AUGUST UPDATE: This Legislative Session we’ve been fighting to preserve the strength of Community Choice programs. Monday, August 12, the Legislative session resumes. We must hold the line for the last 30 days. Our work isn’t over.
Four bills still threaten the autonomy and success of Community Choice agencies. Each of these bills, AB 1584, AB 155, SB 520, and SB 676, erodes the autonomy of local municipal decision-makers with regard to Community Choice programs. Limiting the autonomy of these programs consequently reduces the benefits to participating communities, while cutting that community’s input and oversight over their energy resources.
What’s wrong with these bills?
- Three measures (AB 1584, SB 155 and SB 676) expand the CPUC’s authority over Community Choice programs, directly contravening the original Community Choice law, AB 117 (2002).
- The fourth measure (SB 520) restricts the designation of (energy) “provider of last resort” to the investor-owned utilities. Shockingly, it does so in a year in which the largest of those utilities has sought bankruptcy protection and ratepayer relief for its performance failures and economic woes.
Help defeat these bills! All four measures need only to pass their last floor vote. Your voice in opposition could make an important difference.
- To oppose AB 1584, call or email your Senator;
- To oppose SB 155, SB 520, or SB 676, call or email your Assemblymember.
Thank you for your help.
PS. If you need contact info on your representatives, draft letters of opposition, or any of the materials on the original Campaign page, it’s all still here – please pull down below.
===================== Original Campaign follows below ============================
Please take urgent action!
Community Choice is again under attack at the California legislature.
Almost a dozen bills are moving quickly through the California legislature, each designed to restrict the right of Community Choice programs to make decisions about energy procurement and local programs. While limiting the autonomy of Community Choice programs, these bills are also rewarding the very parties that brought you the deadly wildfires: the monopoly utilities and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
Read here to:
- Find your elected representatives
- Track Bill status, to target your calls
- Office phone numbers and energy committee staffers names and email addresses;
- Copies of letters submitted by the California Alliance for Community Energy, and
- Instructions on how to send your own letters to the right Committees.
PLEASE Act Now to help fight off this unprecedented, multi-faceted attack on the ability of Community Choice programs to respond to local needs and provide local benefits.
WHO TO CALL
- Find your State Assembly and Senate representatives HERE.
- Key Committee members are listed here – each list is in a spreadsheet, with elected names, staff names, phone numbers and updated email addresses. Downloading may take a minute – thanks for your patience.
Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee — Here.
Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee — Here
WHAT TO SAY
Highest Priority — Tell your Senator to OPPOSE AB 56 – This measure threatens CCAs right to procure energy, a core responsibility under the original CCA mandate, AB 117.
- Link to Bill Status – here. Check the tabs labeled “Status” and “Votes”
- CACE AB 56 Letter of Opposition
These Bills are in the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee. The following Bills have all been approved by the Senate and are now in the Assembly. Contact staff of all members of the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee. Tell them to:
− OPPOSE SB 350 – Takes away CCAs right to procure Resource Adequacy
- Link to Status of SB 350
- CACE SB 350 Letter of Opposition
− OPPOSE SB 155 – Expands CPUC control over CCAs procurement
- Link to status of SB 155
- CACE SB 155 Letter of Opposition
− OPPOSE SB 520 – Makes investor-owned utilities the default providers of last resort.
- Link to status of SB 520
− OPPOSE SB 676 – Prevents CCAs from developing electric vehicle programs. !
- Link to status of SB 676
- CACE SB 676 Letter of Opposition
− OPPOSE SB 774 – Prevents CCAs from developing microgrids.
- Link to status of SB 774
− RESTORE SB 288 – “Solar Bill of Rights” – Mandates fair tariffs to compensate solar+ storage owners; has been gutted. Oppose unless the original language is restored. This is only bill left that the California Alliance for Community Energy supports. We are watching to see if the original language is restored in the Assembly.
These Bills are in the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee. Oppose all these measures, as destructive of Community Choice, and mandating steps backward in electricity system transition. We need more local control, more community-centric procurement, and more flexibility for Community Choice entities, not less.
— OPPOSE AB 1362 – Amends the Code of Conduct that has required investor-owned utilities to be neutral in their treatment of Community Choice.
- Link to status of AB 1362
- CACE AB 1362 Letter of Opposition
— OPPOSE AB 1584 – Gives CPUC the mandate to impose procurement costs on Community Choice energy programs, undermining the CCAs ability to procure the resources they see fit.
- Link to status of AB 1584
- CACE AB 1584 Letter of Opposition.
SENDING LETTERS
To follow up your call, consider submitting a letter. It’s easy to submit letters directly to the committee staff, using an official Comment Portal, here. After a short registration step (not arduous), you can upload letters that will be directed to the appropriate staff.
This is helpful, as bills often go to additional and/or alternate committees that are difficult to track externally. This Portal automatically makes any redirections needed.
THANK YOU! For all you do to protect Community Choice.