Electricity: load-serving entities.

Section 1(a) was reframed from 'The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following' to 'It is the intent of the Legislature to do all of the following.' This recharacterizes the legislative findings as statements of intent, which can carry different legal weight in judicial review.

Section 2 subsection structure was cleaned up. The old version had confusing duplicate lettering (e.g., two subsections labeled 'c' and two labeled 'd'). The new version uses a clean (a) through (e) sequence.

The 20-day advance notice requirement for compliance reporting templates had its trailing purpose clause removed. Old text ended with 'to provide sufficient time to ensure data accuracy and consistency.' New text simply requires finalization 'for a minimum of 20 calendar days before a compliance report submission by a load-serving entity.'

The definition of 'capacity valuation method' was slightly revised to include the word 'contribution' (now reads 'reliability benefit contribution that a resource provides towards meeting grid reliability needs').

The commission's obligation to consolidate load-serving entity plans into a single procurement plan is weakened from a mandatory action ('shall complete a process to consolidate') to a discretionary one ('shall consider a process to consolidate'), giving the commission much more flexibility on whether to actually consolidate.

A new requirement mandates that if the commission determines consolidation is not feasible, it must set forth its reasons in the decision or ruling addressing load-serving entities' procurement or compliance reporting obligations under Sections 399.15 and 454.52.

The defined term changes from 'capacity valuation method' (meaning 'the method used to quantify the reliability contribution that a resource provides to the grid') to 'capacity valuation methodology' (meaning 'the analytical framework used to quantify the reliability contribution that different resource types provide to the grid'), broadening the scope from individual resources to categories of resource types.

The stated purpose of using a unified capacity valuation methodology is narrowed. The old text required the same method 'to assess the reliability contribution of each resource type to ensure consistent short-term, midterm, and long-term reliability outlooks.' The new text simply requires it 'to ensure consistent and predictable compliance standards,' removing the explicit reference to assessing individual resource contributions and multi-timeframe reliability outlooks.

The phrase 'resource adequacy and resource procurement obligations' is simplified to 'resource adequacy procurement requirements' in multiple places, streamlining the terminology without apparent substantive effect.

Section 380.9(a) now requires the same capacity valuation methodology only for ensuring consistent and predictable compliance standards, but explicitly authorizes the commission to use different methodologies when setting the planning reserve margin and evaluating short-term, mid-term, and long-term reliability needs. The prior version required a single method across all uses.

The obligation to use a uniform capacity valuation methodology now applies not only when setting resource adequacy and procurement obligations but also when evaluating a load-serving entity's compliance status under Sections 380 and 454.52.

The consolidation requirement in Section 380.9(b) narrowed from consolidating compliance reporting across three programs (Sections 380, 399.15, and 454.52) into a single compliance reporting process, to consolidating plans submitted under two programs (Sections 399.15 and 454.52) into a single procurement plan.

Section 380.9(b) changed from requiring the commission to 'initiate' the consolidation process by January 1, 2030 to requiring it to 'complete' the process by that date, making it a firm deadline rather than a starting point.

Section 380.9(c) increased the minimum lead time for finalizing compliance reporting requirements or templates from 20 calendar days to 30 business days before a load-serving entity's submission deadline, roughly doubling the preparation window.

The definition of 'capacity valuation method' was changed to 'capacity valuation methodology' and redefined from 'the method used to quantify the reliability contribution that a resource provides to the grid' to 'the analytical framework used to quantify the reliability contribution that different resource types provide to the grid.'

Section 380.9(b) changed from requiring the commission to 'initiate' consolidating all compliance reporting (Sections 380, 399.15, and 454.52) into a single process by January 1, 2030, to requiring it to 'complete' consolidating plans under Sections 399.15 and 454.52 into a single procurement plan by that date, with a separate softer obligation to consolidate reliability reporting for Sections 380 and 454.52 'when feasible.' This makes the deadline more aggressive but the scope of mandatory consolidation narrower.

Section 380.9(c) extended the minimum notice period before compliance report submission from 20 calendar days to 30 business days (approximately 6 weeks), giving load-serving entities significantly more time to prepare for new reporting requirements or templates.

The definition of 'capacity valuation method' in Section 380.9(e)(1) was simplified from 'the method used to quantify the reliability benefit contribution that a resource provides towards meeting grid reliability needs' to 'the method used to quantify the reliability contribution that a resource provides to the grid,' removing the word 'benefit' and the phrase 'towards meeting grid reliability needs.'

The extensive findings and declarations section (detailing historical context including 2020 and 2022 grid emergencies, AB 205, the 2022 interagency MOU, AB 1373, AB 2368, and AB 825) was removed and replaced with a shorter statement of legislative intent containing three goals.

Added a new definition of 'capacity valuation method' as the method used to quantify the reliability benefit that a resource provides towards meeting grid reliability needs. This gives the commission a statutory anchor for what constitutes a consistent valuation approach.

The 20-day finalization rule now explicitly covers 'compliance reporting requirements or template' (adding templates) and is narrowed to apply specifically to compliance with Sections 380, 399.15, and 454.52 rather than any compliance reporting requirement issued by the commission.

Subsections were restructured: the 20-day rule moved from subsection (b)(2) to a standalone subsection (c), the backstop procurement explanation moved from (c) to (d), and the definitions section moved from (d) to (e). Minor typo corrections were made throughout (e.g., 'Statute' to 'Statutes', 'inter-agency' to 'interagency').