AB 2493: Electrical corporations: interconnection: Public Utilities Commission: transmission development monitor.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires the commission, if it determines that the rules, practices, equipment, appliances, facilities, or service of a public utility, or the methods of manufacture, distribution, transmission, storage, or supply used by the public utility, are unjust, unreasonable, unsafe, improper, inadequate, or insufficient, to determine and fix the rules, practices, equipment, appliances, facilities, service, or methods to be observed, furnished, constructed, enforced, or employed.

This bill would, within one year following the adoption of a transmission plan by the Independent System Operator through the transmission planning process, or a successor process, or within one year following the execution of a generator interconnection agreement, except as specified, require each large electrical corporation, as defined, or transmission owner, as defined, that is assigned or obligated to construct a project that requires approval by the commission to submit to the below-described transmission development monitor a project-specific schedule for the project, as provided.

This bill would require the commission, on or before October 1, 2027, to establish a transmission development monitor within the commission. The bill would require the transmission development monitor to monitor and review certain information regarding transmission- and interconnection-related facilities submitted by the large electrical corporation or transmission owner, the large electrical corporations or transmission owners progress on completing network upgrades following approval in a generator interconnection agreement or transmission plan approved by the Independent System Operator, the large electrical corporations or transmission owners compliance with the above-described schedule submitted to the transmission development monitor, and the large electrical corporations or transmission owners compliance with any remedial actions ordered by the commission, as specified. The bill would require the transmission development monitor, among other things, to prepare and submit an annual report, as provided, and to notify the commission within 15 days of identifying a material deficiency, as defined. The bill would require the commission, within 90 days of receiving an annual report or notification of a material deficiency, to issue a resolution directing the large electrical corporation or transmission owner to take remedial actions to address material deficiencies identified by the transmission development monitor, as specified.

Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.

This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

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-described provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing the above-described provisions would be a crime, this 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.