase the amount of electricity generated from eligible renewable energy resources per year, so that it equals at least 33 20 percent of total retail sales of electricity in California per year by December 31, 2020. 2010.
(a) “Delivered” and “delivery” mean the electricity output of an in‑state renewable electricity generation facility that is used to serve end‑use retail customers located within the state. Subject to verification by the accounting system established by the commission pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 399.13 of the Public Utilities Code, electricity shall be deemed delivered if it is either generated at a location within the state, or is scheduled for consumption by California end-use retail customers. Subject to criteria adopted by the commission, electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource may be considered “delivered” regardless of whether the electricity is generated at a different time from consumption by a California end-use customer.
(a) (b) “Renewable electrical “In-state renewable electricity generation facility” means a facility that meets all of the following criteria:
(A) The facility is located in the state or near the border of the state with the first point of connection to the transmission network of a balancing authority area primarily located within the state. For purposes of this subparagraph, “balancing authority area” has the same meaning as defined in Section 399.12 of the Public Utilities Code. within this state and electricity produced by the facility is delivered to an in‑state location.
(B) The facility has its first point of interconnection to the transmission network outside the state, within the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) service area, state and satisfies all of the following requirements:
(i) It is connected to the transmission network within the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) service territory.
(i) (ii) It commences initial commercial operation after January 1, 2005.
(iii) Electricity produced by the facility is delivered to an in‑state location.
(ii) (iv) It will not cause or contribute to any violation of a California environmental quality standard or requirement.
(v) If the facility is outside of the United States, it is developed and operated in a manner that is as protective of the environment as a similar facility located in the state.
(iii) (vi) It participates in the accounting system to verify compliance with the renewables portfolio standard by retail sellers, once established by the commission Energy Commission pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 399.25 399.13 of the Public Utilities Code.
(C) The facility meets the requirements of clauses (ii) and (iii) (i), (iii), (iv), (v), and (vi) in subparagraph (B), but does not meet the requirements of clause (i) of subparagraph (B) (ii) because it commenced commences initial operation prior to January 1, 2005, if the facility satisfies either of the following requirements:
(4) (ii) If eligibility of the facility is based on the use of landfill gas, digester gas, or another renewable fuel delivered to the facility through a common carrier pipeline, the transaction for the procurement of that fuel, including the source of the fuel and delivery method, satisfies the requirements of Section 399.12.6 The facility has been part of the existing baseline of eligible renewable energy resources of a retail seller established pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 399.15 of the Public Utilities Code and is verified pursuant to the accounting system established by the commission pursuant to 399.25 of the Public Utilities Code, or a comparable system, as determined by the commission. Code.
(b) (3) “Municipal solid waste conversion,” as used in subdivision (a), For the purposes of this subdivision, “solid waste conversion” means a technology that uses a noncombustion thermal process to convert solid waste to a clean-burning fuel for the purpose of generating electricity, and that meets all of the following criteria:
(1) (A) The technology does not use air or oxygen in the conversion process, except ambient air to maintain temperature control.
(2) (B) The technology produces no discharges of air contaminants or emissions, including greenhouse gases as defined in Section 38505 42801.1 of the Health and Safety Code.
(3) (C) The technology produces no discharges to surface or groundwaters of the state.
(4) (D) The technology produces no hazardous wastes.
(5) (E) To the maximum extent feasible, the technology removes all recyclable materials and marketable green waste compostable materials from the solid waste stream prior to the conversion process and the owner or operator of the facility certifies that those materials will be recycled or composted.
(6) (F) The facility at which the technology is used is in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances.
(7) (G) The technology meets any other conditions established by the commission.
(8) (H) The facility certifies that any local agency sending solid waste to the facility diverted at least 30 percent of all solid waste it collects through solid waste reduction, recycling, and composting. For purposes of this paragraph, “local agency” means any city, county, or special district, or subdivision thereof, which is authorized to provide solid waste handling services.
(c) “Procurement entity” means any person or corporation that enters into an agreement with a retail seller to procure eligible renewable energy resources pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 399.14 of the Public Utilities Code.
(c) (d) “Renewable energy public goods charge” means that portion of the nonbypassable system benefits charge required authorized to be collected to fund renewable energy and to be transferred to the Renewable Resource Trust Fund pursuant to the Reliable Electric Service Investments Act (Article 15 (commencing with Section 399) of Chapter 2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code).
(d) (e) “Report” means the report entitled “Investing in Renewable Electricity Generation in California” (June 2001, Publication Number P500-00-022) submitted to the Governor and the Legislature by the commission.
(e) (f) “Retail seller” means a “retail seller” as defined in Section 399.12 of the Public Utilities Code.
Section 25740.5 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:
(c) The program objective shall be to increase, in the near term, the quantity of California’s electricity generated by in-state renewable electricity generation facilities, while protecting system reliability, fostering resource diversity, and obtaining the greatest environmental benefits for California residents.
(1) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), production incentives for new in-state renewable electricity generation facilities, including repowered or refurbished facilities.
(B) Allocations shall not be made for electricity that is generated by an in-state renewable electricity generation facility that remains under an electricity purchase contract with an electrical corporation originally entered into prior to September 24, 1996, whether amended or restated thereafter.
(C) Notwithstanding subparagraph (B), production incentives may be allowed in any month for incremental new electricity generated by an in-state renewable electricity generation facility that is repowered or refurbished, where the electricity is delivered under an electricity purchase contract with an electrical corporation originally entered into prior to September 24, 1996, whether amended or restated thereafter, if all of the following occur:
(i) The facility’s electricity purchase contract provides that all electricity delivered and sold under the contract is paid at a price that does not exceed the Public Utilities Commission approved short-run avoided cost of energy.
(ii) Either of the following is true:
(I) The electricity purchase contract is amended to provide that the kilowatthours used to determine the capacity payment in any time-of-delivery period in any month under the contract shall be equal to the actual kilowatthour production, but no greater than the five-year average of the kilowatthours delivered for the corresponding time-of-delivery period and month, in the years 1994 to 1998, inclusive.
(II) The facility’s installed capacity as of December 31, 1998, is less than 75 percent of the nameplate capacity as stated in the electricity purchase contract, the electricity purchase contract is amended to provide that the kilowatthours used to determine the capacity payment in any time-of-delivery period in any month under the contract shall be equal to the actual kilowatthour production, but no greater than the product of the five-year average of the kilowatthours delivered for the corresponding time-of-delivery period and month, in the years 1994 to 1998, inclusive, and the ratio of installed capacity as of December 31 of the previous year, but not to exceed contract nameplate capacity, to the installed capacity as of December 31, 1998.
(iii) The production incentive is payable only with respect to the kilowatthours delivered in a particular month that exceeds the corresponding five-year average calculated pursuant to clause (ii).
(2) Rebates, buydowns, or equivalent incentives for emerging renewable technologies.
(3) Customer education.
(4) Incentives for reducing fuel costs, that are confirmed to the satisfaction of the commission, at solid fuel biomass energy facilities in order to provide demonstrable environmental and public benefits, including improved air quality.
(5) Solar thermal generating resources that enhance the environmental value or reliability of the electrical system and that require financial assistance to remain economically viable, as determined by the commission. The commission may require financial disclosure from applicants for purposes of this paragraph.
(6) Specified fuel cell technologies, if the commission makes all of the following findings:
(7) Existing wind-generating resources, if the commission finds that the existing wind-generating resources are a cost-effective source of reliable energy and environmental benefits compared with other in-state renewable electricity generation facilities, and that the existing wind-generating resources require financial assistance to remain economically viable. The commission may require financial disclosure from applicants for the purposes of this paragraph.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, moneys collected for renewable energy pursuant to Article 15 (commencing with Section 399) of Chapter 2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code shall be transferred to the Renewable Resource Trust Fund. Moneys collected between January 1, 2007, and January 1, 2012, shall be used for the purposes specified in this chapter.
(a) Ten percent of the funds collected pursuant to the renewable energy public goods charge shall be used for programs that are designed to achieve fully competitive and self-sustaining existing in-state renewable electricity generation facilities, and to secure for the state the environmental, economic, and reliability benefits that continued operation of those facilities will provide during the 2007–2011 investment cycle. Eligibility for incentives under this section shall be limited to those technologies found eligible for funds by the commission pursuant to paragraphs (4), (5), and (7) of subdivision (e) of Section 25740.5.
(b) Any funds used to support in-state renewable electricity generation facilities pursuant to this section shall be expended in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, including the following conditions:
(1) The commission shall establish a production incentive, which shall not exceed payment caps established by the commission, representing the difference between target prices and the price paid for electricity, if sufficient funds are available. If there are insufficient funds in any payment period to pay either the difference between the target and price paid for electricity or the payment caps, production incentives shall be based on the amount determined by dividing available funds by eligible generation.
(2) The commission may establish a time-differentiated incentive structure that encourages plants to run the maximum feasible amount of time and that provides a higher incentive when the plants are receiving the lowest price.
(3) The commission may consider inflation and production costs.
(c) Facilities that are eligible to receive funding pursuant to this section shall be registered in accordance with criteria developed by the commission and those facilities shall not receive payments for any electricity produced that is used on site.
(d) (1) The commission shall award funding to eligible facilities based on a facility’s individual need. In assessing a facility’s individual need, the commission shall, to the extent feasible, consider all of the following:
(A) The amount of the funds being considered for an award to the facility.
(B) The cumulative amount of funds the facility has received previously from the commission and other state sources.
(C) The value of any current federal or state tax credits.
(D) The facility’s contract price for energy and capacity.
(E) The likelihood that the award will make the facility competitive and self-sustaining within the 2007–2011 investment cycle.
(F) Any other criteria as determined by the commission.
(2) The assessment shall also consider the public benefits provided by the operation of the facility.
(3) The commission shall use its assessment of the facility’s individual need to determine the value of an award to the public relative to other renewable energy investment alternatives.
(4) The commission shall compile its findings and report them to the Legislature in the reports prepared pursuant to Section 25748.
Section 25743 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:
(a) Fifty-one and one-half percent of the money collected pursuant to the renewable energy public goods charge shall be used for programs designed to foster the development of new in-state renewable electricity generation facilities, and to secure for the state the environmental, economic, and reliability benefits that operation of those facilities will provide.
(b) Any funds used for new in-state renewable electricity generation facilities pursuant to this section shall be expended in accordance with the report, subject to all of the following requirements:
(1) In order to cover the above market costs of eligible renewable energy resources as approved by the Public Utilities Commission and selected by retail sellers to fulfill their obligations under Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11) of Chapter 2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code, the commission shall award funds in the form of supplemental energy payments, subject to the following criteria:
(A) The commission may establish caps on supplemental energy payments. The caps shall be designed to provide for a viable energy market capable of achieving the goals of Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11) of Chapter 2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code. The commission may waive application of the caps to accommodate a facility if it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the commission that operation of the facility would provide substantial economic and environmental benefits to end-use customers subject to the renewable energy public goods charge.
(B) Supplemental energy payments shall be awarded only to facilities that are eligible for funding under this section.
(C) Supplemental energy payments awarded to facilities selected by a retail seller or procurement entity pursuant to Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11) of Chapter 2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code shall be paid for no longer than 10 years, but shall, subject to the payment caps in subparagraph (A), be equal to the cumulative above-market costs relative to the applicable market price referent at the time of initial contracting, over the duration of the contract with the retail seller or procurement entity.
(D) The commission shall reduce or terminate supplemental energy payments for projects that fail either to commence and maintain operations consistent with the contractual obligations to an electrical corporation, or that fail to meet eligibility requirements.
(E) Funds shall be managed in an equitable manner in order for retail sellers to meet their obligation under Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11) of Chapter 2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code.
(F) A project selected by an electrical corporation may receive supplemental energy payments only if it results from a competitive solicitation that is found by the Public Utilities Commission to comply with the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program under Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11) of Chapter 2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code, and the project has entered into an electricity purchase agreement resulting from that solicitation, that is approved by the Public Utilities Commission. A project selected for an electricity purchase agreement by another retail seller or procurement entity may receive supplemental energy payments only if the Public Utilities Commission determines that the selection of the project is consistent with the results of a least-cost and best-fit process, and the supplemental energy payments are reasonable in comparison to those paid under similar contracts with other retail sellers. The commission may not award supplemental energy payments to service load that is not subject to the renewable energy public goods charge.
(G) (i) Supplemental energy payments shall not be awarded for any purchases of renewable energy credits.
(ii) Supplemental energy payments shall not be awarded for electricity purchase agreements that have a duration of less than 10 years. The ineligibility of agreements of less than 10 years duration for supplemental energy payments does not constitute an insufficiency in supplemental energy payments pursuant to paragraph (4) or (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 399.15.
(2) (A) A facility that is located outside of California shall not be eligible for funding under this section unless it satisfies the requirements of this subdivision and the criteria of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 25741.
(B) No more than 10 percent of the funds available under this section shall be awarded to facilities located outside of California.
(3) Facilities that are eligible to receive funding pursuant to this section shall be registered in accordance with criteria developed by the commission and those facilities may not receive payments for any electricity produced that has any of the following characteristics:
(A) Is sold under an existing long-term contract with an existing in-state electrical corporation if the contract includes fixed energy or capacity payments, except for that electricity that satisfies subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 399.6 of the Public Utilities Code.
(B) Is used onsite or is sold to customers in a manner that excludes competition transition charge payments, or is otherwise excluded from competition transition charge payments.
(C) Is a hydroelectric generation project that will require a new or increased appropriation of water under Part 2 (commencing with Section 1200) of Division 2 of the Water Code, or any other provision authorizing an appropriation of water.
(D) Is a solid waste conversion facility, unless the facility meets the criteria established in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 25741 and the facility certifies that any local agency sending solid waste to the facility is in compliance with Division 30 (commencing with Section 40000), has reduced, recycled, or composted solid waste to the maximum extent feasible, and shall have been found by the California Integrated Waste Management Board to have diverted at least 30 percent of all solid waste through source reduction, recycling, and composting.
(4) Eligibility to compete for funds or to receive funds shall be contingent upon having to sell the electricity generated by the renewable electricity generation facility to customers subject to the renewable energy public goods charge.
(5) The commission may require applicants competing for funding to post a forfeitable bid bond or other financial guaranty as an assurance of the applicant’s intent to move forward expeditiously with the project proposed. The amount of any bid bond or financial guaranty may not exceed 10 percent of the total amount of the funding requested by the applicant.
(6) In awarding funding, the commission may provide preference to projects that provide tangible demonstrable benefits to communities with a plurality of minority or low-income populations.
(c) Repowered existing facilities shall be eligible for funding under this subdivision if the capital investment to repower the existing facility equals at least 80 percent of the value of the repowered facility.
(d) Facilities engaging in the direct combustion of municipal solid waste or tires are not eligible for funding under this subdivision.
(e) Production incentives awarded under this subdivision prior to January 1, 2002, shall commence on the date that a project begins electricity production, provided that the project was operational prior to January 1, 2002, unless the commission finds that the project will not be operational prior to January 1, 2002, due to circumstances beyond the control of the developer. Upon making a finding that the project will not be operational due to circumstances beyond the control of the developer, the commission shall pay production incentives over a five-year period, commencing on the date of operation, provided that the date that a project begins electricity production may not extend beyond January 1, 2007.
(f) Facilities generating electricity from biomass energy shall be considered an in-state renewable electricity generation facility to the extent that they report to the commission the types and quantities of biomass fuels used and certify to the satisfaction of the commission that fuel utilization is limited to the following:
(1) Agricultural crops and agricultural wastes and residues.
(2) Solid waste materials such as waste pallets, crates, dunnage, manufacturing, and construction wood wastes, landscape or right-of-way tree trimmings, mill residues that are directly the result of the milling of lumber, and rangeland maintenance residues.
(3) Wood and wood wastes that meet all of the following requirements:
(A) Have been harvested pursuant to an approved timber harvest plan prepared in accordance with the Z’berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 (Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 4511) of Part 2 of Division 4).
(B) Have been harvested for the purpose of forest fire fuel reduction or forest stand improvement.
(C) Do not transport or cause the transportation of species known to harbor insect or disease nests outside zones of infestation or current quarantine zones, as identified by the Department of Food and Agriculture or the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, unless approved by the Department of Food and Agriculture and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Section 25744.5 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:
25744.5.
The commission shall allocate and use funding available for emerging renewable technologies pursuant to Section 25744 and Section 25751 to fund photovoltaic and solar thermal electric technologies in accordance with eligibility criteria and conditions established pursuant to Chapter 8.8 (commencing with Section 25780).
Section 25745 of the Public Resources Code is repealed.
(b) If the commission provides funding for a regional accounting system to verify compliance with the renewables renewable portfolio standard by retail sellers, pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 399.25 399.13 of the Public Utilities Code, the commission shall recover all costs from user fees.
Section 25749 of the Public Resources Code is repealed.
(1) The Existing Renewable Resources Account.
(2) New Renewable Resources Account.
(3) Emerging Renewable Resources Account.
(4) Renewable Resources Consumer Education Account.
(2) The state’s expenditures associated with the accounting system established by the commission pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 399.13 of the Public Utilities Code.
(b) (d) The Emerging Renewable Resources Account is hereby established within the Renewable Resources Trust Fund. That portion of revenues collected by electrical corporations for the benefit of in-state operation and development of existing and new and emerging renewable resource technologies, pursuant to Section 25740.5, shall be transmitted to the commission at least quarterly for deposit in the Renewable Resource Trust Fund pursuant to Section 399.6 of the Public Utilities Code. After setting aside in the fund money that may be needed for expenditures authorized by the annual Budget Act in accordance with subdivision (c), the Treasurer shall immediately deposit money received pursuant to this section into the accounts created pursuant to subdivision (b) in proportions designated by the commission for the current calendar year. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, the moneys in the account money in the fund and the accounts within the fund are hereby continuously appropriated to the commission without regard to fiscal years year for the following purposes: purposes enumerated in this chapter.
Section 387 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:
(3) (a) “Provider of last resort” means a load-serving entity that the commission determines meets the minimum requirements of this article and designates to provide electrical service to any retail customer whose service is transferred to the designated load-serving entity because the customer’s load-serving entity failed to provide, or denied, service to the customer or otherwise failed to meet its obligations. Each governing body of a local publicly owned electric utility, as defined in Section 9604, shall be responsible for implementing and enforcing a renewables portfolio standard that recognizes the intent of the Legislature to encourage renewable resources, while taking into consideration the effect of the standard on rates, reliability, and financial resources and the goal of environmental improvement.
(h) (b) To ensure continued achievement of California’s greenhouse gas emission reduction and air quality goals, and continued accounting of emissions of greenhouse gases for California pursuant to Part 2 (commencing with Section 38530) of Division 25.5 of the Health and Safety Code and other emissions reporting programs, in preparation for an unplanned customer migration to a provider of last resort, the commission, in consultation with the Energy Commission, may do both of Each local publicly owned electric utility shall report, on an annual basis, to its customers and to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the following:
(1) Establish rules for all load-serving entities in preparation of any potentially large and unplanned customer migration. Expenditures of public goods funds collected pursuant to Section 385 for eligible renewable energy resource development. Reports shall contain a description of programs, expenditures, and expected or actual results.
(i) (2) Notwithstanding any other law, electrical corporations shall continue to provide all metering, billing, and collection to retail customers served by the provider of last resort. Bills sent by an electrical corporation to retail customers shall identify the designated provider of last resort. The commission shall determine the terms and conditions under which the electrical corporation provides these services to the provider of last resort. The resource mix used to serve its customers by fuel type. Reports shall contain the contribution of each type of renewable energy resource with separate categories for those fuels that are eligible renewable energy resources as defined in Section 399.12, except that the electricity is delivered to the local publicly owned electric utility and not a retail seller. Electricity shall be reported as having been delivered to the local publicly owned electric utility from an eligible renewable energy resource when the electricity would qualify for compliance with the renewables portfolio standard if it were delivered to a retail seller.
(k) (3) Nothing in this section limits the authority of the commission to regulate the terms of service or establish requirements for provider of last resort service by an electrical corporation or any new provider of last resort. The utility’s status in implementing a renewables portfolio standard pursuant to subdivision (a) and the utility’s progress toward attaining the standard following implementation.
(a) In order to attain a target of generating 20 percent of total retail sales of electricity in California from eligible renewable energy resources by December 31, 2013, 33 percent by December 31, 2020, 50 percent by December 31, 2026, and 60 percent by December 31, 2030, 2010, and for the purposes of increasing the diversity, reliability, public health and environmental benefits of the energy mix, it is the intent of the Legislature that the commission and the Energy State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission implement the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program described in this article.
(b) Achieving the renewables portfolio standard through the procurement of various electricity products from Increasing California’s reliance on eligible renewable energy resources is intended to provide unique benefits to California, including all of the following, each of which independently justifies the program: may promote stable electricity prices, protect public health, improve environmental quality, stimulate sustainable economic development, create new employment opportunities, and reduce reliance on imported fuels.
(8) (c) Contributing to the safe and reliable operation of the electrical grid, including providing predictable electrical supply, voltage support, lower line losses, and congestion relief. The development of eligible renewable energy resources and the delivery of the electricity generated by those resources to customers in California may ameliorate air quality problems throughout the state and improve public health by reducing the burning of fossil fuels and the associated environmental impacts and by reducing in‑state fossil fuel consumption.
(c) (d) The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program is intended to complement the Renewable Energy Resources Program administered by the Energy State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and established pursuant to Chapter 8.6 (commencing with Section 25740) of Division 15 of the Public Resources Code.
(d) (e) New and modified electric transmission facilities may be necessary to facilitate the state achieving its renewables portfolio standard targets.
(d) (a) “California balancing authority” is a balancing authority with control over a balancing authority area primarily located in this state and operating for retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities subject to the requirements of this article and includes the Independent System Operator (ISO) and a local publicly owned electric utility operating a transmission grid that is not under the operational control of the ISO. A California balancing authority is responsible for the operation of the transmission grid within its metered boundaries which is not limited by the political boundaries of the State of California. “Delivered” and “delivery” have the same meaning as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 25741 of the Public Resources Code.
(e) (b) “Eligible renewable energy resource” means an electrical electric generating facility that meets the definition of a “renewable electrical “in-state renewable electricity generation facility” in Section 25741 of the Public Resources Code, subject to the following: following limitations:
(1) (A) An existing small hydroelectric generation facility of 30 megawatts or less shall be eligible only if a retail seller or local publicly owned electric utility owned or procured the electricity from the facility as of December 31, 2005. A new hydroelectric facility that commences generation of electricity after December 31, 2005, is not an eligible renewable energy resource if it will cause an adverse impact on instream beneficial uses or cause a change in the volume or timing of streamflow. require a new or increased appropriation or diversion of water from a watercourse.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a conduit hydroelectric facility of an existing conduit hydroelectric facility, as defined by Section 823a of Title 16 of the United States Code, of 30 megawatts or less that commenced operation before January 1, 2006, is less, shall be an eligible renewable energy resource. A new conduit hydroelectric facility of facility, as defined by Section 823a of Title 16 of the United States Code, of 30 megawatts or less that commences operation after December 31, 2005, is less, shall be an eligible renewable energy resource so long as it does not cause an adverse impact on instream beneficial uses or cause a change in the volume or timing of streamflow. require a new or increased appropriation or diversion of water from a watercourse.
(2) (3) (A) A facility engaged in the combustion of municipal solid waste shall not be considered an eligible renewable energy resource. resource unless it is located in Stanislaus County and was operational prior to September 26, 1996.
(B) (c) Subparagraph (A) does not apply to generation before January 1, 2017, from a facility located in Stanislaus County that was operational prior to September 26, 1996. “Energy Commission” means the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.
(d) “Local publicly owned electric utility” has the same meaning as provided in subdivision (d) of Section 9604.
(f) (e) “Procure” means to acquire through ownership or contract. that a retail seller receives delivered electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource that it owns or for which it has entered into an electricity purchase agreement. Nothing in this article is intended to imply that the purchase of electricity from third parties in a wholesale transaction is the preferred method of fulfilling a retail seller’s obligation to comply with this article.
(g) (f) “Procurement entity” means any person or corporation authorized by the commission to enter into contracts to procure “Renewables portfolio standard” means the specified percentage of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources on behalf of customers of that a retail seller pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 399.13. is required to procure pursuant to this article.
(h) (g) (1) “Renewable energy credit” means a certificate of proof associated with the generation of electricity from an eligible renewable energy resource, proof, issued through the accounting system established by the Energy Commission pursuant to Section 399.25, 399.13, that one unit of electricity was generated and delivered by an eligible renewable energy resource.
(3) (A) No Electricity electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource attributable to the use of nonrenewable fuels, beyond a de minimis quantity used to generate electricity in the same process through which the facility converts renewable fuel to electricity, shall not minimus quantity, as determined by the Energy Commission, shall result in the creation of a renewable energy credit. The Energy Commission shall set the de minimis quantity of nonrenewable fuels for each renewable energy technology at a level of no more than 2 percent of the total quantity of fuel used by the technology to generate electricity. The Energy Commission may adjust the de minimis quantity for an individual facility, up to a maximum of 5 percent, if it finds that all of the following conditions are met:
(j) (h) “Retail seller” means an entity engaged in the retail sale of electricity to end-use customers located within the state, including any of the following:
(3) An electric service provider, as defined in Section 218.3. The electric service 218.3, for all sales of electricity to customers beginning January 1, 2006. The commission shall institute a rulemaking to determine the manner in which electric service providers will participate in the renewables portfolio standard program. The electric service provider shall be subject to the same terms and conditions applicable to an electrical corporation pursuant to this article. This paragraph does not Nothing in this paragraph shall impair a contract entered into between an electric service provider and a retail customer prior to the suspension of direct access by the commission pursuant to Section 80110 of the Water Code.
(a) Certify eligible renewable energy resources that it determines meet the criteria described in subdivision (b) of Section 399.12.
(A) (b) The current status and progress made during the prior year toward procurement of Design and implement an accounting system to verify compliance with the renewables portfolio standard by retail sellers, to ensure that electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource is counted only once for the purpose of meeting the renewables portfolio standard of this state or any other state, to certify renewable energy credits produced by eligible renewable energy resources as a percentage of retail sales, including, if applicable, the status of any necessary siting and permitting approvals from federal, state, and local agencies for those eligible renewable energy resources procured by the retail seller, and the current status of compliance with the portfolio content requirements of subdivision (c) of Section 399.16, including procurement of eligible renewable energy resources located outside the state and within the WECC and unbundled renewable energy credits. resources, and to verify retail product claims in this state or any other state. In establishing the guidelines governing this accounting system, the Energy Commission shall collect data from electricity market participants that it deems necessary to verify compliance of retail sellers, in accordance with the requirements of this article and the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code). In seeking data from electrical corporations, the Energy Commission shall request data from the commission. The commission shall collect data from electrical corporations and remit the data to the Energy Commission within 90 days of the request.
(c) Establish a system for tracking and verifying renewable energy credits that, through the use of independently audited data, verifies the generation and delivery of electricity associated with each renewable energy credit and protects against multiple counting of the same renewable energy credit. The Energy Commission shall consult with other western states and with the Western Electricity Coordinating Council in the development of this system.
(d) Certify, for purposes of compliance with the renewable portfolio standard requirements by a retail seller, the eligibility of renewable energy credits associated with deliveries of electricity by an eligible renewable energy resource to a local publicly owned electric utility, if the Energy Commission determines that the following conditions have been satisfied:
(1) The local publicly owned electric utility that is procuring the electricity is in compliance with the requirements of Section 387.
(B) (2) If the retail seller is an electrical corporation, the current status and progress made during the prior year toward construction of, and upgrades to, transmission and distribution facilities and other electrical system components it owns to interconnect The local publicly owned electric utility has established an annual renewables portfolio standard target comparable to those applicable to an electrical corporation, is procuring sufficient eligible renewable energy resources and to supply the electricity generated by those resources to load, including the status of planning, siting, and permitting transmission facilities by federal, state, and local agencies. satisfy the targets, and will not fail to satisfy the targets in the event that the renewable energy credit is sold to another retail seller.
(A) (e) A process that provides criteria for the rank ordering and selection of least-cost and best-fit Allocate and award supplemental energy payments pursuant to Chapter 8.6 (commencing with Section 25740) of Division 15 of the Public Resources Code, to eligible renewable energy resources to cover above-market costs of renewable energy. A project selected by an electrical corporation may receive supplemental energy payments only if it results from a competitive solicitation that is found by the commission to comply with the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program obligations on a total cost and best-fit basis. This process shall take into account all of the following: under this article and the project has entered into an electricity purchase agreement resulting from that solicitation that is approved by the commission. A project selected for an electricity purchase agreement by another retail seller may receive supplemental energy payments only if the retail seller demonstrates to the commission that the selection of the project is consistent with the results of a least-cost and best-fit process, and that the supplemental energy payments are reasonable in comparison to those paid under similar contracts with other retail sellers.
Section 399.14 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:
(a) (1) An electrical corporation, pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1001), and in order to meet its unmet renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements, may apply to the commission for approval to construct, own, and operate an eligible renewable energy resource. The commission shall direct each electrical corporation to prepare a renewable energy procurement plan that includes the matter in paragraph (3), to satisfy its obligations under the renewables portfolio standard. To the extent feasible, this procurement plan shall be proposed, reviewed, and adopted by the commission as part of, and pursuant to, a general procurement plan process. The commission shall require each electrical corporation to review and update its renewable energy procurement plan as it determines to be necessary.
(2) The commission shall adopt, by rulemaking, all of the following:
(A) A process for determining market prices pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 399.15. The commission shall make specific determinations of market prices after the closing date of a competitive solicitation conducted by an electrical corporation for eligible renewable energy resources.
(B) A process that provides criteria for the rank ordering and selection of least-cost and best-fit eligible renewable energy resources to comply with the annual California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program obligations on a total cost basis. This process shall consider estimates of indirect costs associated with needed transmission investments and ongoing utility expenses resulting from integrating and operating eligible renewable energy resources.
(C) (i) Flexible rules for compliance, including rules permitting retail sellers to apply excess procurement in one year to subsequent years or inadequate procurement in one year to no more than the following three years. The flexible rules for compliance shall apply to all years, including years before and after a retail seller procures at least 20 percent of total retail sales of electricity from eligible renewable energy resources.
(ii) The flexible rules for compliance shall address situations where, as a result of insufficient transmission, a retail seller is unable to procure eligible renewable energy resources sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this article. Any rules addressing insufficient transmission shall require a finding by the commission that the retail seller has undertaken all reasonable efforts to do all of the following:
(I) Utilize flexible delivery points.
(II) Ensure the availability of any needed transmission capacity.
(III) If the retail seller is an electric corporation, to construct needed transmission facilities.
(IV) Nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to revise any portion of Section 454.5.
(2) (D) If the proposed Standard terms and conditions to be used by all electrical corporations in contracting for eligible renewable energy resources, including performance requirements for renewable generators. A contract for the purchase of electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource complies with the requirements of subdivision (b), the commission shall approve an application filed pursuant to paragraph (1), until the commission has approved applications for eligible renewable energy resources for the electrical corporation that, when constructed and operating, will provide 8.25 percent of the electrical corporation’s anticipated retail sales by December 31, 2020, and thereafter. shall, at a minimum, include the renewable energy credits associated with all electricity generation specified under the contract. The standard terms and conditions shall include the requirement that, no later than six months after the commission’s approval of an electricity purchase agreement entered into pursuant to this article, the following information about the agreement shall be disclosed by the commission: party names, resource type, project location, and project capacity.
(3) The commission may approve additional applications for eligible renewable energy resources once the commission has approved sufficient applications for Consistent with the goal of procuring the least-cost and best-fit eligible renewable energy resources for the electrical corporation that, when constructed and operating, will provide 8.25 percent of the electrical corporation’s anticipated retail sales by December 31, 2020, and thereafter. resources, the renewable energy procurement plan submitted by an electrical corporation shall include all of the following:
(b) The commission shall not approve any application by an electrical corporation pursuant to subdivision (a) unless both of the following conditions are met: may authorize a retail seller to enter into a contract of less than 10 years’ duration with an eligible renewable energy resource, subject to the following conditions:
(1) The eligible renewable energy resource utilizes a viable technology at a reasonable cost. No supplemental energy payments shall be awarded for a contract of less than 10 years’ duration. The ineligibility of contracts of less than 10 years’ duration for supplemental energy payments pursuant to this paragraph does not constitute an insufficiency in supplemental energy payments pursuant to paragraph (4) or (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 399.15.
(2) The commission has established, for each retail seller, minimum quantities of eligible renewable energy resource provides comparable or superior value to ratepayers when compared to then recent contracts for generation provided by eligible renewable energy resources. resources to be procured either through contracts of at least 10 years’ duration or from new facilities commencing commercial operations on or after January 1, 2005.
(c) The commission shall review and accept, modify, or reject each electrical corporation’s renewable energy procurement plan prior to the commencement of renewable procurement pursuant to this article by an electrical corporation.
(d) The commission shall review the results of an eligible renewable energy resources solicitation submitted for approval by an electrical corporation and accept or reject proposed contracts with eligible renewable energy resources based on consistency with the approved renewable energy procurement plan. If the commission determines that the bid prices are elevated due to a lack of effective competition amongst the bidders, the commission shall direct the electrical corporation to renegotiate the contracts or conduct a new solicitation.
(e) If an electrical corporation fails to comply with a commission order adopting a renewable energy procurement plan, the commission shall exercise its authority pursuant to Section 2113 to require compliance. The commission shall enforce comparable penalties on any other retail seller that fails to meet annual procurement targets established pursuant to Section 399.15.
(f) (1) The commission may authorize a procurement entity to enter into contracts on behalf of customers of a retail seller for deliveries of eligible renewable energy resources to satisfy annual renewables portfolio standard obligations. The commission may not require any person or corporation to act as a procurement entity or require any party to purchase eligible renewable energy resources from a procurement entity.
(3) A project selected for a long-term electricity purchase contract of more than 10 years’ duration by a procurement entity through a competitive solicitation, and approved by the commission, may receive supplemental energy payments from the Energy Commission if the transaction satisfies the requirements of subdivision (b) of Section 25743 of the Public Resources Code.
(g) Procurement and administrative costs associated with long-term contracts entered into by an electrical corporation for eligible renewable energy resources pursuant to this article, at or below the market price determined by the commission pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 399.15, shall be deemed reasonable per se, and shall be recoverable in rates.
(c) (h) In approving any application by an electrical corporation for approval to construct, own, and operate Construction, alteration, demolition, installation, and repair work on an eligible renewable energy resource, the commission shall apply traditional cost-of-service ratemaking. When applying traditional cost-of-service ratemaking, the commission, in the certificate authorizing the new construction, shall specify the maximum cost determined to be reasonable and prudent for the construction of the facility and the cost of initial operation of the facility. Upon a filing by the electrical corporation, the commission may authorize an increase in the maximum cost of construction if it determines that the cost has in fact increased, that the cost increase is determined to be reasonable and prudent, and that the present or future public convenience or necessity require construction of the project at the increased cost. resource that receives production incentives or supplemental energy payments pursuant to Sections 25742 and 25743 of the Public Resources Code, including work performed to qualify, receive, or maintain production incentives or supplemental energy payments is “public works” for the purposes of Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1720) of Part 7 of Division 2 of the Labor Code.
(a) In order to fulfill unmet long-term resource needs, the commission shall establish a renewables portfolio standard requiring all retail sellers electrical corporations to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from generated by eligible renewable energy resources as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to their retail end-use customers each compliance period to achieve the targets established under this article. For any retail seller procuring at least 14 percent of retail sales from calendar year, if sufficient funds are made available pursuant to Section 399.6 and Chapter 8.6 (commencing with Section 25740) of Division 15 of the Public Resources Code, to cover the above-market costs of eligible renewable energy resources in 2010, the deficits associated with any previous renewables portfolio standard shall not be added to any procurement requirement pursuant to this article. resources.
(b) The commission shall implement renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements only annual procurement targets for each retail seller as follows:
(B) (1) In establishing quantities for the compliance period from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2013, inclusive, the commission shall require procurement for each retail seller equal to an average of 20 Each retail seller shall, pursuant to subdivision (a), increase its total procurement of eligible renewable energy resources by at least an additional 1 percent of retail sales. For the following compliance periods, the quantities shall reflect reasonable progress in each of the intervening years sufficient to ensure that the procurement of electricity products sales per year so that 20 percent of its retail sales are procured from eligible renewable energy resources achieves 25 no later than December 31, 2010. A retail seller with 20 percent of retail sales by December 31, 2016, 33 percent by December 31, 2020, 44 percent by December 31, 2024, 52 percent by December 31, 2027, and 60 percent by December 31, 2030. The commission shall establish appropriate three-year compliance periods for all subsequent years that require retail sellers to procure not less than 60 percent of retail sales of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources. procured from eligible renewable energy resources in any year shall not be required to increase its procurement of renewable energy resources in the following year.
(3) (2) The commission may require the procurement of For purposes of setting annual procurement targets, the commission shall establish an initial baseline for each retail seller based on the actual percentage of retail sales procured from eligible renewable energy resources in excess of the quantities specified in paragraph (2). 2001, and to the extent applicable, adjusted going forward pursuant to Section 399.12.
(4) (3) Only for purposes of establishing the renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements of paragraph (1) and determining the quantities pursuant to paragraph (2), the these targets, the commission shall include all electricity sold to retail customers by the Department of Water Resources pursuant to Division 27 (commencing with Section 80000) Section 80100 of the Water Code in the calculation of retail sales by an electrical corporation.
(8) (4) If In the event that a retail seller fails to procure sufficient eligible renewable energy resources to comply with a procurement requirement pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) and fails to obtain an order from the commission waiving enforcement pursuant to paragraph (5), the commission shall assess penalties for noncompliance. A schedule of penalties shall be adopted by the commission that shall be comparable for electrical corporations and other retail sellers. For electrical corporations, the cost of any penalties shall not be collected in rates. Any penalties collected under this article shall be deposited into the Electric Program Investment Charge Fund and used for the purposes described in Chapter 8.1 in a given year to meet any annual target established pursuant to this subdivision, the retail seller shall procure additional eligible renewable energy resources in subsequent years to compensate for the shortfall if sufficient funds are made available pursuant to Section 399.6 and Chapter 8.6 (commencing with Section 25710) 25740) of Division 15 of the Public Resources Code. Code, to cover any above-market costs of eligible renewable energy resources.
(9) (5) Deficits associated with the compliance period shall not be added to a future compliance period. If supplemental energy payments from the Energy Commission, in combination with the market prices approved by the commission, are insufficient to cover any above-market costs of electricity procured from eligible renewable energy resources through an electricity purchase agreement of at least 10 years’ duration, the commission shall allow a retail seller to limit its annual procurement obligation to the quantity of eligible renewable energy resources that can be procured with available supplemental energy payments. A retail seller shall not be required to enter into long-term contracts with operators of eligible renewable energy resources that exceed the market prices established pursuant to subdivision (c).
(c) The commission shall establish a limitation for each electrical corporation on the procurement expenditures for all methodology to determine the market price of electricity for terms corresponding to the length of contracts with eligible renewable energy resources used to comply with the renewables portfolio standard. This limitation shall be set at a level that prevents disproportionate rate impacts. resources, in consideration of the following:
(1) The long-term market price of electricity for fixed price contracts, determined pursuant to an electrical corporation’s general procurement activities as authorized by the commission.
(3) The value of different products including baseload, peaking, and as-available electricity.
(d) If the cost limitation for an electrical corporation is insufficient to support the projected costs of meeting the renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements, the electrical corporation may refrain from entering into new contracts or constructing facilities beyond the quantity that can be procured within the limitation, unless The Energy Commission shall provide supplemental energy payments from funds in the New Renewable Resources Account of the Renewable Resource Trust Fund to eligible renewable energy resources pursuant to Chapter 8.6 (commencing with Section 25740) of Division 15 of the Public Resources Code, consistent with this article, for any above-market costs. Indirect costs associated with the purchase of eligible renewable energy resources can be procured without exceeding a de minimis increase in rates, consistent with the long-term procurement plan established for the electrical corporation pursuant to Section 454.5. by an electrical corporation, including imbalance energy charges, sale of excess energy, decreased generation from existing resources, or transmission upgrades, shall not be eligible for supplemental energy payments, but are recoverable in rates, as authorized by the commission. The Energy Commission shall not award supplemental energy payments to service load that is not subject to the renewable energy public goods charge.
(f) (e) The establishment of a renewables portfolio standard shall not constitute implementation by the commission of the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-617).
(f) The commission shall consult with the Energy Commission in calculating market prices under subdivision (c) and establishing other renewables portfolio standard policies.
Section 399.16 of the Public Utilities Code is repealed.
(a) The commission, by rule, may authorize the use of renewable energy credits to satisfy the requirements of the renewables portfolio standard established pursuant to this article, subject to the following conditions:
(1) Prior to authorizing any renewable energy credit to be used toward satisfying annual procurement targets, the commission and the Energy Commission shall conclude that the tracking system established pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 399.13, is operational, is capable of independently verifying the electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource and delivered to the retail seller, and can ensure that renewable energy credits shall not be double counted by any seller of electricity within the service territory of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC).
(2) A renewable energy credit shall be counted only once for compliance with the renewables portfolio standard of this state or any other state, or for verifying retail product claims in this state or any other state.
(3) The electricity is delivered to a retail seller, the Independent System Operator, or a local publicly owned electric utility.
(4) All revenues received by an electrical corporation for the sale of a renewable energy credit shall be credited to the benefit of ratepayers.
(5) No renewable energy credits shall be created for electricity generated pursuant to any electricity purchase contract with a retail seller or a local publicly owned electric utility executed before January 1, 2005, unless the contract contains explicit terms and conditions specifying the ownership or disposition of those credits. Deliveries under those contracts shall be tracked through the accounting system described in subdivision (b) of Section 399.13 and included in the baseline quantity of eligible renewable energy resources of the purchasing retail seller pursuant to Section 399.15.
(6) No renewable energy credits shall be created for electricity generated under any electricity purchase contract executed after January 1, 2005, pursuant to the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 2601 et seq.). Deliveries under the electricity purchase contracts shall be tracked through the accounting system described in subdivision (b) of Section 399.12 and count towards the renewables portfolio standard obligations of the purchasing retail seller.
(7) The commission may limit the quantity of renewable energy credits that may be procured unbundled from electricity generation by any retail seller, to meet the requirements of this article.
(8) No retail seller shall be obligated to procure renewable energy credits to satisfy the requirements of this article in the event that supplemental energy payments, in combination with the market prices approved by the commission, are insufficient to cover the above-market costs of long-term contracts, of more than 10 years’ duration, with eligible renewable energy resources.
(9) Any additional condition that the commission determines is reasonable.
(b) The commission shall allow an electrical corporation to recover the reasonable costs of purchasing renewable energy credits in rates.
Article 9 (commencing with Section 635) is added to Chapter 3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code, to read:
Article 9. Long-Term Plans and Procurement Plans
In a long-term plan adopted by an electrical corporation or in a procurement plan implemented by a local publicly owned electric utility, the electrical corporation or local publicly owned electric utility shall adopt a strategy applicable both to newly constructed or repowered generation owned and procured by the electrical corporation or local publicly owned electric utility to achieve efficiency in the use of fossil fuels and to address carbon emissions.
Section 2854 is added to Chapter 9 of Part 2 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code, to read:
(a) Notwithstanding Section 7550.5 of the Government Code, on or before January 1, 2008, the commission shall report to the Legislature on the feasibility, desirability, and design of performance-based incentives for solar energy systems of less than 30 kilowatt.
(b) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2009, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2009, deletes or extends that date.
By June 30, 2007, the Public Utilities Commission, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, shall review the impact of allowing supplemental energy payments to be applied toward contracts for the procurement of eligible renewable energy resources that are of a duration of less than 10 years, and to report to the Legislature with the results of the review, including both of the following:
(a) The impact that higher priced short-term contracts may have on the allocation of supplemental energy payments.
(b) Recommended methods to fairly allocate supplemental energy payments for the above-market costs of short-term contracts that ensure that no more supplemental energy payments are paid for those contracts than would have been allocated for an equivalent long-term contract.