Energy assistance: corner stores.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. 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. Existing law requires each electrical corporation and gas corporation to develop and implement a program of rate assistance to eligible food banks at a fixed percentage to be determined by the commission and subject to direction and supervision by the commission. Existing law requires all public utilities to develop programs, in cooperation with local school districts, to reduce the electricity and gas bills of those school districts through conservation and improvements in efficiency. Pursuant to existing law, the commission supervises various energy efficiency and low-income targeted energy efficiency programs administered by electrical corporations, gas corporations, and third-party administrators. This bill would require each electrical corporation and gas corporation to develop a program, subject to direction and supervision by the commission, that provides incentives and assistance to owners, operators, or lessees of corner stores, as defined, to reduce their electricity and gas bills through conservation and energy efficiency improvements, including the placement of, or replacement of less efficient equipment with, free or low-cost energy-efficient refrigeration in order to improve a community's access to healthy and fresh food options. The bill would require that the program give priority to low-income or lower income, as defined, areas and communities, areas and communities with limited access to healthy food, including those areas and communities that are considered to be food deserts, as defined, and communities with higher rates of diet-related diseases, as defined. The bill would require each electrical and gas corporation, in designing its program, to consult with store owners, product vendors, refrigeration manufacturers, and the Office of Farm to Fork in the Department of Food and Agriculture. The bill would require each electrical and gas corporation to submit its proposal for the program to the commission by January 1, 2018, and would require the commission to authorize or deny implementation of the program by July 1, 2018. 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 this bill would be a part of the act and because a violation of an order or decision of the commission implementing its requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. 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.