Electricity: certificate of public convenience and necessity: transmission lines.

Existing law prohibits any electrical corporation from beginning the construction of, among other things, a line, plant, or system, or of any extension of a line, plant, or system, without having first obtained from the Public Utilities Commission a certificate that the present or future public convenience and necessity require or will require that construction, termed a certificate of public convenience and necessity. Existing law requires the commission to issue a decision on an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity within 18 months of the filing of a completed application under specified circumstances. Existing law establishes the policy of the state that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 90% of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2035, 95% by December 31, 2040, and 100% by December 31, 2045, and 100% of electricity procured to serve all state agencies by December 31, 2035. This bill would require the commission to issue a decision on an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity within 18 months of the filing of a completed application for building or upgrading an electrical transmission line that is reasonably necessary to facilitate the achievement of the above-described state policy under those same circumstances.