Energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades: on-bill repayment program.

(1) Under existing law the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, as defined. Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. This bill would enact the California Clean Energy Consumer Access Act of 2013 and would authorize the commission to require an electrical or gas corporation with 250,000 or more service connections to develop and implement an on-bill repayment program providing financial assistance for energy efficiency, renewable energy, distributed generation, or demand response improvements by allowing for the repayment of the financial assistance to be included in the utility customer's utility bill (on-bill repayment) . The bill would provide that the on-bill repayment obligation would run with the meter, as defined. Because a violation of any part of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the Public Utilities Commission is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires sellers of property or landlords to provide specified disclosure, to prospective buyers or prospective or existing tenants, regarding the property. This bill would additionally require sellers of property or landlords to provide to prospective buyers or prospective or existing tenants a disclosure indicating that a portion of the utility bill is subject to an on-bill repayment obligation. (3) Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to develop, adopt, and publish an informational booklet to educate and inform homeowners, rental property owners, renters, sellers, brokers, and the general public about the statewide home energy rating program. Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to charge a fee for the booklet. This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to update the booklet to include information about home energy conservation and on-bill repayment program developed pursuant to (1) above. This bill would instead authorize the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to charge a fee for the booklet. (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.