Electricity: billing disclosures.

(1) The Public Utilities Act vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with the regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. This bill would require the PUC to require an electrical corporation to include in its billing statements for its residential customers and to post on its Internet Web site an easy-to-understand chart breaking down all the costs reflected in the retail price of electricity charged by the electrical corporation. Because a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law vests the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) with certain regulatory authority over local publicly owned electric utilities regarding energy efficiency and purchase of renewable energy resources. This bill would require the Energy Commission to develop guidelines for local publicly owned electric utilities on the development of an easy-to-understand chart breaking down all the costs reflected in the retail price of electricity charged by the utilities that would be included in the billing statements for their residential customers and posted on their Internet Web sites. (3) 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.