Section 740.12 Of Article 2. Rates From California Public Utilities Code >> Division 1. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 2.
740.12
. (a) (1) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(A) Advanced clean vehicles and fuels are needed to reduce
petroleum use, to meet air quality standards, to improve public
health, and to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.
(B) Widespread transportation electrification is needed to achieve
the goals of the Charge Ahead California Initiative (Chapter 8.5
(commencing with Section 44258) of Part 5 of Division 26 of the
Health and Safety Code).
(C) Widespread transportation electrification requires increased
access for disadvantaged communities, low- and moderate-income
communities, and other consumers of zero-emission and
near-zero-emission vehicles, and increased use of those vehicles in
those communities and by other consumers to enhance air quality,
lower greenhouse gases emissions, and promote overall benefits to
those communities and other consumers.
(D) Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases to 40 percent below
1990 levels by 2030 and to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 will
require widespread transportation electrification.
(E) Widespread transportation electrification requires electrical
corporations to increase access to the use of electricity as a
transportation fuel.
(F) Widespread transportation electrification should stimulate
innovation and competition, enable consumer options in charging
equipment and services, attract private capital investments, and
create high-quality jobs for Californians, where technologically
feasible.
(G) Deploying electric vehicles should assist in grid management,
integrating generation from eligible renewable energy resources, and
reducing fuel costs for vehicle drivers who charge in a manner
consistent with electrical grid conditions.
(H) Deploying electric vehicle charging infrastructure should
facilitate increased sales of electric vehicles by making charging
easily accessible and should provide the opportunity to access
electricity as a fuel that is cleaner and less costly than gasoline
or other fossil fuels in public and private locations.
(I) According to the State Alternative Fuels Plan analysis by the
Energy Commission and the State Air Resources Board, light-, medium-,
and heavy-duty vehicle electrification results in approximately 70
percent fewer greenhouse gases emitted, over 85 percent fewer
ozone-forming air pollutants emitted, and 100 percent fewer petroleum
used. These reductions will become larger as renewable generation
increases.
(2) It is the policy of the state and the intent of the
Legislature to encourage transportation electrification as a means to
achieve ambient air quality standards and the state's climate goals.
Agencies designing and implementing regulations, guidelines, plans,
and funding programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions shall take
the findings described in paragraph (1) into account.
(b) The commission, in consultation with the State Air Resources
Board and the Energy Commission, shall direct electrical corporations
to file applications for programs and investments to accelerate
widespread transportation electrification to reduce dependence on
petroleum, meet air quality standards, achieve the goals set forth in
the Charge Ahead California Initiative (Chapter 8.5 (commencing with
Section 44258) of Part 5 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety
Code), and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to 40 percent below
1990 levels by 2030 and to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
Programs proposed by electrical corporations shall seek to minimize
overall costs and maximize overall benefits. The commission shall
approve, or modify and approve, programs and investments in
transportation electrification, including those that deploy charging
infrastructure, via a reasonable cost recovery mechanism, if they are
consistent with this section, do not unfairly compete with
nonutility enterprises as required under Section 740.3, include
performance accountability measures, and are in the interests of
ratepayers as defined in Section 740.8.
(c) The commission shall review data concerning current and future
electric transportation adoption and charging infrastructure
utilization prior to authorizing an electrical corporation to collect
new program costs related to transportation electrification in
customer rates. If market barriers unrelated to the investment made
by an electric corporation prevent electric transportation from
adequately utilizing available charging infrastructure, the
commission shall not permit additional investments in transportation
electrification without a reasonable showing that the investments
would not result in long-term stranded costs recoverable from
ratepayers.
(d) This section applies to an application to the commission for
transportation electrification programs and investments if one of the
following conditions is met:
(1) The application is filed on or after January 1, 2016.
(2) The application is filed before January 1, 2016, but has an
evidentiary hearing scheduled on or after July 1, 2016.