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Assembly committee gives AB 34 a due-pass to Appropriations to extend hydro eligibility for public utilities
Summary
The Assembly Natural Resources Committee voted to give AB 34 a due-pass recommendation and refer it to the Appropriations Committee. The bill, sponsored by Assemblymember Joe Patterson, would temporarily extend the ability of publicly owned utilities to count existing large hydroelectric generation toward California's renewable portfolio obligations.
Assemblymember Joe Patterson presented AB 34 during a special-order hearing of the California State Assembly Natural Resources Committee and the committee voted to give the bill a due-pass recommendation, referring it to the Appropriations Committee.
"This is a very simple bill," Patterson said in his presentation, adding that the measure would extend for "a few more years" the rule allowing only publicly owned utilities to count existing large hydroelectric generation toward their renewable portfolio obligations. Patterson closed by asking members for an "I" vote.
Shane Levine, representing the Northern California Power Agency, and Dr. Lena Perkins, acting deputy director of resources for the City of Palo Alto, spoke briefly in support. Levine told the committee the accommodation had been negotiated in prior legislation (SB 100 and SB 350) and warned that, "Without this accommodation, there's a significant account of, affordability risk, to a number of communities, and who are going through resource planning right now," arguing that urgency justified the bill.
No members of the public indicated support or opposition in the hearing room, and the committee moved the bill to member consideration. The chair announced a due-pass recommendation from the chair and ordered a roll-call vote. The roll call recorded affirmative votes from Bridal; Alanis; Connolly; Garcia; Haney; Hoover; Kalra; Maritsuchi; Patterson; Pellerin Schulz; Wicks; and Zibur. Committee staff declared the measure passed and referred to the Appropriations Committee.
The transcript does not record the exact duration of the extension AB 34 would authorize; testimony described it as "a few more years." The bill was framed in the hearing as a narrowly targeted accommodation for publicly owned utilities (POUs) and was discussed in the context of prior legislative compromises under SB 100 and SB 350. The committee provided no recorded amendments, and no motion maker or seconder was identified in the public transcript.
The committee adjourned after the vote. The bill will next be considered by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
