SB 1041: Energy: electric rates: public elementary and secondary schools.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, while local publicly owned electric utilities are under the direction of their governing board. corporations. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for electrical corporations and gas corporations, corporations and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law requires public utilities to develop programs in cooperation with local school districts in reducing their electricity and gas bills through conservation and improvements in efficiency and efficiency. Existing law authorizes public utilities to offer school districts on a priority basis basis, and authorizes school districts to utilize, any programs or incentives for commercial customers developed by the utility and approved by the commission, including rebates, loan programs, and incentives for the installation of efficient lighting, heating, or cooling systems.

This bill would require each electrical corporation and gas corporation to develop and submit to the commission for its approval a rate for service applicable to public elementary and secondary schools that is just and reasonable and reflects the costs of providing service to those schools. Because this requirement is part of the Public Utilities Act and would require an act by the commission for its implementation and because a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. the commission to consider the effects of establishing a rate for electric service specific to public elementary and secondary schools, including consideration of the extent to which the average electrical bills paid by public elementary and secondary schools will increase or decrease and the consistency between establishing the rate and other statutory obligations and state policies. The bill would require the commission to report its findings and conclusions to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature by January 1, 2018.