Solar-ready and photovoltaic and battery storage system requirements: exemption.

Existing law authorizes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to prescribe, by regulation, energy efficiency standards, including appliance efficiency standards. Under this authority, the Energy Commission has established building standards for the installation of photovoltaic systems meeting certain requirements for certain residential and commercial buildings. Existing law requires any building standard that has been adopted by the Energy Commission pursuant to these provisions to be submitted to the California Building Standards Commission for approval. This bill would exempt a building that is constructed in the service territory of a public utility district and that receives all of its electricity pursuant to a preference right adopted and authorized by the United States Congress, as specified, if that electricity is carbon free, from the building standards adopted by the Energy Commission, as provided, that require new residential and commercial buildings to be solar ready or to have photovoltaic and battery storage systems installed. Because local entities would determine whether a building qualifies for the exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Trinity Public Utilities District. 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.