Requires utility bill credits for exported renewable power

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to develop a standard contract or tariff, which may include net energy metering, for an eligible customer-generator with a renewable electrical generation facility that is a customer of a large electrical corporation, as defined.

The Green Tariff Shared Renewables Program requires a participating utility, as defined, to file with the commission an application requesting approval of a tariff to implement a program enabling ratepayers to participate directly in offsite electrical generation facilities that use eligible renewable energy resources, consistent with certain legislative findings and statements of intent. Existing law requires the commission, by July 1, 2014, to issue a decision concerning the participating utility’s application, determining whether to approve or disapprove the application, with or without modifications, pursuant to a specified methodology.

This bill would require the commission to require each large electrical corporation to establish a tariff or tariffs that provide for bill credits for electricity generated by eligible renewable generating facilities and exported to the electrical grid to be credited to electrical accounts of nonresidential customers of the corporations. The bill would require the commission to ensure that the credits reflect the full value of the electricity from the eligible renewable generating facilities and the credits are established using the same methodology that is used to determine credits under the standard contract or tariff for eligible customer-generators.

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.

By requiring the commission to require large electrical corporations to establish the above-described tariff, a violation of which 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.