Energy: electrical corporations: City of Davis PVUSA solar facility: Community-Based Renewable Energy Self-Generation Program.

(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory jurisdiction over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as defined. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Under existing law, the local government renewable energy self-generation program authorizes a local government, as defined, to receive a bill credit, as defined, to be applied to a designated benefiting account for electricity exported to the electrical grid by an eligible renewable generating facility, as defined, and requires the commission to adopt a rate tariff for the benefiting account. This bill would enact the Community-Based Renewable Energy Self-Generation Program. The program would authorize a retail customer of an electrical corporation (participant) to acquire an interest, as defined, in a community renewable energy facility, as defined, for the purpose of receiving a bill credit, as defined, to offset all or a portion of the participant's electricity usage, consistent with specified requirements. 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 provisions of the bill would require action by the commission to implement its requirements, a violation of these provisions would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the definition of a crime. (2) The bill would provide that any corporation or person engaged directly or indirectly in developing, producing, delivering, participating in, or selling interests in, a community renewable energy facility is not a public utility or electrical corporation solely by reason of engaging in any of those activities. (3) Existing law authorizes the City of Davis to receive a bill credit, as defined, to a benefiting account, as defined, for electricity supplied to the electrical grid by a photovoltaic electricity generation facility located within, and partially owned by, the city (PVUSA solar facility) and requires the commission to adopt a rate tariff for the benefiting account. This bill would repeal these provisions relating to the City of Davis, but would require an award be made allocating 30 megawatts of alternating current to the City of Davis for use at PVUSA, and other locations of their designation, as directed by the City of Davis, pursuant to the Community-Based Renewable Energy Self-Generation Program. (4) 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.