Public utilities: climate credits.

Assembly Member Zbur's utility reform measure establishes specific timing requirements for California Climate Credit distributions, mandating when electrical and gas corporations must apply these greenhouse gas allowance revenues to customer bills. The legislation requires electrical corporations to provide credits to residential and small business customers in August and September, while emissions-intensive trade-exposed customers would receive credits in August. Natural gas corporations must distribute credits to residential customers each February.

The bill authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to allocate up to 15 percent of greenhouse gas allowance revenues toward clean energy and energy efficiency projects. These initiatives must be established by statute and administered by either the electrical corporation or an approved third-party administrator, provided they lack other funding sources. The commission retains authority to modify credit distribution schedules in response to extreme or unforeseen circumstances.

Under the measure's provisions, electrical corporations must implement customer outreach plans incorporating bill notices and media communications to maximize public awareness of the crediting process. The costs of these outreach efforts qualify for rate recovery through established utility pricing mechanisms. The bill classifies violations of these requirements as criminal offenses under the Public Utilities Act, though it requires no state reimbursement to local agencies for associated enforcement costs.