Public utilities: ratesetting proceedings: local publicly owned electric utilities: California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program.

Assembly Member Patterson’s measure intertwines rate-setting transparency with explicit renewable procurement obligations for local publicly owned electric utilities, placing a strong emphasis on public participation and accountability in major rate decisions while aligning local procurement timelines with the state’s renewable targets. The core change would prevent the Public Utilities Commission from placing any rate-increasing decision for an electrical corporation with a revenue requirement over one billion dollars on the consent calendar. Before the commission votes on such a decision that would raise rates by more than 5 percent, the bill requires a public comment period of at least 30 minutes, provided there are speakers available, and otherwise adjusts to the public’s participation limits.

The proposal also tightens public-access requirements around the commission’s proceedings. It would obligate the commission to make agenda materials, related documents, and adopted decisions readily accessible on its website, publish proposed and alternate decisions during the proceedings, and provide updated rulings within a defined timeframe. In addition, it would ensure that information about how the public can engage with the ratemaking process, including the public advisor’s role, is publicly available online, strengthening the linkage between rate decisions and public input.

On the local publicly owned electric utility side, the bill would require the adoption and implementation of a renewable energy resources procurement plan that sets minimum procurement quantities as a share of total retail sales for each compliance period, integrated into the utility’s broader integrated resource planning. The targets begin at 20 percent for 2011–2013 and progress to 60 percent by 2030, with subsequent multiyear periods established by the Energy Commission to maintain at least 60 percent thereafter. The plan would require procurement of eligible renewable energy resources consistent with existing standards, while allowing exclusions for voluntary green pricing or shared renewables programs, provided credits affiliated with such programs are retired and not used for compliance. The bill also permits certain delay or cost-containment measures and requires the governing board to adopt an enforcement program, annual Brown Act postings, and public notices for meetings related to the procurement plan.

Enforcement and oversight would involve the Energy Commission administer­ing the procurement provisions, with penalties potentially imposed by the State Air Resources Board for noncompliance, and penalties deposited into the Air Pollution Control Fund for use in reducing emissions within the same geographic area. The measure maintains existing obligations for hydro-based considerations and long-term arrangements, while clarifying adjustments for unavoidable contracts and ownership agreements to ensure procurement targets reflect those commitments. Taken together, the proposals seek to formalize transparency in rate decisions for large electric corporations and codify a structured, progressively ambitious renewable procurement framework for local publicly owned utilities within the state’s broader energy policy landscape.