Electric Rule 21: interconnection: distributed renewable generation.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. The commission's Electric Rule 21 establishes a tariff that describes the interconnection, operating, and metering requirements of generation facilities to be connected to an electrical corporation's distribution system. This bill would require the commission, on or before March 31, 2024, to commence the consideration of adopting mechanisms, as provided, for distributed renewable generation interconnections to enforce timelines, reduce administrative burden, and provide transparency and certainty to customers. The bill would require the commission, in considering the adoption of mechanisms, to create process improvements to, and potential timelines for, Electric Rule 21 to address certain types of delays. 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 a violation of a commission action implementing its requirements would be a crime, this 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.