Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that revises the provisions governing renewable energy, energy efficiency, and peak demand reduction and alters funding allocations under the Home Energy Assistance Program.

Highlights:

• Authorizes customer of an electric distribution utility or electric services company to opt out of paying any rider, charge, or other cost-recovery mechanism designed to recover the costs of the company’s qualifying renewable energy resources, beginning January 1, 2018 (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that the public utilities commission will recognize and count the following for the purpose of measuring and determining compliance with the energy efficiency and peak demand reduction requirements (Sec. 1):

• Energy efficiency savings and peak demand reductions that occur as a consequence of consumer reductions in water usage or reductions and improvements in wastewater treatment;

• Non-electric energy efficiency savings or non-electric peak demand reductions; and

• Savings and reduction associated with heat rate, efficiency, and other energy improvements.

• Prohibits electric companies from providing a portion of their electricity from qualifying renewable energy resources if doing so exceeds the reasonably expected cost of otherwise producing the same amount of energy by 3% or more (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes amount achieved from energy-efficiency savings or peak-demand reduction that’s in excess of the requirements to be banked and applied toward achieving the requirements in future years (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text