Today's Law As Amended

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AB-2137 Energy efficiency programs: information available for small businesses.(2013-2014)



SECTION 1.
 The Legislature finds and declares all the following:
(a) Helping small businesses better manage their energy use can help California reduce energy consumption and thereby help in reducing emissions of greenhouse gases throughout the state.
(b) Small businesses are the backbone of California’s economic prosperity.
(c) Maximizing the demandside energy management programs the state, electrical corporations, gas corporations, and local publicly owned electric and gas utilities offer can help small businesses become more productive and assist in reducing electrical demand during peak demand periods.
(d) To better serve the public, and to benefit the state, the state shall promote and facilitate the fullest possible participation of small businesses to benefit from demandside energy management programs run by the state, as well as any programs of an electrical corporation, gas corporation, or local publicly owned electric or gas utility.

SEC. 2.

 Section 12098.9 is added to the Government Code, to read:

12098.9.
 In order to educate small business owners of the availability of various programs promoting the efficient use of energy, the office shall include a link to the Energy Upgrade California Internet Web site on the homepage of its Internet Web site.

SEC. 3.

 Section 323.5 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

323.5.
 (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Demand-side energy management programs” mean all energy efficiency, demand-side response, clean distributed generation, energy conservation, energy savings, or weatherization programs of the state or a local government, electrical corporations, gas corporations, or a local publicly owned electric or gas utility.
(2) “Small business” has the same meaning as defined in Section 14837 of the Government Code.
(b) The commission shall ensure that the Internet Web site for the Energy Upgrade California program be revised to include information related to demand-side energy management programs for small business customers.