Local Government Renewable Energy Self-Generation Program.

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. The local government renewable energy self-generation program authorizes a local government to elect to have a bill credit applied to a designated benefiting account, as defined, for electricity exported to the electrical grid by an eligible renewable generating facility, as defined, and requires the commission to adopt a rate tariff for the benefiting account. The local government renewable energy self-generation program does not apply to an electrical corporation with 60,000 or fewer customer accounts in California. This bill would expand the local government renewable energy self-generation program definition of benefiting account to include accounts meeting specified requirements located within the geographical boundaries of a California Native American tribe. 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 violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, the 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 a specified reason.