Go deep on battery and peaker business case
economics and fundamentals. Understand
hourly granularity of a specific market to build
investment cases (Quarterly updates)
Understand nodal economics and trends
through bottom-up power flow modelling. Site
specific valuation, congestion, curtailment and
other uses cases (Quarterly updates)
Best for: Custom projects or transactions that
need dedicated expert support. Typically,
transaction diligence and asset valuations
III Appendix—About Aurora
27 Source: Aurora Energy Research
Unique, proprietary, in-house modelling capabilities underpin Aurora’s superior analysis
1) Gas, coal, oil and carbon prices fundamentally modelled in-house with fully integrated commodities and gas market model Power & Ancillary
Service prices
Up to 70
specifications modelled for
each plant
c. 85k
investment hours on
modelling capabilities
~15k
model runs
per week
80+
strength of modelling
team globally
5 Integrated
Models Gas
(AER-GAS)
Power markets
(AER-ES)
Global Commodities
(AER-GLO)
Technology
Policy
Demand
Commodity
prices1
Generation
mix
Capacity
market prices
Capacity
mix
Profit / Loss
and NPV ▪ Capacity market modelling
▪ Capacity build / exit / mothballing
▪ IRR / NPV driven
▪ Detailed technology assessments
INPUTS OUTPUTS
Weather
patterns
Electric vehicle
charging
▪ ½ hourly or hourly
▪ Iterative modelling
▪ Dynamic dispatch of plant
▪ Endogenous interconnector flows
Dispatch model
Investment decisions module
Continuous iteration until an
equilibrium is reached
Hydrogen
(AER-HY)
Nodal/network model
(AER-EN)
ADDITIONAL INPUTS
OUTPUTS
Network snapshot -
existing & future
Nodal load map
Nodal generation map
Power flows & losses
Nodal prices / loss factors
Quarterly updates
through subscription research
III Appendix—About Aurora
28 General Disclaimer
This document is provided "as is" for your information only and no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given by Aurora Energy Research Limited and its subsidiaries Aurora Energy Research GmbH and Aurora Energy Research Pty Ltd (together, "Aurora"), their directors, employees agents or affiliates (together, Aurora’s "Associates") as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. Aurora and its Associates assume no responsibility, and accept no liability for, any loss arising out of your use of this document. This document is not to be relied upon for any purpose or used in substitution for your own independent investigations and sound judgment. The information contained in this document reflects our beliefs, assumptions, intentions and expectations as of the date of this document and is subject to change.
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Details and
disclaimer
Publication
Impact of reform to clean energy tax credits
on investment, jobs and consumer bills
Date
January 6, 2025
Prepared by
Lizzie Bonahoom
([email protected])
Connor McMann
([email protected])
Callaway Sprinkle
([email protected])
Approved by
Oliver Kerr
([email protected])
Olivier Beaufils
([email protected])
This document is provided "as is" for your information only and no representation or warranty, express or implied is given by Aurora Energy Research LLC and any of its affiliates (together "Aurora"), their directors, employees, agents or affiliates (together, Aurora's "Associates") as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. Aurora and its Associates assume no responsibility, and accept no liability for, any loss arising out of your use of this document. This document is not to be relied upon for any purpose or used in substation for your own independent investigations and sound judgment.
The information contained in this document reflects our beliefs, assumptions, intentions and expectations as of the date of this document and is subject to change. Aurora assumes no obligation, and does not intend, to update this information.
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29 ORANGE COUNTY POWER AUTHORITY
Staff Report – Item 8.3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: Orange County Power Authority Legislative and Regulatory Committee From: Steven Halligan, Regulatory and Legislative Manager Approved By: Joe Mosca, Chief Executive Officer
Subject: INTRODUCED LEGISLATION POSITION RECOMMENDATIONS Date: March 6, 2025
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommend the Orange County Power Authority Board of Directors take positions on legislation as recommended by Staff.
BACKGROUND
The deadline to introduce legislation in the California Legislator was February 21. In total over 2,300 bills were introduced. Staff have identified 118 bills (Attachment – 2025 Orange County Power Authority Bill Tracker) to analyze and monitor. Staff track bills in several categories including but not limited to affordability, building standards, energy sources, CEQA, transmission, decarbonization, demand forecasting, electrification, IOU rate cases and oversight, and workforce development.
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Currently, staff have identified two bills to take a support position on. One bill, related to allowing the CAISO to join an independent regional organization falls under the OCPA Policy Platform. However, the second bill is related to The Brown Act and public meetings and does not fall under the Policy Platform. Details of the two bills are below.
SB 540 (Becker and Stern) - Independent System Operator: independent regional organization SB 540 provides the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) with the authority necessary to implement the Pathways Initiative Proposal if it determines an independent regional organization (RO) meets specific requirements. The bill allows CAISO to tap into a wider market of electricity resources which studies have shown stand to provide significant benefits to Californians including cost savings, enhanced grid reliability, and reduced air pollution.
The expanded market that SB 540 would enable will save ratepayers money, improve grid reliability, and reduce air pollution from power plants in California by:
1) Optimizing the use of generation, storage and transmission resources. 2) Securing California’s ability to export excess renewables rather than curtailing them and importing them from other states when available.
3) Allowing California to draw upon a wider set of Western renewable resources when our grid is stressed.
4) Making less use of back-up diesel generators and the oldest, dirtiest gas plants during system peaks
SB 540 already has broad support including the Coalition of California Utility Employees, Environmental Defense Fund, Nature Resources Defense Council, State Electrical Workers, and many more.
Recommended position: Support
SB 239 (Arreguin) - Open meetings: teleconferencing: subsidiary body SB 239 would allow a subsidiary body to use alternative teleconferencing provisions – primarily to participate remotely as long as they appear on camera during the open portion of the meeting that is publicly accessible via the internet. A primary in person location would still be required for the public to participate. SB 239 defines subsidiary body as described in Section 54952(b), serves exclusively in an advisory capacity, and is not authorized to take final action on legislation, regulations, contracts, licenses, grants, permits, or other entitlements. After consulting with OCPA General Counsel, it was determined that the Community Advisory Committee would fall under these provisions and thus be allowed to participate remotely as long as the conditions of SB 239 are met. Staff believe this bill will allow additional members of the Community to participate on the Community Advisory Committee. Allowing some members to participate remotely would also eliminate emissions associated with traveling to the in-person meeting.
Recommended position: Support
FISCAL IMPACT
None
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2025 Orange County Power Authority Bill Tracker
2. SB 540
3. SB 239
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
AB 13 Ransom Public Utilities
Commission:
membership: reports.
CPUC Reporting This bill would require that 4 members of the commission represent the geographic locations of the 4 State Board of Equalization districts, existing as of January 1, 2026, and one member be an at-large member with unspecified qualifications, as specified. The bill would prohibit an elected member of, or an employee of, the Legislature or an employee of the executive branch from serving as a member of the commission within one year after leaving the position as an elected member or employee.
Amended 2/24.
Asm Utilities and
Energy
AB 23 DeMaio The Cost of Living
Reduction Act of 2025.
Affordability This bill, the Cost of Living Reduction Act of 2025, would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to reduce the cost of living in California by undertaking specified activities, including, among other things, by suspending all state taxes and fees on gasoline and electric and gas utilities and by requiring the Little Hoover Commission to provide a report on methods to reduce the cost of living in other areas, as provided.
Introduced
AB 39 Zbur General plans: Local
Electrification Planning
Act.
Local Programs This bill, the Local Electrification Planning Act, would require a city, county, or city and county, on or after January 1, 2027, but no later than January 1, 2030, to prepare and adopt a specified plan, or integrate a plan in the next adoption or revision of the general plan, that includes locally based goals, objectives, policies, and feasible implementation measures that include, among other things, the identification of opportunities to expand electric vehicle charging, as specified, and includes policies and implementation measures that address the needs of disadvantaged communities, low-income households, and small businesses for equitable and prioritized investments in zero-emission technologies that directly benefit these groups. For these purposes, the bill would authorize a city, county, or city and county to incorporate by reference into the general plan a previously adopted similar plan that meets the above-described requirements, as specified. By increasing the duties of local public officials, the bill would establish a state-mandated local program.
Asm Local
Government
AB 44 Schultz Energy: electrical
demand forecasts.
Demand Forecasts Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, at least every 2 years, to conduct assessments and forecasts of all aspects of energy industry supply, production, transportation, delivery and distribution, demand, and prices. Existing law authorizes the commission to require the submission of demand forecasts from electrical utilities, among other entities, to perform its assessments and forecasts.This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation that would require the commission to develop a set of technical guidance and load modification protocols to enable the state to reduce or modify its electrical demand forecast to improve grid reliability, as provided.
Introduced
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
AB 61 Pacheco Electricity and natural
gas: legislation imposing
mandated program and
requirements: third-party
review.
Programs This bill would request the office to establish, by January 1, 2027, a program to, upon request of the Legislature, analyze legislation that would establish a mandated requirement or program or otherwise affect electrical or gas ratepayers, as specified. The bill would request the office to develop and implement conflict-of-interest provisions that would prohibit a person from participating in an analysis for which the person knows or has reasons to know that the person has a financial interest. The bill would establish the Energy Programs Benefit Fund in the State Treasury and continuously appropriate the moneys in the fund to the office to support the work of the office in providing analyses under the bill. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2031.
Asm Utilities and
Energy
AB 93 Papan Water resources:
demands: artifical
intelligence
Energy Demand This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that would maintain water and energy efficiency to the extent that new technology, including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence, increases the demands on already limited resources.
Introduced
AB 99 Ta Electrical corporations:
rates.
Affordability This bill would prohibit an electrical corporation from proposing, and the commission from approving, a rate increase above the rate of inflation, unless the rate increase is approved by a majority of the electrical corporation’s customers voting in an election conducted according to specified requirements, and except when the commission determines that the costs underlying the rate increase are directly related to safety enhancements and modernization or to higher commodity or fuel costs.
Asm Utilities and
Energy
AB 222 Bauer-Kahan Data centers: energy
usage reporting and
modeling.
Data Centers This bill would require the Energy Commission to require operators of data centers to annually report energy consumption and performance data, as specified. The bill would require the Energy Commission to include energy consumption trends for data centers in its integrated energy policy reports. The bill would require the Energy Commission to adopt energy efficiency performance standards, as described, for data centers. The bill would require the Energy Commission to adopt regulations to implement these requirements on or before January 1, 2027.
Asm Utilities and
Energy
AB 267 Macedo Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Fund: high-speed rail: water
infrastructure and wildfire
prevention
GGRF This bill would suspend the appropriation to the High-Speed Rail Authority for the 2026–27 and 2027–28 fiscal years and would instead require those amounts from moneys collected by the state board to be transferred to the General Fund. The bill would specify that the transferred amounts shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to augment funding for water infrastructure and wildfire prevention.
Asm Transportation
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
AB 273 Sanchez Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Fund: high-speed rail: infrastructure
improvements
GGRF This bill would eliminate the continuous appropriation of 25% of the annual proceeds of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the High-Speed Rail Authority on June 30, 2026. The bill, beginning with the 2026–27 fiscal year, would instead require 25% of the annual proceeds of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to be transferred to the General Fund and for those moneys, upon appropriation, to be used to augment funding provided to local governments to improve infrastructure.
Asm Transportation
AB 275 Petrie-Norris Office of Emergency
Services: wildfire
response: SoCal Edison-funded helitanker
Wildfires This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to make the SoCal Edison-funded Quick Reaction Force firefighting helitanker program permanent and maintained by the Office of Emergency Services.
The bill would make related findings and declarations.
Introduced
AB 286 Gallagher Electricity: mandatory
rate reduction.
Rates The commission shall reduce the kilowatt-per-hour rate for electricity charged to ratepayers by not less than 30 percent.
Introduced
AB 303 Addis Battery energy storage
facilities
Battery Storage This bill would prohibit the authorization of a development project that includes a battery energy storage system capable of storing 200 megawatthours or more of energy if the development project is located within 3,200 feet of a sensitive receptor or is located on an environmentally sensitive site, as specified.
Introduced
AB 305 Arambula Energy: nuclear facilities Nuclear Power This bill would exempt small modular reactors, as defined, from those provisions. This bill would require the PUC, on or before January 1, 2028, to adopt a plan to increase the procurement of electricity generated from nuclear facilities and to phase out the procurement of electricity generated from natural gas facilities.
Introduced
AB 306 Schultz and Rivas Building regulations: state
building standards
Building Standards This bill would, from June 1, 2025, until June 1, 2031, inclusive, prohibit a city or county from making changes to the above-described building standards unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. By requiring a city or county to take certain actions relating to building standards, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Asm Housing and
Community
Development
AB 368 Ward Energy: building
standards: passive house
standards
Building Standards This bill would require the commission to evaluate the passive house energy efficiency standards, and, if appropriate, adopt those standards, or any elements that align with the state’s existing requirements, as an alternative compliance pathway for the building efficiency standards established by the Energy Commission.
Introduced
AB 388 Rogers Electrical corporations
and gas corporations
Spot Spot Bill Introduced
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
AB 420 Petrie-Norris Public Utilities
Commission:
proceedings
CPUC This bill would authorize an interested person to submit a written ex parte communication during a quiet period if the commission modifies, rather than materially modifies, a proposed decision.
Asm Utilities and
Energy
AB 434 DeMaio Construction and safety
standards: battery
storage facilities
Battery Storage This bill would state intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation regulating the construction and safety of battery storage facilities.
Introduced
AB 441 Hadwick Wildfire prevention:
Office of Wildfire
Technology Research and
Development: wildfire
Wildfires Would repeal provisions related to the Office of Wildifre Technology Research and Development. Asm Emergency Management
AB 442 Hadwick California Environmental
Quality Act: exemption:
prescribed fire, thinning,
and fuel reduction
Wildfires This bill would exempt from CEQA prescribed fire, thinning, or fuel reduction projects undertaken within a community with a single ingress and egress evacuation route.
Asm Natural
Resources
AB 443 Bennett Energy Commission:
integrated resource policy
report: curtailed solar and
wind generation:
hydrogen production
Hydrogen This bill would require the commission, as part of the 2027 edition of the integrated energy policy report, to include an assessment of the potential for using curtailed solar and wind generation to produce hydrogen, as provided. The bill would define curtailed solar and wind generation for this purpose and require the assessment to do specified things, including to provide an estimate of how much hydrogen could feasibly and reliably be produced using energy from curtailed solar and wind generation. The bill would repeal its provisions on January 1, 2029.
Introduced
AB 472 Rogers and
Connolly
Energy: offshore wind
generation
Offshore Wind This bill would amend the definition of “infrastructure” described above to include port infrastructure for offshore wind energy development, and would require the 5-year infrastructure plan to include, beginning in the 2027–28 fiscal year, and contingent upon an appropriation for this purpose, an assessment of funding needs for port infrastructure for offshore wind energy development, as specified. The bill would require the Governor, in consultation with specified entities, to assess federal, state, and local funding opportunities, including general obligation bonds and funding from the private sector, that can help build port infrastructure for offshore wind energy development.
Introduced
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
AB 526 Papan Energy: new in-state
geothermal energy
generation
Geothermal The bill would require the Energy Commission, on or before June 1, 2026, to evaluate and quantify the maximum feasible capacity of new in-state geothermal energy to achieve reliability, ratepayer, employment, and decarbonization benefits, and to establish megawatt in-state next-generation geothermal planning goals for 2035 and 2045, as specified.
Introduced
AB 527 Papan California Environmental
Quality Act: geothermal
exploratory projects
Geothermal This bill would provide that a geothermal exploratory project, as defined, that the lead agency determines meets specified criteria is conclusively presumed to have satisfied the requirements of CEQA for the geothermal exploratory project, including to support the issuance of any permit, funding, or other approval by a state or local agency, as provided. The bill would require, for a project undertaken by a private entity that satisfies the requirements of CEQA pursuant to this provision, the project applicant to certify to the lead agency that either the entirety of the project is a public work or that certain prevailing wage requirements are satisfied.
Introduced
AB 531 Rogers Geothermal powerplants
and geothermal field
development projects:
certification and
environmental review
Geothermal This bill would expand the types of facilities eligible to be certified as environmental leadership development projects by the Energy Commission to include geothermal powerplants and geothermal field development projects, as defined.
Introduced
AB 615 Davies Power facilites:
emergency response and
action plan
Power Facilities This bill would require the application to also contain an emergency response and action plan that incorporates impacts to the surrounding areas in the event of an emergency and that would be conducted and coordinated with local emergency management agencies, unified program agencies, and local first response agencies. The bill would require that the plan include analysis and feedback from the local emergency management agencies as to whether the proposed facility requires supplemental first responder capabilities and meets National Fire Association 855 Standard as it relates to setbacks, as specified. The bill would require the plan to be paid for by the applicant.
Introduced
AB 705 Boerner Public Utilites Comission CPUC Spot bill Introduced AB 716 Carillo Energy: Hydrogen
Program
Hydrogen Spot Bill Introduced
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
AB 737 Qurik-Silva Energy: building
decarbonization: notice
and recordation of a
decarbonization charge
Decarbonization This bill would additionally add gas corporations to the definition of “energy supplier” for purposes of the above-described provisions.Introduced AB 738 Tangipa and
Patterson
Energy: building
standards: photovoltaic
requirements
Building Standards This bill would, until January 1, 2029, require residential construction intended to repair, restore, or replace a residential building damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster in an area in which a state of emergency has been proclaimed by the Governor to comply only with the requirements regarding photovoltaic systems pursuant to those regulations, if any, that were in effect at the time the damaged or destroyed building was originally constructed and would prohibit that construction from being required to comply with any additional or conflicting photovoltaic system requirements in effect at the time of repair, restoration, or replacement. The bill would only apply to the construction of a building if certain conditions are met with respect to the building owner’s income and insurance coverage, and to the location and square footage of the construction.
Introduced
AB 740 Harabedian Integrated energy policy
report: virtual power
plants
VPP This bill would require the Energy Commission, as part of the integrated energy policy report, to include modeling of the effects of virtual power plants on electricity costs and rate reduction and to submit to the Legislature a virtual power plant implementation plan that includes goals and milestones. The bill would require each electrical corporation to annually report to the commission its contribution towards meeting the load-shift goal.
Introduced
AB 745 Irwin Electricity: transmission
projects: review and
approval
Transmission Projects This bill would, consistent with the commission’s authority to review and approve new transmission line projects undertaken pursuant to the Independent System Operator planning process, require the commission to review and approve transmission line projects, including the extension, expansion, upgrade, or other modification of existing transmission lines, initiated by an electrical corporation.
Introduced
AB 777 Rodriguez Electricy Oversight Board Electricy Oversight Board
This bill would add to the board 2 more nonvoting legislative members, a 2nd member of the Assembly, appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, and a 2nd member of the Senate, appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.
Introduced
AB 825 Petrie-Norris Energy: cost framework:
rseidential rates
Rates This bill would require the PUC to submit an update to that report to the Legislature every two years following the initial submission, providing an evaluation of the implementation and impact of the framework, and the usage of the framework, identifying the specific requests by an electrical corporation or gas corporation for which the framework was employed by the PUC in evaluating the requests.
Introduced
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
AB 841 Patel Business: battery storage Battery Storage It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to battery storage requirements for private businesses. Introduced AB 854 Petrie-Norris Environmental quality:
greenhouse gas
emissions: permit
streamlining
Permitting This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to adopt permit streamlining guidance for projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Introduced
AB 864 Ward Hazardous waste: solar
photovoltaic modules
Solar Panel Recycling This bill would exempt solar photovoltaic modules not identified as hazardous waste and treated as universal waste, as defined, from state hazardous waste regulations, if transferred to a designated recycler for legitimate recycling, as described, and if the facility meets specified criteria relating to registration permits, as provided.
Introduced
AB 881 Petrie-Norris Carbon Capture,
Removal, Utiliziation, and
Storage Program
Carbon Capture,
Removal, Utiliziation,
and Storage Program
Spot Bill Introduced
AB 884 Essayli Campaign contributions:
investor-owned utilities
IOU This bill would prohibit an investor-owned utility from making a contribution to a candidate for elective state office and would prohibit a candidate for elective state office from accepting a contribution from an investor-owned utility.
Introduced
AB 915 Petrie-Norris Clean Energy Reliability
Investment Plan
Clean Energy
Reliability Investment
Plan
This bill would appropriate $900,000,000 from the General Fund to the commission for the 2025–26 fiscal year to be allocated for the Clean Energy Reliability Investment Plan for local incentive grants to increase investment in clean energy infrastructure.
Introduced
AB 941 Zbur California Environmental
Quality Act: electrical
infrastructure projects
CEQA This bill would require the commission to determine whether to certify the environmental impact report for an electrical infrastructure project that is a priority project, as defined, no later than 270 days after the commission determines that an application for an electrical infrastructure project is complete, except as specified.
Introduced
AB 942 Calderon Public utilities: rates Rates Spot Bill Introduced AB 1016 Gonzalez California Renewables
Portfolio Standard
Program
RPS Spot Bill Introduced
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
AB 1017 Boerner Public utilities: electrical
and gas corporations:
distribution capacity
Distribution Capacity This bill would require electrical or gas corporations, in a report required to be submitted annually to the commission, to include in the report the capacity of its electrical or gas distribution system, respectively.
Introduced
AB 1020 Schiavo Wildfire Fund Wildfire Fund Spot Bill Introduced AB 1104 Pellerin Solar energy resources Solar It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to solar energy resources. Introduced AB 1117 Schultz Electricity rates: optional
dynamic rate tariffs
Rates This bill would require the commission, through a new or existing proceeding, to develop optional dynamic rate tariffs applicable to each large electrical corporation for the large electrical corporation’s commercial and industrial customers on or before July 1, 2028, and for its other customers, including residential customers, on or before July 1, 2030. The bill would require each optional dynamic rate tariff to include, at minimum, specified components, including dynamic transmission and distribution rates that reflect real-time grid conditions and certain nonbypassable charges, as specified.
Introduced
AB 1156 Wicks Agricultural land use:
conversion to solar-use
easements
Solar This bill would, instead, require the right or interest in the parcel acquired by the city or county described above to be for a term of years, rather than an indefinite period, and the covenant with the county or city contained in the easement described above to run with the land for a term of years, rather than indefinitely. The bill would make these changes applicable only to easements rescinded and converted to solar use pursuant to these provisions after January 1, 2026.
Introduced
AB 1167 Berman Public utilities: rates Rates Spot Bill Introduced AB 1174 Alanis Clean Transportation
Program: eligible
programs and projects:
electrical vehicle
EVSE This bill would add to the categories of programs and projects eligible for funding under the Clean Transportation Program programs and projects to deter and combat vandalism of publicly available electric vehicle charging stations.
Introduced
AB 1180 Valencia Public utilities: rates Rates Spot Bill Introduced Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
AB 1207 Irwin Climate change: market-based compliance
mechanism
Cap-and-Trade This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to reauthorize the California Greenhouse Gas Cap-and-Trade Program.
Introduced
AB 1222 Bauer-Kahan Public utilities: judicial
review
IOUs This bill would prohibit the commission from authorizing electrical corporations to recover from their ratepayers the costs associated with seeking judicial review of a commission’s decision from a federal agency, or a state or federal court. The bill would require the electrical corporation to track those costs.
Introduced
AB 1223 Nguyen and Krell Public utilities IOUs It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation related to public utilities. Introduced AB 1228 Essayli Electricity: expedited
utility distribution
infrastructure
undergrounding program
Infrastructure This bill would specify that the approval of a distribution infrastructure undergrounding plan is not a project for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act, as specified.
Introduced
AB 1238 DeMaio Energy: gas stoves Electrification This bill would prohibit state agencies and local governments from adopting or enforcing a rule, regulation, resolution, or ordinance that directly or indirectly results in prohibiting the use of gas stoves in residential or nonresidential buildings.
Introduced
AB 1260 Ward Electricity: renewable
energy subscription
programs
Community
Renewables
The bill would require the PUC, on or before March 1, 2026, to modify the community renewable energy program to ensure the program meets the bill’s requirements or to adopt a new program and to adopt a final decision by September 1, 2026. The bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to evaluate community solar and storage projects as a load-modifying resource so that those projects may be counted as a load-modifying resource.
Introduced
AB 1273 Patterson Public utilities: electricity
rates
Rates This bill would prohibit the commission from placing the consideration of an application from an electrical corporation for a rate increase on its consent calendar.
Introduced
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
AB 1280 Garcia Energy Energy This bill would authorize the I-bank to provide financial assistance in connection with the financing or refinancing of a new category of climate catalyst projects, those that enable the decarbonization of industrial facilities’ use of heat and power, including, but not limited to, industrial heat pump and thermal energy storage projects, as specified, with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and the State Air Resources Board as consulting agencies. This bill would establish and implement an Industrial Facilities Thermal Energy Storage Program within the Long-Duration Energy Storage Program to provide financial incentives for eligible projects to decarbonize industrial facilities’ use of heat and power, as specified.
Introduced
AB 1285 Committee on
Emergency
Management
State Fire Marshal:
lithium-ion battery
facilities: guidance
Battery Storage This bill would require the State Fire Marshal, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, to develop fire prevention, response, and recovery measures for utility grade lithium-ion battery storage facilities, as specified.
Introduced
AB 1295 Patterson Public utilities: billing
statements: additional
costs attributable to state
requirements or programs
Billing This bill would require each public utility to provide to its customers information on the additional costs that are attributable to state requirements or programs, including those imposed by statute, regulation, the commission, or the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. The bill would require this information to be provided quarterly on the customer billing statement in a visible area and in a similar size and font as the billing information.
Introduced
AB 1301 Petrie-Norris Electricity: Power
Exchange
Power Exchange This bill would abolish the Power Exchange and would make various conforming changes. Introduced AB 1302 Wallis Puiblic utilities: rates Rates Spot Bill Introduced AB 1334 Wallis Solar energy: official state
energy
Solar This bill would establish solar energy as the official state energy. Introduced AB 1342 Soria Electricity: rates Rates This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to establish policies to reform the regulation of electricity rates for residential customers.
Introduced
AB 1347 Carrillo Electrical modernization
zones
Electrical
modernization zones
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation that would create electric modernization zones in order to meet the needs of high-growth economic areas throughout the state, as specified Introduced
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
AB 1372 Papan Electricity: electrified
commuter railroads:
regenerative braking: net
energy
Rates This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation that would require an electrical corporation, electric service provider, or community choice aggregator and an operator of an electrified commuter railroad that produces electricity through the regenerative braking of electric trains, including the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, to, upon completing certain technical studies, adopt or modify a tariff or contract that requires the electrical corporation, electric service provider, or community choice aggregator to bill the operator only for its net energy.
Introduced
AB 1404 Ortega Electrical Corporations:
connections: affordable
housing projects
Rates This bill would require an electrical corporation to connect an affordable housing project, as defined, to the electrical distribution grid within 60 days, except as specified. The bill would require the commission to streamline any necessary review on an affordable housing project that is ready to connect but sitting vacant and that has not been connected by an electrical corporation within the required 60 days. The bill would delay the effective date of a rate increase approved by the commission for the greater of either the amount of time the electrical corporation took, beyond 90 days from receipt of the project building plans, to provide a final contract, or the amount of time the electrical corporation took, beyond the 60 days allowed, to connect the most recently completed affordable housing project within the electrical corporation’s service area.
Introduced
AB 1408 Irwin Electricity: rates Rates This bill would require that the customer be provided with no less than 2 years, instead of one year, of bill protection during which the total amount paid by the residential customer for electric service is prohibited from exceeding the amount that would have been payable by the residential customer under that customer’s previous rate schedule.
Introduced
AB 1410 Garcia Public utilities: service
outages and updates:
alerts
Outages This bill would require each public utility to automatically enroll customers in alerts for service outages and updates. The bill would require customers to be provided with the opportunity to opt-out of any alerts the customer does not wish to receive, except as provided. The bill would require each public utility to annually verify a customer’s preferred contact method.
Introduced
AB 1423 Irwin Transportation
electrification: charging
station uptime:
regulatiosn: violations
EVSE This bill would instead require the Energy Commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission, to adopt tools to increase uptime for all charging stations and set standards for how all charging stations are required to notify customers about the availability and accessibility of publicly available charging infrastructure.
Introduced
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
AB 1436 Avila Farias Biomethane procurement
targets
Biomethane This bill would instead require that biomethane delivered to California through a common carrier pipeline meet either of the specified requirements, rather than both. The bill would also additionally add the displacement of conventional natural gas that results in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as one of the specified environmental benefits.
Introduced
AB 1484 Bennett Energy reliability Spot Spot Bill Introduced SB 24 McNerney Electrical and gas
corporations.
Spot Spot Bill Referred to Com. On
RLS.
SB 57 Padilla Data centers: rates. Data Centers This bill, the Ratepayer and Technological Innovation Protection Act, would require the commission, on or before July 1, 2026, to establish a special rate structure for data centers, as defined, that, among other things, protects residential ratepayers and small businesses and prevents cost shifts to those existing ratepayers and ensures electrical grid investments to serve data centers are fully recovered, as specified.
Senate E. U. & C.
SB 58 Padilla Sales and Use Tax Law:
exemptions: certified
data center facilities
Data Centers This bill would, on and after January 1, 2025, provide a partial exemption from those taxes with respect to the gross receipts from the sale, storage, use, installation, assembly, repair, maintenance, or other consumption of data center equipment, as defined, used at or for the benefit of a certified data center facility, as defined. The bill would require a data center facility to meet specified requirements in order to receive certification from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, including requirements relating to job creation, investment, and renewable energy procurement requirements. The bill would require the department to revoke certification where a data center facility obtains certification and subsequently fails to meet these requirements after reasonable opportunity for the data center facility to cure noncompliance, as provided.
Senate REV. & TAX
SB 80 Caballero The Fusion Research and
Development Innovation
Hub Program.
Fusion This bill would create the Fusion Research and Development Innovation Hub Program within GO-Biz to accelerate the development and growth of fusion energy by advancing fusion science and technology with the goal of delivering the world’s first fusion energy pilot plant in the state by 2040. The bill would require, among other things, GO-Biz to designate fusion research and development innovation hubs considering certain factors for advancing research and development diversity, including a network of hubs in geographically diverse regions that reflects the distribution of California’s diverse workforce and energy needs.
Senate B., P. & E.D.
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
SB 86 McNerney California Alternative
Energy and Advanced
Transportation Financing
Authority Act: sales and
use tax exclusion.
Fusion This bill would extend indefinitely the authorization to provide financial assistance in the form of a sales and use tax exclusion for projects approved by the authority. The bill would increase the maximum cumulative amount of the sales and use tax exclusions authorized under these provisions to $300,000,000 per calendar year. The bill would add electrical generation facilities using nuclear fusion technology to the types of projects qualifying for this sales and use tax exclusion. The bill would make other conforming changes.
Senate REV. & TAX
SB 88 Caballero Air resources: carbon
emissions: biomass.
Biomass This bill would require the state board, on or before January 1, 2027, to finalize the standardized system and historic baseline described above. The bill would require the state board, on or before January 1, 2028, to adopt a method of quantification or a lifecycle model for avoided carbon emissions, including, but not limited to, carbon dioxide, methane, and black carbon, from wildfire from the application of prescribed fire to forest biomass resources and agricultural biomass resources, and to develop a carbon credit or offset protocol for biochar and other beneficial carbon-removal products that result from the avoidance of megafires and prescribed fire using existing methodologies.
Senate E.Q.
SB 239 Arreguin Open meetings:
teleconferencing:
subsidiary body
Teleconferencing This bill would authorize a subsidiary body, as defined, to use alternative teleconferencing provisions and would impose requirements for notice, agenda, and public participation, as prescribed. The bill would require the subsidiary body to post the agenda at the primary physical meeting location. The bill would require the members of the subsidiary body to visibly appear on camera during the open portion of a meeting that is publicly accessible via the internet or other online platform, as specified. The bill would also require the subsidiary body to list a member of the subsidiary body who participates in a teleconference meeting from a remote location in the minutes of the meeting.
Sen Local
Government
SB 252 Valladares CEQA: exemption:
undegrounding
powerlines
CEQA This bill would exempt from the provisions of CEQA a project to underground powerlines. Sen Environmental Quality
SB 254 Becker Electrical Corporations:
nonbypassable charge
Spot Spot Bill Referred to Com. On
RLS.
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
SB 256 Perez Electricity: electrical
infrastructure
Infrastructure This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to enhance the resiliency and reliability of California’s electrical infrastructure in areas prone to wildfires, earthquakes, and other natural disasters by requiring electrical utilities to prioritize the undergrounding of power lines, the implementation of microgrid technologies, and the strengthening of public safety power shutoff standards and accountability, while ensuring the utilization of labor standards that promote a skilled workforce, and providing the commission with the ability to immediately access all relevant electrical fault data related to natural disasters.
Referred to Com. On
RLS.
SB 282 Wiener Residential heat pump
systems: water heaters
and HVAC: installations
Heat Pumps This bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2027, to establish a statewide certification program for licensed contractors of residential heat pump water heaters and heat pump heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to obtain a heat pump installation certification, and would require the commission to create a state training program, as described, on residential heat pump water heaters and heat pump HVAC systems for purposes of the certification program, as specified.
Senate E. U. & C.
SB 283 Laird Battery Energy storage
facilities: emergency
response plans and
emergency action plans
Battery Storage Spot Bill Referred to Com. On
RLS.
SB 285 Becker Net zero greenhouse gas
emissions goal: carbon
dioxide removal:
regulations
GHG Emissions This bill would, for the purpose of meeting, or tracking progress against, any state requirement to achieve net zero emissions of greenhouse gases, or for the purpose of reporting offsets against any of a reporting entity’s greenhouse gas emissions as part of reporting required pursuant the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, authorize only qualified carbon dioxide removal, as defined, to be used to reduce the state’s or an entity’s greenhouse gas emissions and would require qualified carbon dioxide removal used for those purposes to meet certain requirements, as specified.
Sen Environmental
Quality
SB 298 Caballero State Energy Resources
Conservation and
Development
Commission: seaports:
plan: alternative fuels
Alternative Fuels This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission), in coordination with the Transportation Agency and the state board, to develop a plan on or before December 31, 2030, for the use and deployment of alternative fuels at California’s public seaports, as provided.
The bill would require the Energy Commission to convene a working group to advise the Energy Commission on the development of information required by the plan, as specified.
Senate E. U. & C.
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
SB 302 Padilla Personal Income Tax Law
and Corporation Tax Law:
exclusions:
environmental credits
Tax Credits This bill, in conformity with federal law, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, would exclude from gross income a refund payment made for the specified federal environmental credits described above and any payment received by a transferor as consideration for a transfer, as provided. The bill would also prohibit a transferee from deducting the amount paid as consideration for the transfer, in conformity with federal law.
Sen Revenue and
Taxation
SB 314 Padilla Weights and measures:
electric vehicle supply
equipment
EVSE This bill would authorize an EVSE that has been audited or tested by the manufacturer or supplier to be used commercially without further testing during the remainder of the inspection period adopted by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, but not until it has been sealed by a sealer. The bill would, until January 1, 2028, among other things, exempt an EVSE installed in a workplace for the exclusive use of its employees, or installed in a residence, including a multifamily residential dwelling, for the exclusive use of the residents, from specified laws, and would authorize an EVSE, following installation, to be used in connection with the sale of electricity as a motor vehicle fuel without being placed into service by a service agency or sealer, a specified. The bill would authorize a county to take specified actions in order to support county oversight of EVSE and build capacity. The bill would require the Division of Measurement Standards to develop an optional pathway for compliance with specified laws using factory auditing and inspection for the EVSE, and to consider specified information when developing the pathway for compliance.
Sen Business,
Professions and
Economic
Development
SB 326 Becker and Laird Wildfire safety: The
California Wildfire
Mitigation Strategic
Planning Act
Wildfires This bill would require the deputy director, on or before January 1, 2027, and every 3 years thereafter, to prepare a Wildfire Risk Mitigation Planning Framework sufficient to quantitatively evaluate wildfire risk mitigation actions, as provided. The bill would require the framework to allow for geospatial evaluation and comparison of wildfire risk mitigation actions, as defined, sufficient to direct coordinated mitigation efforts and long-term collaborative mitigation planning. The bill would require the deputy director to, each year the framework is completed, submit a copy of the framework to the Legislature, the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, and the Public Utilities Commission for review and consideration.
Sen Governmental
Organization
SB 327 McNerney Nuclear fusion: research
data sharing
Nuclear This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation that would develop standards for nuclear fusion research data sharing.
Referred to Com. On
RLS.
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
SB 330 Padilla Electrical transmission
infrastructure: finacning
Transmission This bill would authorize the Governor to establish one or more pilot projects to develop, finance, or operate electrical transmission infrastructure that meet the specified criteria, including, among other things, that the transmission line is identified by the Independent System Operator in its transmission planning process as necessary to support clean energy generation to meet the state’s clean energy goals. The bill would require the Governor to designate existing state agencies, local public agencies, tribal organizations, or joint powers authorities to implement the pilot projects. The bill would authorize the pilot projects to develop, finance, operate, and maintain electrical transmission lines and all works, facilities, improvements, and property, or portions thereof, necessary or convenient for the conveyance of electricity, as specified. The bill would authorize the Governor to issue guidelines regarding application and certification of pilot projects.
Senate E. U. & C.
SB 331 Padilla State Energy Resources
Conservation and
Development
Commission: certifcation
of facilities: electrical
transmission projects
Transmission The bill would authorize an electrical corporation that files an application with the PUC to authorize the new construction of any electrical transmission facility to simultaneously submit to the Energy Commission an application for certification of the facility, as specified. The bill would authorize the Energy Commission to recover the reasonable administrative costs incurred from evaluating an application, as specified. The bill would provide that the Energy Commission’s certification of a facility proposed by an electrical corporation satisfies and replaces the PUC’s obligations under CEQA with respect to that facility. The bill would prohibit the PUC from approving an application until after the Energy Commission has issued a decision on certification of the proposed facility.
Because these provisions would be part of the Public Utilities Act and a violation of these requirements or a PUC action implementing these requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Senate E. U. & C.
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
SB 332 Wahab Investor-Owned Utilities
Accountability Act
IOU Oversight 1) This bill would require the Energy Commission, in coordination with the public advisor and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), on or before March 31, 2026, to issue a request for proposals for a team to develop a study.
The bill would require the study to (1) conduct a historical energy justice assessment of the investor-owned utility’s (IOU) operations and impacts, (2) complete a comparative analysis of the benefits and challenges of transitioning the IOUs to a successor entity in order to identify a recommended model, and, (3) if the study finds that it is in the best long-term interests of the people and ecologies of California to transition away from an investor-owned utility model, create a justice-centered implementation plan for managing the transition. 2) This bill would, among other things, prohibit a utility, including an electrical corporation, local publicly owned electric utility, gas corporation, and local publicly owned gas utility, from disconnecting a customer’s residential service for nonpayment if the customer has a household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line. The bill would prohibit a utility from disconnecting a customer’s residential service for nonpayment if the customer’s household is the residence of certain persons, including, among other persons, a person who is pregnant or 0 to 12 weeks postpartum. 3) This bill would require each electrical corporation, on or before April 1, 2026, to submit a proposed executive compensation structure to the PUC that is structured to promote safety as a priority and to ensure public safety through performance metrics, as provided. 4) This bill would prohibit, for proposed rate increases subject to PUC approval and a finding that the new rate is just and reasonable, an electrical corporation from proposing a compounded annual rate increase on residential customers above the increase in the Consumer Price Index. 5) Beginning with the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026, and ending with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2036, this bill would require the PUC to annually allocate $100,000,000 of the revenues received by the electrical corporations from that allocation of greenhouse gas allowances to the Transformative Climate Communities Program and to the Community Resilience Center Program, as specified. 6) This bill would require each electrical corporation to annually contract with an independent and reputable third party to audit all of the electrical corporation’s equipment and electrical lines and identify any equipment or electrical lines that have outlived their useful life.
Introduced
SB 348 Hurtado State Air Resources
Board: Low-Carbon Fuel
Standard
LCFS This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that would, among other things, require the board to revise the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard program, as provided. The bill would make related findings and declarations.
Referred to Com. On
RLS.
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
SB 371 Cabaldon Electrical and gas
corporations: new
construction: application:
analysis of greenhouse
gases
GHG Emissions This bill would require the application to also include an analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the project over the useful life of the plant, line, or extension.
Introduced
SB 377 Grayson Biomethane procurement
targets
Biomethane This bill would instead require that biomethane delivered to California through a common carrier pipeline meet either of the specified requirements, rather than both. The bill would also additionally add the displacement of conventional natural gas that results in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as one of the specified environmental benefits.
Introduced
SB 500 Stern Energy: reliability
planning assessment:
integrated energy policy
report
IEPR This bill would require that the assessment also include the status of utility transmission upgrades and electrical grid infrastructure capacity, PUC approvals of applications for certificates of public convenience and necessity and permits to construct utility and independent projects, and applications for permits for projects from the Energy Commission and the queue of projects from the Independent System Operator, include the expected completion dates for both system and local resources, and report on the use of fossil fuel by certain facilities constructed by, purchased by, or under contract with the Department of Water Resources, as specified. The bill would require the Energy Commission to quarterly publish on its internet website and update a tracking energy development dashboard that synthesizes and publishes the information included in the assessment and reported on California energy resources in the energy almanac.
Introduced
SB 533 Richardson Electric vehicle charging
stations: internet based
applications
EVSE This bill would create an exception to the above-described provisions that authorizes an electric vehicle charging station to require that payment for charging services be made through the use of an internet-based application and require the use of that internet-based application for admission to the premises.
Introduced
SB 540 Becker and Stern Independent System
Operator: independent
regional organization
Regional Organization This bill would delete the above-described provisions providing for the transformation of the ISO into a regional organization. The bill would authorize the ISO and the electrical corporations that are participating transmission owners whose transmission systems are operated by the ISO, in lieu of the ISO managing related energy markets, as provided, to use energy markets governed by an independent regional organization, provided that specified requirements are satisfied.
Introduced
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
SB 559 Stern Electricity: deenergization
events: communications
Deenergization events This bill would require, at the start of a deenergization event, an electrical corporation to immediately notify local emergency management organizations and local utility districts about the impacts of the deenergization, as specified. The bill would require detailed status information on restoration efforts to be made available to emergency management organizations, public safety officials, customers, and the public in real-time, with regular progress updates issued at intervals of no more than 12 hours, for all impacted circuits, as specified.
Introduced
SB 593 Hurtado Power surges: ratepayer
notice
Notice This bill would require a utility, which includes a community choice aggregator, an electrical corporation, and a local publicly owned electric utility, to develop and implement a system to notify a ratepayer of a power surge, as defined. The bill would require the notification to be transmitted within 5 minutes of detecting a power surge and to include specified information. The bill would also require a preemptive warning of a power surge, as provided, under specified circumstances. The bill would require a utility to install and maintain equipment capable of detecting power surges and to submit quarterly reports to the commission regarding power surges, as provided.
The bill would require a utility to compensate a ratepayer for damages to electrical systems, appliances, or devices caused by a power surge if the power surge resulted from utility equipment failure or negligence, to process claims for compensation within 30 days of receipt, and to offer financial incentives or rebates for the installation of whole-house surge protection systems by ratepayers.
Introduced
SB 620 Stern Public utilities: general
rate cases: electrical grid
infrastructure
General Rate Cases This bill would require the commission to prioritize the gathering, analysis, and independent verification of utility data used to justify general rate case proposals to ensure the cost-effective use of ratepayer funds for capital investments in electrical distribution and transmission grid infrastructure and the operation and maintenance of that infrastructure.
Introduced
SB 636 Menjivar Electrical or gas
corporations: deferment
of payments: hardship
Disconnections This bill would prohibit an electrical or gas corporation from disconnecting service of a customer who meets certain criteria, including making a hardship request based on certain circumstances, as provided. The bill would require the corporation to grant that customer a 6-month deferment for any and all payments due from the date that the deferment is granted. Upon the expiration of the deferment period, the bill would require the corporation to enroll the customer into its arrearage management program for any and all debts on the customer’s account. The bill would authorize the commission to adopt rules to implement these provisions.
Introduced
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
SB 708 Alvarado-Gil Public Utilities
Commission: quorum for
the transaction of
business
CPUC Spot Bill Introduced
SB 710 Blakespear Property taxation: active
solar energy systems:
extension
Solar Under existing property tax law, this exclusion remains in effect only until there is a subsequent change in ownership, but an active solar energy system that qualifies for the exclusion before January 1, 2027, will continue to receive the exclusion until there is a subsequent change in ownership. Existing law repeals these exclusion provisions on January 1, 2027. This bill would, beginning with the 2026–27 fiscal year, extend the exclusion indefinitely, and would limit the exclusion to customer-sited active solar energy systems, as defined.
Introduced
SB 714 Archuleta Zero-emission vehicles:
workforce development:
Clean Energy Workforce
Training Council
Workforce
Development
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish a zero-emission vehicle workforce development pilot project and a Clean Energy Workforce Training Council, as provided.
Introduced
SB 752 Richardson Sales and use taxes:
exemtions: California
Hybrid and Zero-Emission
Truck and Bus Voucher
Incentive Project: transit
b ses
Tax on ZE Buses The Sales and Use Tax Law provides various exemptions from those taxes, including, until January 1, 2026, an exemption from those taxes with respect to the sale in this state of, and the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of, specified zero-emission technology transit buses sold to specified public agencies that are eligible for specified incentives from the State Air Resources Board. This bill would extend the exemption for specified zero-emission technology transit buses until January 1, 2028.
Introduced
SB 755 Blakespear California Procurement
Climate Information Act
California
Procurement Climate
Information Act
This bill, the California Procurement Climate Information Act, would require the department, beginning January 1, 2027, to require a large contractor and significant contractor, as defined, to report their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risk, as specified. The bill would require the report to include, for large contractors, an annual disclosure of scope 1 emissions, scope 2 emissions, scope 3 emissions, and climate-related financial risk, as specified, and for significant contractors, an annual disclosure of scope 1 emissions and scope 2 emissions, as specified.
Introduced
SB 782 Perez Enhanced infrastructure
financing district
Enhanced
infrastructure
financing district
This bill would make additional findings and declarations that public benefits will accrue if local agencies, excluding schools, are provided a means to, among other things, mitigate wildfires by financing heavy equipment for vegetation clearance, undergrounding of local publicly owned electric utilities, and other firefighting equipment.
Introduced
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
SB 787 McNerney Energy: Task Force on
Equitable Clean Energy
Supply Chains and
Industrial Policy in
California
Task Force on
Equitable Clean
Energy Supply Chains
This bill would require the commission, on or before March 1, 2026, to designate a person, within the commission, to serve as the Senior Counselor on Industrial Policy and Clean Energy Development and would specify the senior counselor’s duties. The bill would require the senior counselor, on or before March 1, 2026, to convene the Task Force on Equitable Clean Energy Supply Chains and Industrial Policy in California, as provided, and would specify the duties and responsibilities of the task force. The bill would require the task force, on or before June 1, 2027, to submit to the Legislature a report on, among other things, its recommendations on strategies that would maximize the impact of state funds on promoting certain clean energy industries. The bill would require the Senior Counselor on Infrastructure, upon the issuance of the report, but on or before January 1, 2028, to convene certain state agencies to develop a workplan to implement the recommendations made in the report.
Introduced
SB 801 Hurtado Greenhouse gases:
reduction
GHG Emissions This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation that would require the state to consider any potential cost burden to Californians as it works on achieving its climate goals, including its greenhouse gas emissions goals and standards under the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.
Introduced
SB 803 Durazo California Conservation
Corps: Green Collar
Certification Program
California
Conservation Corps
This bill would require the Director of the California Conservation Corps to establish a Green Collar Certification Program that provides young persons participating in the corps with skills and education relating to reducing carbon emissions in residential and nonresidential buildings, preparing communities for environmental disasters, and developing conservation infrastructure projects that stabilize shorelines and restore ecological habitats, as provided.
Introduced
SB 810 Dahle Electricity: ratepayer-funded programs: reportsReporting Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to administer various programs, such as the Electric Program Investment Charge program, that are funded by a charge on electrical ratepayers. Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to require electrical corporations to implement various programs, such as energy efficiency programs, that are funded by electrical ratepayers. Under its authority, the Governor has issued an executive order directing the Energy Commission and the PUC to examine electrical ratepayer-funded programs under their respective jurisdictions and to identify programs and regulations that may be unduly adding to electricity rates for which the benefits provided may not be justified by the costs imposed on electrical ratepayers. The executive order requires those 2 commissions to report back to the Governor by January 1, 2025. This bill would require the Energy Commission and the PUC, by July 1, 2025, to each submit to the Legislature a report containing certain information required by the executive order.
Introduced
Orange County Power Authority 2025 California Bill Tracker Updated 2/25/2025
Bill # Author Title Category Summary Status
SB 836 Rubio Electricity: transmission
planning and permitting
Transmission Existing law requires the Energy Commission and PUC, in coordination with the Independent System Operator, every 5 years, to review and update, as necessary, the memorandum of understanding and a related workplan to ensure the memorandum and workplan reflect the coordination that is needed to help meet the state’s energy goals. This bill would require those entities to review and update, as necessary, the memorandum every 3 years, rather than every 5 years.
Introduced
SB 840 Limon and McGuire Greenhouse gases:
market-based
compliance mechanism
Cap-and-Trade This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to reform, and extend the operation of, the market-based compliance mechanism.
Introduced
SB 842 Stern Energy: firm zero-carbon
resources
Zero-Carbon
Resources
This bill would state that it is the intent of the legislature to enact future legislation to support the deployment of firm zero-carbon energy resources in order to enhance local reliability, improve grid resilience, and reduce ongoing ratepayer costs.
Introduced
SENATE BILL No. 540
Introduced by Senators Becker and Stern
February 20, 2025
An act to amend Section 337 of, to add Section 345.6 to, to repeal Section 352 of, and to repeal Article 4 (commencing with Section 355) of, Article 5 (commencing with Section 359) of, and Article 5.5 (commencing with Section 359.5) of, Chapter 2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of, the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity. legislative counsel’s digest
SB 540, as introduced, Becker. Independent System Operator:
independent regional organization.
Existing law provides for the establishment of an Independent System Operator (ISO) as a nonprofit public benefit corporation and requires the ISO to ensure efficient use and reliable operation of the electrical transmission grid consistent with achieving planning and operating reserve criteria no less stringent than those established by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council and the North American Electric Reliability Council. Existing law, the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015, provides for the transformation of the ISO into a regional organization, with the approval of the Legislature, pursuant to a specified process. That process provides that modifications to the ISO’s governance structure, through changes to its bylaws or other corporate governance documents, will not become effective until the ISO, the Public Utilities Commission, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the State Air Resources Board (state board), the Governor, and the Legislature take specified actions on or before January 1, 2019.
This bill would delete the above-described provisions providing for the transformation of the ISO into a regional organization. The bill
99 would authorize the ISO and the electrical corporations that are participating transmission owners whose transmission systems are operated by the ISO, in lieu of the ISO managing related energy markets, as provided, to use energy markets governed by an independent regional organization, provided that specified requirements are satisfied. The bill would authorize the ISO, on or after January 1, 2027, to implement tariff modifications accepted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to operate the energy markets whose rules are governed by an independent regional organization if the governing board of the ISO adopts a resolution, as specified, finding that each of the specified conditions have been, or will be, adopted by the independent regional organization. The bill would require the ISO to maintain the necessary technical capability to operate energy markets, as specified, and would require the ISO to continue its functions and responsibilities as a balancing authority, as provided.
Existing law requires the Power Exchange to provide an efficient competitive auction, open on a nondiscriminatory basis to all suppliers, that meets the loads of all exchange customers at efficient prices, and authorizes the Power Exchange governing board to form appropriate technical advisory committees composed of market and nonmarket participants to advise the governing board on relevant issues.
This bill would delete these provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
line 1 SECTION 1. Section 337 of the Public Utilities Code is line 2 amended to read:
line 3 337. (a) The Independent System Operator governing board line 4 shall be composed of comprise a five-member independent line 5 governing board of directors appointed by the Governor and subject line 6 to confirmation by the Senate. Any reference in this chapter or in line 7 any other provision of law to the Independent System Operator line 8 governing board means the independent governing board appointed line 9 under this subdivision.
line 10 (b) A member of the independent governing board appointed line 11 under subdivision (a) may not be affiliated with any actual or line 12 potential participant in any market administered by the Independent line 13 System Operator.
99 SB 540 — 2 —
line 1 (c) (1) All appointments shall be for three-year terms. line 2 (2) There is no limit on the number of terms that may be served line 3 by any member.
line 4 (d) The Oversight Board shall require the articles of line 5 incorporation and bylaws of the Independent System Operator to line 6 be revised in accordance with this section, and shall make filings line 7 with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as the Oversight line 8 Board determines to be necessary.
line 9 (e) For the purposes of the initial appointments to the line 10 Independent System Operator governing board, as provided in line 11 subdivision (a), the Governor shall appoint one member to a line 12 one-year term, two members to a two-year term, and two members line 13 to a three-year term.
line 14 (f) This section becomes inoperative on the date on which the line 15 governance modifications set forth in Section 359.5 become line 16 effective and is repealed on January 1 of the following year. line 17 SEC. 2. Section 345.6 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to line 18 read:
line 19 345.6. (a) In lieu of the Independent System Operator line 20 managing related energy markets as provided in subdivision (b) line 21 of Section 345.5, the Independent System Operator and the line 22 electrical corporations that are participating transmission owners line 23 whose transmission systems are operated by the Independent line 24 System Operator may use energy markets governed by an line 25 independent regional organization if all of the following line 26 requirements are satisfied:
line 27 (1) The independent regional organization is a nonprofit line 28 corporation whose governance documents include a corporate line 29 obligation to respect the authority of each state that has a line 30 load-serving entity or balancing authority participating in the line 31 market to set its own procurement, environmental, reliability, and line 32 other public interest policies.
line 33 (2) The governing board of the independent regional line 34 organization maintains a public policy committee consisting of line 35 members of the governing board of the independent regional line 36 organization that engages with states, local power authorities, and line 37 federal power marketing administrations about potential impacts line 38 to state, local, or federal policies before it approves a tariff change line 39 for filing at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 99 — 3 — SB 540
line 1 (3) The governing board of the independent regional line 2 organization maintains a relationship with and seeks input from a line 3 body of state regulators or similar body to receive the views of line 4 state regulators.
line 5 (4) The independent regional organization makes funding line 6 available for a consumer advocate organization that represents the line 7 interests of one or more consumer advocate offices authorized in line 8 state law and facilitates engagement by those offices in the markets line 9 governed by the independent regional organization. line 10 (5) The independent regional organization maintains an office line 11 of public participation to provide information and education to line 12 members of the public about issues and initiatives at the line 13 independent regional organization, including facilitating line 14 engagement in those processes.
line 15 (6) In addition to any independent market monitoring activity line 16 required by a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order, the line 17 independent regional organization maintains access to independent line 18 market analysis for the governing board of the independent regional line 19 organization on the impacts of market dynamics or rule changes line 20 to minimize overall costs to end-use consumers. line 21 (7) Subject to appropriate confidentiality provisions, market line 22 data is available to the commission and the Public Advocate’s line 23 Office, and other states’ commissions and public advocate offices, line 24 to the same or greater extent as existed on December 31, 2024, for line 25 the markets governed by the Independent System Operator. line 26 (8) There is a stakeholder process designed to provide line 27 nonbinding advice to the governing board of the independent line 28 regional organization.
line 29 (9) The independent regional organization is obligated to line 30 conduct meetings and make decisions in an open process with line 31 transparent, documented rationales, and all meetings of the line 32 governing board of the independent regional organization are line 33 publicly noticed and, excluding executive sessions, are available line 34 to remote participants, recorded and posted on the independent line 35 regional organization’s internet website, open to the public, and line 36 subject to open record requirements.
line 37 (10) The Independent System Operator continues to operate the line 38 energy markets, subject to the market rules determined by the line 39 independent regional organization as accepted by the Federal line 40 Energy Regulatory Commission.
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line 1 (11) The market rules of the independent regional organization line 2 continue to provide greenhouse gas emissions information and line 3 protocols sufficient to enable entities subject to the State Air line 4 Resources Board’s rules to demonstrate compliance. line 5 (12) The independent regional organization permits and provides line 6 a procedure for withdrawal by any participant with reasonable line 7 prior notice.
line 8 (b) On or after January 1, 2027, the Independent System line 9 Operator may implement tariff modifications accepted by the line 10 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to operate the energy line 11 markets whose rules are governed by an independent regional line 12 organization, as provided in subdivision (a), if the governing board line 13 of the Independent System Operator adopts a resolution finding line 14 that each of the requirements of paragraphs (1) through (12), line 15 inclusive, of subdivision (a) have been or will be adopted by the line 16 independent regional organization. The governing board of the line 17 Independent System Operator may adopt the resolution if the line 18 Independent System Operator satisfies all of the following line 19 requirements:
line 20 (1) The meeting is open to the public, available to remote line 21 participants, recorded, and posted on the Independent System line 22 Operator’s internet website.
line 23 (2) The Independent System Operator issues a notice of the line 24 meeting and proposed findings not less than 90 days before the line 25 meeting.
line 26 (3) The notice explains the basis for finding that each line 27 requirement of paragraphs (1) through (12), inclusive, of line 28 subdivision (a) will be met.
line 29 (4) The notice provides an opportunity for written comments line 30 on the proposed findings.
line 31 (5) The Independent System Operator issues written responses line 32 to any comments not less than 20 days before the meeting. line 33 (c) (1) The Independent System Operator shall maintain the line 34 necessary technical capability to operate energy markets in a line 35 manner that enables California electrical corporations, local line 36 publicly owned electric utilities, and other applicable market line 37 participants to withdraw from the markets governed by the line 38 independent regional organization and instead the Independent line 39 System Operator would provide separate market services for those line 40 entities.
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line 1 (2) This section does not modify the commission’s authority to line 2 direct an electrical corporation to withdraw from an energy market line 3 governed by an independent regional organization in response to line 4 federal action or any other significant change in market rules or line 5 operations detrimental to California consumers or California line 6 procurement, environmental, reliability, or other public interest line 7 policies.
line 8 (d) (1) The Independent System Operator shall continue its line 9 functions and responsibilities as a balancing authority as they line 10 existed before enactment of this section, and maintain compliance line 11 with applicable reliability standards as developed, adopted, and line 12 enforced by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, line 13 the Western Electricity Coordinating Council, or the Federal line 14 Energy Regulatory Commission.
line 15 (2) The Independent System Operator shall not change its line 16 balancing authority area from that which existed on December 31, line 17 2024, except as follows:
line 18 (A) Standard accretion of new transmission lines, substations, line 19 and other equipment by participating transmission owners. line 20 (B) The Independent System Operator may combine its line 21 balancing authority area with another California balancing authority line 22 if the combination is mutually agreed upon.
line 23 (C) The Independent System Operator may use its subscriber line 24 participating transmission owner tariff.
line 25 (3) This section does not change the responsibilities of the line 26 Independent System Operator under Section 345.5, including line 27 managing the transmission grid, planning for transmission line 28 expansion, and complying with Section 25308 of the Public line 29 Resources Code.
line 30 (e) The Independent System Operator may act as a vendor, line 31 through a contract with the independent regional organization, of line 32 market operation services, generation dispatch services, line 33 transmission operation services, transmission planning services, line 34 reliability coordination, balancing authority compliance or line 35 operation services, or other electrical system services. line 36 (f) For purposes of this section, the terms “balancing authority,” line 37 “balancing authority area,” and “California balancing authority” line 38 have the same meanings as provided in Section 399.12. line 39 SEC. 3. Section 352 of the Public Utilities Code is repealed. 99 SB 540 — 6 —
line 1 352. (a) The Independent System Operator may not enter into line 2 a multistate entity or a regional organization as authorized in line 3 Section 359 unless that entry is approved by the Oversight Board. line 4 (b) This section becomes inoperative on the date on which the line 5 governance modifications set forth in Section 359.5 become line 6 effective and is repealed on January 1 of the following year. line 7 SEC. 4. Article 4 (commencing with Section 355) of Chapter line 8 2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code is repealed. line 9 SEC. 5. Article 5 (commencing with Section 359) of Chapter line 10 2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code is repealed. line 11 SEC. 6. Article 5.5 (commencing with Section 359.5) of line 12 Chapter 2.3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code is line 13 repealed.
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SENATE BILL No. 239
Introduced by Senator Arreguín
January 30, 2025
An act to add Section 54953.05 the Government Code, relating to local government.
legislative counsel’s digest
SB 239, as introduced, Arreguín. Open meetings: teleconferencing:
subsidiary body.
Existing law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a legislative body, as defined, of a local agency be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend and participate. The act generally requires for teleconferencing that the legislative body of a local agency that elects to use teleconferencing post agendas at all teleconference locations, identify each teleconference location in the notice and agenda of the meeting or proceeding, and have each teleconference location be accessible to the public. Existing law also requires that, during the teleconference, at least a quorum of the members of the legislative body participate from locations within the boundaries of the territory over which the local agency exercises jurisdiction, except as specified.
Existing law, until January 1, 2026, authorizes specified neighborhood city councils to use alternate teleconferencing provisions related to notice, agenda, and public participation, as prescribed, if, among other requirements, the city council has adopted an authorizing resolution and 2⁄3 of the neighborhood city council votes to use alternate teleconference provisions, as specified.
This bill would authorize a subsidiary body, as defined, to use alternative teleconferencing provisions and would impose requirements for notice, agenda, and public participation, as prescribed. The bill
99 would require the subsidiary body to post the agenda at the primary physical meeting location. The bill would require the members of the subsidiary body to visibly appear on camera during the open portion of a meeting that is publicly accessible via the internet or other online platform, as specified. The bill would also require the subsidiary body to list a member of the subsidiary body who participates in a teleconference meeting from a remote location in the minutes of the meeting.
The bill would require the legislative body that established the subsidiary body electing to use teleconferencing pursuant to these provisions to establish the subsidiary body by charter, ordinance, resolution, or other formal action to make specified findings by majority vote, before the subsidiary body uses teleconferencing for the first time and every 12 months thereafter. The bill would require the subsidiary body to approve the use of teleconference by 2⁄3 vote before using teleconference pursuant to these provisions.
The bill would exempt from these alternative teleconferencing provisions a subsidiary body that has subject matter jurisdiction over police oversight, elections, or budgets. The bill would require any member of a subsidiary body who is an elected official to comply with specified agenda and quorum requirements to participate in a meeting through teleconferencing pursuant to this section, and would require any final recommendations adopted by a subsidiary body to be presented at a regular meeting of the legislative body that established the subsidiary body.
Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
The California Constitution requires local agencies, for the purpose of ensuring public access to the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies, to comply with a statutory enactment that amends or enacts laws relating to public records or open meetings and contains findings demonstrating that the enactment furthers the constitutional requirements relating to this purpose.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
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The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
line 1 SECTION 1. Section 54953.05 is added to the Government line 2 Code, to read:
line 3 54953.05. (a) (1) The definitions in Section 54953, as that line 4 section may be amended from time to time, apply for purposes of line 5 this section.
line 6 (2) For purposes of this section, “subsidiary body” means a line 7 legislative body that meets all of the following:
line 8 (A) Is described in subdivision (b) of Section 54952. line 9 (B) Serves exclusively in an advisory capacity. line 10 (C) Is not authorized to take final action on legislation, line 11 regulations, contracts, licenses, grants, permits, or other line 12 entitlements.
line 13 (b) A subsidiary body may use teleconferencing without line 14 complying with paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 54953, line 15 if the subsidiary body complies with all of the following:
line 16 (1) The teleconferenced meetings shall be conducted in a manner line 17 that protects the statutory and constitutional rights of the parties line 18 or the public appearing before the subsidiary body. line 19 (2) Each member of the subsidiary body shall participate through line 20 both audio and visual technology.
line 21 (3) The subsidiary body shall provide at least one of the line 22 following as a means by which the public may remotely hear and line 23 visually observe the meeting, and remotely address the subsidiary line 24 body:
line 25 (A) A two-way audiovisual platform.
line 26 (B) A two-way telephonic service and a live webcasting of the line 27 meeting.
line 28 (4) The subsidiary body shall give notice of the meeting and line 29 post agendas as otherwise required by this chapter. line 30 (5) The subsidiary body shall designate a primary physical line 31 meeting location where members of the public may physically line 32 attend, observe, hear, and participate in the meeting. At least one line 33 staff member of the subsidiary body shall be present at the primary line 34 physical meeting location during the meeting. The subsidiary body line 35 shall post the agenda at the primary physical meeting location, but line 36 need not post the agenda at a remote location.
line 37 (6) In each instance in which notice of the time of the line 38 teleconferenced meeting is otherwise given or the agenda for the 99 — 3 — SB 239
line 1 meeting is otherwise posted, the subsidiary body shall also give line 2 notice of the means by which members of the public may access line 3 the meeting and offer public comment.
line 4 (7) The agenda shall identify and include an opportunity for all line 5 persons to attend and address the subsidiary body directly pursuant line 6 to Section 54954.3 via a call-in option or via an internet-based line 7 service option.
line 8 (8) In the event of a disruption that prevents the subsidiary body line 9 from broadcasting the meeting to members of the public using the line 10 call-in option or internet-based service option, or in the event of line 11 a disruption within the subsidiary body’s control that prevents line 12 members of the public from offering public comments using the line 13 call-in option or internet-based service option, the subsidiary body line 14 shall take no further action on items appearing on the meeting line 15 agenda until public access to the meeting via the call-in option or line 16 internet-based service option is restored. Actions taken on agenda line 17 items during a disruption that prevents the subsidiary body from line 18 broadcasting the meeting may be challenged pursuant to Section line 19 54960.1.
line 20 (9) Notwithstanding Section 54953.3, an individual desiring to line 21 provide public comment through the use of an internet website, or line 22 other online platform, not under the control of the subsidiary body, line 23 that requires registration to log in to a teleconference may be line 24 required to register as required by the third-party internet website line 25 or online platform to participate.
line 26 (10) The members of the subsidiary body shall visibly appear line 27 on camera during the open portion of a meeting that is publicly line 28 accessible via the internet or other online platform. line 29 (A) The visual appearance of a member of the subsidiary body line 30 on camera may cease only when the appearance would be line 31 technologically impracticable, including, but not limited to, when line 32 the member experiences a lack of reliable broadband or internet line 33 connectivity that would be remedied by joining without video, or line 34 when the visual display of meeting materials, information, or line 35 speakers on the internet or other online platform requires the visual line 36 appearance of a member of a subsidiary body on camera to cease. line 37 (B) If a member of the advisory body does not appear on camera line 38 due to challenges with internet connectivity, the member shall line 39 announce the reason for their nonappearance when they turn off line 40 their camera.
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line 1 (C) A member shall publicly disclose at the meeting before any line 2 action is taken, whether any other individuals 18 years of age or line 3 older are present in the room at the remote location with the line 4 member, and the general nature of the member’s relationship with line 5 any such individuals.
line 6 (11) The subsidiary body shall not require public comments to line 7 be submitted in advance of the meeting and must provide an line 8 opportunity for the public to address the subsidiary body and offer line 9 comment in real time.
line 10 (A) A subsidiary body that provides a timed public comment line 11 period for each agenda item shall not close the public comment line 12 period for the agenda item, or the opportunity to register, pursuant line 13 to paragraph (9), to provide public comment until that timed public line 14 comment period has elapsed.
line 15 (B) A subsidiary body that does not provide a timed public line 16 comment period, but takes public comment separately on each line 17 agenda item, shall allow a reasonable amount of time per agenda line 18 item to allow public members the opportunity to provide public line 19 comment, including time for members of the public to register line 20 pursuant to paragraph (9), or otherwise be recognized for the line 21 purpose of providing public comment.
line 22 (C) A subsidiary body that provides a timed general public line 23 comment period that does not correspond to a specific agenda item line 24 shall not close the public comment period or the opportunity to line 25 register, pursuant to paragraph (9), until the timed general public line 26 comment period has elapsed.
line 27 (12) A member of the subsidiary body who participates in a line 28 teleconference meeting from a remote location shall be listed in line 29 the minutes of the meeting.
line 30 (c) In order to use teleconferencing pursuant to this section, the line 31 legislative body that established the subsidiary body by charter, line 32 ordinance, resolution, or other formal action shall make the line 33 following findings by majority vote before the subsidiary body line 34 uses teleconferencing pursuant to this section for the first time, line 35 and every 12 months thereafter:
line 36 (1) The legislative body has considered the circumstances of line 37 the subsidiary body.
line 38 (2) Teleconference meetings of the subsidiary body would line 39 enhance public access to meetings of the subsidiary body. 99 — 5 — SB 239
line 1 (3) Teleconference meetings of the subsidiary body would line 2 promote the attraction, retention, and diversity of subsidiary body line 3 members.
line 4 (d) The legislative body shall approve the use of line 5 teleconferencing by two-thirds vote before using teleconference line 6 pursuant to this section.
line 7 (e) This section shall not apply to a subsidiary body that has line 8 subject matter jurisdiction over police oversight, elections, or line 9 budgets.
line 10 (f) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), any member of a subsidiary line 11 body who is an elected official shall comply with paragraph (3) line 12 of subdivision (b) of Section 54953 to participate in a meeting line 13 through teleconferencing pursuant to this section. line 14 (g) Any final recommendations adopted by a subsidiary body line 15 shall be presented at a regular meeting of the legislative body that line 16 established the subsidiary body.
line 17 SEC. 2. The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1 of line 18 this act, which adds Section 54953.05 to the Government Code, line 19 imposes a limitation on the public’s right of access to the meetings line 20 of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies line 21 within the meaning of Section 3 of Article I of the California line 22 Constitution. Pursuant to that constitutional provision, the line 23 Legislature makes the following findings to demonstrate the interest line 24 protected by this limitation and the need for protecting that interest:
line 25 By removing the requirement for agendas to be placed at the line 26 location of each public official participating in a public meeting line 27 remotely, this act protects the personal, private information of line 28 public officials and their families while preserving the public’s line 29 right to access information concerning the conduct of the people’s line 30 business.
line 31 SEC. 3. The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1 of line 32 this act, which adds Section 54953.05 to the Government Code, line 33 furthers, within the meaning of paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) line 34 of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution, the purposes line 35 of that constitutional section as it relates to the right of public line 36 access to the meetings of local public bodies or the writings of line 37 local public officials and local agencies. Pursuant to paragraph (7) line 38 of subdivision (b) of Section 3 of Article I of the California line 39 Constitution, the Legislature makes the following findings:
99 SB 239 — 6 —
line 1 This act is necessary to provide opportunities for public line 2 participation in meetings of specified public agencies and to line 3 promote the attraction and retention of members of those agencies.
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99 — 7 — SB 239