SB 338: Integrated resource plan: peak demand.

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to adopt a process for each load-serving entity to file an integrated resource plan and a schedule for periodic updates to the plan to ensure that the load-serving entity meets, among other things, the states greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and the requirement to procure at least 50% of its electricity from eligible renewable resources by December 31, 2030. Existing law requires a local publicly owned electric utility with an annual electrical demand exceeding 700 gigawatthours, on or before January 1, 2019, to adopt an integrated resources plan and a process for updating the plan at least once every 5 years to ensure that the utility satisfies, among other things, the states greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and the requirement to procure at least 50% of its electricity from eligible renewable resources by December 31, 2030.

This bill would require the commission and the governing boards of local publicly owned electric utilities to consider, as a part of the integrated resource plan process, the role of distributed energy resources and other specified energy- and efficiency-related tools, in helping to ensure that each load-serving entity or local publicly owned electric utility, as applicable, meets energy needs and reliability needs while reducing the need for new electricity generation and new transmission in achieving the states energy goals at the least cost to ratepayers. Because this bill would impose additional duties on local publicly owned electric utilities, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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

Because a violation of an order or decision of the commission implementing the bills requirements would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 454.52 of the Public Utilities Code proposed by AB 759 to be operative only if this bill and AB 759 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

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 specified reasons.