Renewable energy resources.

The Public Utilities Act imposes various duties and responsibilities on the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with respect to the purchase of electricity and requires the PUC to review and adopt a procurement plan and a renewable energy procurement plan for each electrical corporation, as defined, pursuant to the California Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program. The RPS program requires that a retail seller of electricity, as defined, purchase a specified minimum percentage of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, in any given year as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to retail end-use customers each calendar year. The RPS program requires each retail seller to increase its total procurement of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources by at least an additional 1% of retail sales per year so that 20% of its total retail sales of electricity are procured from eligible renewable energy resources no later than December 31, 2010. This bill would instead require that each retail seller increase its total procurement of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources by at least an additional 1% of net program retail sales, as defined, per year so that 20% of its net program retail sales of electricity are procured from eligible renewable energy resources no later than December 31, 2010. The bill would define net program retail sales of electricity as being total retail sales of electricity by the retail seller within California, minus those retail sales where the load was met by noneligible hydroelectric generation. The existing Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) . Existing law establishes the Renewable Resource Trust Fund in the State Treasury and requires that certain moneys collected to support renewable energy resources are deposited into the fund and authorizes the Energy Commission to expend the moneys pursuant to the Renewable Energy Resources Program. The program states the intent of the Legislature to increase the amount of electricity generated from eligible renewable energy resources per year so that amount equals at least 20% of total retail sales of electricity in California per year by December 31, 2010. This bill would revise the Renewable Energy Resources Program to state the intent of the Legislature to increase the amount of electricity generated from eligible renewable energy resources per year so that amount equals at least 20% of net program retail sales of electricity in California per year by December 31, 2010.