SB 355: Multifamily Affordable Housing Solar Roofs Program.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law establishes the Multifamily Affordable Housing Solar Roofs Program. Existing law requires the commission, beginning with the 201617 fiscal year and ending with the 201920 fiscal year, to authorize the annual allocation of certain amounts of moneys for the program. Existing law requires the commission to continue authorizing the allocation of those moneys through June 30, 2026, if the commission determines that revenues are available and that there is adequate interest and participation in the program. Existing law requires the commission, as part of the program, to award monetary incentives for qualifying solar energy systems, as defined, that are installed on multifamily residential buildings of at least 5 rental housing units that are operated to provide deed-restricted low-income residential housing, as defined, and that meet one or more specified requirements, including that at least 80% of the households have incomes at or below 60% of the area median income, through December 31, 2030.

This bill would expand those specified requirements to, among other things, include properties in which at least 66% of the households have incomes at or below 80% of the area median income, properties owned by a tribe, as defined, and rental housing properties owned by public housing agencies or authorities, as defined. The bill would extend the requirement that the commission award monetary incentives for those solar energy systems through December 31, 2032. If those multifamily residential properties are new construction, the bill would prohibit using moneys authorized through the program to meet specified regulatory requirements. The bill would authorize the commission to consider authorizing an advance payment loan to an eligible project if there is reasonable evidence to suggest that an advance payment loan would lead to the delivery of a project that would not occur absent the advance payment loan, as specified.

Existing law requires that low-income tenants who participate in the program receive credits on utility bills from the program.

This bill would limit the applicability of that requirement to units that are separately metered.

Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.

Because a violation of a commission action implementing this bills requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.