Energy: hydrogen.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires the PUC and the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to undertake specified actions to advance the state's clean energy and pollution reduction objectives, including, where feasible, cost effective, and consistent with other state policy objectives, increasing the use of large- and small-scale energy storage with a variety of technologies, including green electrolytic hydrogen, as defined. Existing law requires the PUC, State Air Resources Board (state board) , and Energy Commission to consider green electrolytic hydrogen an eligible form of energy storage, and to consider other potential uses of green electrolytic hydrogen. This bill would require the PUC, in consultation with the Energy Commission and state board, to establish a critical consumption program for hydrogen production and processing, as specified, and to establish a framework for directing electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources to the production and processing of hydrogen at specified times. The bill would require the PUC to direct an electrical corporation to file a petition with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to file tariffs for the removal of the noncoincident peak demand charge. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill require the PUC to direct electrical corporations to undertake certain actions and failure to comply with a direction of the PUC 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.