Public Utilities Public Purpose Programs Fund.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Under existing law, the commission administers, or otherwise oversees, various public purpose programs, including energy efficiency and conservation programs, cost-effective energy efficiency programs, the Family Electric Rate Assistance program, the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program, rate assistance programs for eligible food banks, and home insulation financial assistance programs. Under existing law, those programs are generally funded through a charge on electrical service, which is collected through customer rates. This bill would establish the Public Utilities Public Purpose Programs Fund, and would, upon appropriation, require the commission to allocate the moneys in the fund for purposes of funding programs funded through an electrical corporation's public purpose program rate component as of September 1, 2022, other programs determined by the commission to provide public benefits, and programs that enhance electrical system reliability and provide in-state benefits, except the Family Electric Rate Assistance program and the CARE program, as specified. If the commission determines that the Legislature has not appropriated sufficient moneys for those purposes, the bill would authorize the commission to authorize electrical corporations to recover the costs of those programs from ratepayers. 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 certain of the above provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing this bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.