Transportation electrification: electric school buses.

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) , in consultation with the State Air Resources Board and the State Energy Resources and Conservation Development Commission (Energy Commission) , to direct electrical corporations to file applications for programs and investments to accelerate widespread transportation electrification to reduce the dependence on petroleum, meet air quality standards, achieve specified zero-emission and near-zero-emission vehicle-related goals, and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. This bill would require the PUC to assess if the applications filed by an electrical corporation regarding transportation electrification provide sufficient resources to achieve a 100% shift to zero emissions for school buses in that electrical corporation's territory. The bill would require the PUC, if the PUC makes a determination that more needs to be done to support the advancement to 100% zero-emission school buses, to direct electrical corporations to file additional applications to provide sufficient electrical charging infrastructure for the transformation of school buses away from diesel, gasoline, propane, and natural gas combustion to zero-emission options. Existing law requires that the governing board of a local publicly owned electric utility with an annual electrical demand exceeding 700 gigawatthours adopt an integrated resource plan and a process for updating the plan at least once every 5 years that addresses procurement for, among other things, transportation electrification. Existing law requires the governing board to file the integrated resource plan and any plan updates with the Energy Commission, requires the Energy Commission to review the plans and plan updates and, if the Energy Commission determines a plan or plan update is deficient, requires the Energy Commission to provide recommendations to correct the deficiencies. This bill would require, by March 15, 2020, and every other year thereafter, each local publicly owned electric utility to report specified information to the Energy Commission on the local publicly owned electric utility's investment in charging infrastructure to achieve a conversion to zero-emission school buses in its service territory, as specified. By adding to the duties of local publicly owned electric utilities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require the Energy Commission to develop a clearinghouse for information and resources regarding manufacturers and pricing of zero-emission school buses and regarding incentive programs for zero-emission school buses and infrastructure. Because certain of the above provisions would be codified in the Public Utilities Act, a violation of which is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the scope of a 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 specified reasons.