AB 865: State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission: contracts, grants, and loans: diversity.

The Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to administer various grant and loan programs.

This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to develop and implement an outreach program to inform the most qualified loan and grant applicants, and contractors, including, but not limited to, women, minority, disabled veteran, and LGBT business enterprises, as defined, about workshops, trainings, and funding opportunities. The bill would require that one component of the outreach program be a process for tracking the diversity of contractors, loan recipients, and grant recipients. The bill would require the outreach program to include a strategy to encourage the participation of certified women, minority, disabled veteran, and LGBT business enterprises in the commissions relevant programs and consider including them in capacity building activities. The bill would authorize the commission to consider establishing a Diversity Task Force to consider and make recommendations about diversity in the energy industry, including diversity of corporate governing boards and procurement from diverse businesses, and addressing and promoting local and targeted hiring.