AB 2462: Public Utilities Commission: written reports: energy.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. Existing law requires the commission to annually prepare and submit to the Governor and Legislature a written report that contains the commissions recommendations for actions that can be undertaken during the succeeding 12 months to limit utility cost and rate increases consistent with the states energy and environmental goals, including goals for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, and requires the commission, in preparing the report, to require certain electrical corporations and gas corporations to study and report on measures they recommend be undertaken to limit costs and rate increases.

This bill would require that the report also contain recommendations that may take longer than 12 months to implement, but could lead to substantial reductions in monthly electricity and natural gas utility bills, and considerations of how the adoption of decarbonization policies, including electrification, may impact total energy costs borne by consumers, as provided.

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 the above provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing certain of these 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.