Energy: renewable bioenergy projects.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities. Existing law requires every electrical corporation to file with the commission a standard tariff for electricity generated by an electric generation facility, as defined, that qualifies for the tariff, is owned and operated by a retail customer of the electrical corporation, and is located within the service territory of, and developed to sell electricity to, the electrical corporation. Existing law requires an electrical corporation to make the tariff available to the owner or operator of an electric generation facility within the service territory of the electrical corporation, as specified, until the electrical corporation meets its proportionate share of a statewide cap of 750 megawatts, as specified. This bill would require the commission, by June 1, 2013, to direct the electrical corporations to collectively procure at least 250 megawatts of cumulative rated generating capacity from developers of bioenergy projects that commence operation on or after June 1, 2013. The bill would require the commission, for each electrical corporation, to allocate shares of the additional 250 megawatts based on the ratio of each electrical corporation's peak demand compared to the total statewide peak demand. The bill would require the commission to allocate those 250 megawatts to electrical corporations from specified categories of bioenergy project types, with specified portions of that 250 megawatts to be allocated from each category. The bill would require the commission to encourage gas and electrical corporations to develop and offer programs and services to facilitate development of in-state biogas for a broad range of purposes. The bill would authorize the commission, in consultation with specified state agencies, if it finds that the allocations of those 250 megawatts are not appropriate, to reallocate those 250 megawatts among those categories.