Legislative record

School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. Existing law requires the PUC to require those electrical corporations with 250,000 or more customer accounts in the state, and those gas corporations with 400,000 or more customer accounts in the state, to fund as part of their energy efficiency portfolios the joint School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program, which consists of the School Reopening Ventilation and Energy Efficiency Verification and Repair Program (SRVEVR Program) and the School Noncompliant Plumbing Fixture and Appliance Program (SNPFA Program) . Existing law requires, for each program year, that 75% of these moneys are allocated to the SRVEVR Program and that 25% of these moneys are allocated to the SNPFA Program. Existing law requires that the School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program be a joint program among all the participating utilities, be consistent across the utility territories, and be designed, administered, and implemented by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) as the program administrator. The Energy Commission administratively established the School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program Fund and existing law continuously appropriates moneys in the fund to the Energy Commission for purposes of the program. Existing law requires all allocated funds to be spent or returned to each electrical corporation or gas corporation by December 1, 2026. Existing law authorizes the Energy Commission to set application and encumbrance deadlines to ensure that the reversion of funds occurs by December 1, 2026. This bill would extend the operation of the School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program to January 1, 2031. The bill would require the funds to be encumbered by December 1, 2028, and would extend the date by which all funds allocated pursuant to the program are required to be spent or returned to each utility to December 1, 2029, as specified. The bill would authorize the Energy Commission to set application and encumbrance deadlines to ensure that the encumbrance of these funds occurs by December 1, 2028, and that the reversion of these funds occurs instead by December 1, 2029, and would require the Energy Commission to make all reasonable efforts to ensure that schools have the opportunity to apply for and receive grants and complete funded projects before those dates, as specified. The bill would extend the liquidation period for all grants awarded through the School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program before August 1, 2026, until October 1, 2029. Beginning July 1, 2026, the bill would require 100% of the moneys for the School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program to be allocated to the SRVEVR Program. By extending the term of a continuous appropriation, the bill would make an appropriation. Existing law requires the Energy Commission, until March 1, 2027, to annually submit a report to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee describing programmatic activities and spending pursuant to the School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program, as specified. This bill would extend the operation of this annual reporting requirement until March 1, 2031. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act is a crime. Because certain provisions of this bill would be part of the act, the violation of which would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.