Today's Law As Amended


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AB-3246 Electricity: permit to construct: advanced reconductoring: exemption.(2023-2024)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.
 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) California’s electrical grid has limited capacity, which leads to the curtailment of new renewable energy necessary to reach our climate and clean electrification goals, and requires significant buildout.
(b) California has some of the highest electricity rates in the country and consumers are seeing dramatic bill increases.
(c) New transmission projects require long lead times to be permitted and constructed and often face delays.
(d) There is significant opportunity to expand transmission capacity on existing infrastructure, at lower costs and with shorter timeframes than building new transmission infrastructure.
(e) Climate change and aging transmission infrastructure pose significant risks for wildfire.
(f) Advanced conductors significantly increase transmission capacity and can be used on existing infrastructure.
(g) Advanced conductors have higher reliability than traditionally used aluminum core steel reinforced (ACSR) conductors, decreasing risk of failure, wildfire, and grid outages, and require less maintenance while increasing the life expectancy of the line.

SEC. 2.

 Section 565 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

565.
 (a) On or before January 1, 2026, the commission shall update General Order 131-D to provide an exemption from Section III(B) (Permit to Construct) of that general order to instead authorize an electrical corporation to seek the commission’s approval of advanced reconductoring of its existing electrical transmission facilities, including electrical transmission lines and substations within existing transmission easements, rights-of-way, or franchise agreements, for any electrical transmission facility above a 50-kilovolt voltage level through the commission’s informal advice letter process. To the extent that the project also qualifies for a different exception or exemption set forth in General Order 131-D, the electrical corporation may proceed pursuant to any procedures applicable to that exception or exemption.
(b) The electrical corporation shall seek commission approval for advanced reconductoring that is eligible for the advice letter process described in subdivision (a) by filing a Tier 2 Advice Letter that follows the existing advice letter processes and requirements under General Order 96-B and General Order 131-D.
(c) On or before January 1, 2026, the commission shall update the Tier 2 Advice Letter process in General Order 96-B to authorize the filing described in subdivision (b).
(d) As used in this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Advanced conductor” means an overhead electricity conductor installed in a transmission or distribution project that has a direct current electrical resistance at least 10 percent lower than existing conductors of a similar diameter on the system.
(2) “Advanced reconductoring” means replacing an existing transmission or distribution line with an advanced conductor.
SEC. 3.
 No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.