Energy: public goods charge.

(1) Under the Public Utilities Act (the act) , the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. The Reliable Electric Service Investments Act within the act requires the PUC to require an electrical corporation, until January 1, 2012, to identify a separate electrical rate component, commonly referred to as the "public goods charge," to fund energy efficiency, renewable energy, and research, development, and demonstration programs that enhance system reliability and provide in-state benefits. A violation of the act is a crime. This bill would extend this requirement to January 1, 2020, and would make other technical and conforming changes. Because a violation of the act is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program by extending the application of a crime. (2) An existing decision of the PUC institutes an Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) , subject to refund, to fund renewable energy and research, development, and demonstration programs. Existing law requires moneys received by the PUC for those EPIC programs that the PUC has determined should be administered by the Energy Commission to be forwarded by the PUC to the Energy Commission at least quarterly for deposit in the Electric Program Investment Charge Fund. This bill would repeal the fund and would, instead, require EPIC collected for renewable energy to be transmitted to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) for deposit in the Renewable Resources Trust Fund. The bill would provide that the collection of the public goods charge supersedes the imposition of EPIC by the PUC. (3) Existing law establishes the renewable energy resources program to increase the amount of electricity generated from eligible renewable energy resources per year so that it equals at least 33% of total retail sales of electricity in California by December 31, 2020. This bill would require the Energy Commission to implement a Clean Energy Investment Program to support the achievement of the state's renewable energy goals. The bill would require the Energy Commission to develop and adopt an annual investment plan to establish priority activities for the program and describe how funding will complement, but not duplicate, existing public and private investments. This would require the Energy Commission to establish an advisory body to assist the Energy Commission in developing the investment plan. The bill would require the Energy Commission to submit to the relevant committees of the Legislature draft of a multiyear investment plan and to submit to the Legislature an annual report highlighting and explaining the rationale for any year-to-year changes to the Energy Commission's activity strategy and priorities. The bill would require the Energy Commission to report annually to the Legislature regarding the results of the mechanisms funded. The bill would require that the portion of the public goods charge collected for renewable energy be transmitted to the Energy Commission for deposit in the Renewable Resources Trust Fund. The bill would require the money in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be expended to implement the Clean Energy Investment Program and the New Solar Homes Partnership, to provide grants to eligible counties to facilitate the development of eligible renewable energy resources, and to provide funding to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for grants to school districts to implement the Clean Technology and Renewable Energy Job Training, Career Technical Education, and Dropout Prevention Program. (4) This bill would not become operative unless SB 870 of the 2011–12 Regular Session of the Legislature is enacted on or before January 1, 2013. (5) 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. (6) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.