Public Interest Research, Development, and Demonstration Program and Electric Program Investment Charge program: microgrid projects: diesel backup generators.

The California Constitution establishes the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) , with jurisdiction over all public utilities, as defined. Existing decisions of the PUC institute an Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) to fund renewable energy and research, development, and demonstration programs. Existing law creates in the State Treasury the Electric Program Investment Charge Fund to be administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) and requires the PUC to forward to the Energy Commission at least quarterly moneys for those EPIC programs the PUC has determined should be administered by the Energy Commission for deposit in the fund. Existing law requires the Energy Commission, in administering moneys in the fund for research, development, and demonstration programs, to develop and implement the EPIC program for the purpose of awarding funds to projects that may lead to technological advancement and breakthroughs to overcome barriers that prevent the achievement of the state's statutory energy goals and that may result in a portfolio of projects that are strategically focused and sufficiently narrow to make advancement on the most significant technological challenges. Existing law requires the Energy Commission to develop, implement, and administer the Public Interest Research, Development, and Demonstration Program to provide support for a full range of research, development, and demonstration activities to advance energy science or technologies that, as determined by the Energy Commission, are not adequately provided for by competitive and regulated energy markets. This bill would, for projects related to the deployment of microgrids, prohibit recipients of moneys awarded under the above 2 programs from expending those moneys for the purchase of diesel generators.