ALL TO SENATE COMMITTEE ON
ENERGY, UTILITIES AND
COMMUNICATIONS WILL COME
TOGETHER COME TO ORDER WE WILL
BEGIN A AS A SUBCOMMITTEE. WE
ONLY HAVE ONE BILL TODAY, BUT
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I JUST
WANT TO MAKE INDIVIDUALS AWARE
THAT THE SENATE CONTINUES TO
WELCOME THE PUBLIC IN PERSON AND
VIA TELECONFERENCE SERVICE FOR
INDIVIDUALS WISHING TO PROVIDE
PUBLIC COMMENT. TO TODAY'S, UH,
HEARING. THE PARTICIPANT NUMBER
IS 8772. THAT'S 87722681. AND
ACCESS CODE IS 736 TO 832
AGAINST 736 TO 832. WE'RE
HOLDING OUR COMMITTEE HEARING ON
THE EIGHTH STREET BUILDING HERE
IN ROOM 1200. I WOULD ASK
MEMBERS TO COME AS QUICK AS
POSSIBLE SO WE CAN ESTABLISH A
QUORUM AGAIN. WE ONLY HAVE ONE
BUILD TODAY AND OUR AUTHOR IS
HERE. HE'S READY TO GO, SENATOR
PADILLA, HE'LL BE PRESENTING SP
619 SENATOR, WHEN YOU'RE READY,
YOU MAY BEGIN. GOOD MORNING, MR
CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS PLEASED TO
BE BACK WITH SB 619. THE
ASSEMBLY AMENDMENTS ON THIS BILL
WOULD GIVE TRANSMISSION PROJECT
APPLICANTS THE OPTION TO HAVE
THE C E. C ACT AS LEAD AGENCY
WITH RESPECT TO SEQUEL REVIEW
INSTEAD OF THE PUC. WHICH WOULD
ENABLE THEM TO FOCUS ON ITS CORE
ANALYSIS. UH AND SIGNIFICANTLY
ACCELERATE THE PERMITTING AND
ENTITLEMENT PROCESS HERE. AS YOU
KNOW, THE PUC IS PRIMARILY
RESPONSIBLE FOR LOOKING AT
CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY UNDER
EXISTING STATUTES. ASSEMBLY
AMENDMENT CORRECTS AN OVERSIGHT
AS WELL. I THINK AN IMPORTANT
ONE IN BUILDING AND ALSO WAS
OVERLOOKED IN A B 205, WHICH WAS
THE BASELINE AND INSPIRATION FOR
THIS BILL. AH WHICH NOW ALLOWS.
UM THE C E. C IS AN AGENCY TO
RECOVER REASONABLE COSTS FOR THE
PERMITTING APPLICATION PROCESS.
THE BILL HAS HAD NO NO VOTES HAS
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY 78 20. IT IS
ONE OF THOSE UNUSUAL CREATURES
THAT HAS THE SUPPORT OF BOTH THE
NRDC IN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
AND I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR
AN I VOTE. GREAT ARE THEIR
PRIMARY WITNESSES AND SUPPORT
OKAY. YOU DON'T HAVE TWO MINUTES
. YOU HAVE YOU HAVE TWO PRIMARY
WITNESSES. YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES
EACH. YOU MAY BEGIN. THANK YOU,
MR CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS. MY NAME
IS MARK JOSEPH. I'M TESTIFYING
ON BEHALF OF THE COALITION OF
CALIFORNIA UTILITY EMPLOYEES.
THIS STILL, BILL IS ABOUT THE
BIG TRANSMISSION PROJECTS. THAT
NOW GET AND DESERVE TO GET A
FULLY IR IN COMPLETE SECRET
REVIEW AND A FULL REVIEW OF THE
RATEPAYER PROTECTIONS THAT ARE
NECESSARY. THIS IS TRANSMISSION
WHICH WE NEED TO MEET OUR
CLIMATE GOALS. UNDER THIS BILL,
THESE PROJECTS WILL CONTINUE TO
GET EXACTLY THE SAME SEQUEL
REVIEW AS BEFORE, AND EXACTLY
THE SAME RATEPAYER PROTECTION
REVIEW AS BEFORE. THE ONLY THING
THAT CHANGES IS WHICH AGENCY
PREPARES THE ER. THE WAY THINGS
WORK NOW UTILITY WILL FILE WITH
THE PUC AND APPLICATION FOR
PERMIT BèC THAT EVALUATES THE
NEED THE COST AND SEVERAL OTHER
FACTORS TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO
GRANT THE PERMIT. IT ALSO
PREPARES AN E I. R. AH! FOR THE
PROJECT. WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THAT
WHEN THE PSC PREPARES AN ER AND
ACCORDING TO YOUR ANALYSIS, IT
TAKES ON AVERAGE 29 MONTHS.
MEANWHILE THE REST OF THE EU
STEVE EVALUATION THE RATEPAYER
PROTECTION MAY TAKE 12 MONTHS OR
MAYBE A LITTLE LONGER. AND WE'VE
SEEN THAT IT MAY BE DONE LONG
BEFORE THE E I R IS FINISHED.
THIS BILL WOULD INSTEAD GIVE THE
UTILITY THE OPTION TO USE THE
ENERGY COMMISSION'S MAYBE 205
PROCESS WHERE THE ENERGY
COMMISSION WOULD PREPARE THE ER
IN NINE MONTHS AND IN PARALLEL
WITH THE PSD S NORMAL PROCESS,
THEN THE ENERGY COMMISSION WOULD
SEND THE ER OVER TO THE PUC. SO
WHY DO THIS? THE ENERGY
COMMISSION IS REALLY GOOD AT
ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL
REVIEW OF ENERGY PROJECTS. WE
SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ITS
DECADES OF EXPERIENCE AND
EXPERTISE. AND THIS WAY, THE PUC
CAN ISSUE ITS FINAL DECISION AS
SOON AS IT FINISHES THE NON
SEQUEL REVIEW. THIS COULD SHAVE
A COUPLE OF YEARS OFF THE
OVERALL PROCESS WITHOUT
COMPROMISING THE SECRET REVIEW
AT ALL, OR COMPROMISING THE
RIGHT PAIR PROTECTION REVIEW AT
ALL. AGAIN THIS DOES NOT CHANGE
THE SCOPE OF THE SECRET REVIEW.
IT JUST CHANGES THE VENUE. THIS
IS A PRAGMATIC BILL, WHICH WILL
HELP GET NEEDED TRANSMISSION
PROJECTS BUILT YEARS SOONER.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR WHITE.
ARE YOU. MR CHAIRMAN MEMBERS
JOHN WHITE WITH A CLEAN POWER
CAMPAIGN. WE ALSO SUPPORT THIS
BILL FOR THE REASONS STATED BY
MR JOSEPH. WE THINK TRANSMISSION
IS IMPORTANT, NOT JUST FOR
MEETING CLEAN ENERGY GOALS, BUT
FOR RELIABILITY AS WE INCREASE
OUR ELECTRIC DEMANDS WITH
BUILDING AND TRANSPORTATION,
ELECTRIFICATION AS WELL AS, UH,
DATA CENTERS AND BITCOIN AND
ALTERNATIVE INTELLIGENCE. AH ALL
OF THESE ARE GOING TO DRIVE LOAD
GROWTH AND WITHOUT ENOUGH
TRANSMISSION AS SOON AS WE NEED
IT. WILL FALL BEHIND. SO WE
SUPPORT THE BILL AND ASK FOR
YOUR VOTE. ARE THERE OTHER
WITNESSES HERE IN THE ROOM? JUST
STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR
ORGANIZATION AND YOUR POSITION,
PLEASE. ADAM SMITH, SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA EDISON STRONG
SUPPORT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER
WITNESSES HERE IN ROOM 1200
SUPPORT. NOW LET'S MOVE THE
OPPOSITION. ARE THERE ANY
WITNESSES HERE THIS MORNING AND
OPPOSITION? SEEING NONE,
MODERATOR. LET'S GO TO OUR PHONE
LINES AND SEE IF THERE'S
WITNESSES IN SUPPORT OR
OPPOSITION OF SB 619. THANK YOU,
MR CHAIR FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO
SPEAK IN SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION
TO THIS BILL, PLEASE PRESS ONE
THAN ZERO THIS TIME PRESS ONE,
THEN ZERO. MR CHAIR. WE HAVE AT
LEAST ONE CALLER WHO'S SIGNALED
THAT THEY WISH TO SPEAK. JUST A
MOMENT, PLEASE.
AND WE WILL NOW GO TO LINE 10.
YOUR LINE IS NOW OPEN. GOOD
MORNING, MRS BRANDON IBEX WITH
PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC
SUPPORT. THANK YOU. MODERATOR
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL ONE
ELSE TO SIGNAL THAT THEY WISH TO
SPEAK? WE'LL GIVE IT ANOTHER
MINUTE. LET'S SEE IF THERE'S
ANYONE ELSE. IF NOT, WE'LL BRING
IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE. MR
CHAIR. DO WE HAVE A QUORUM?
ALRIGHT LET'S BRING IT BACK TO
THE COMMITTEE COMMITTEE. YOU
HAVE ANY MEMBERS HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS FOR THE AUTHOR
REGARDING THIS MEASURE? NO I'LL
ASK QUESTIONS. OKAY, SO SURE WE
ALLOWED THE CC Tð. UM, ACTUALLY
. PERMIT WINDMILLS SO THIS THIS
DOESN'T GIVE HIM ANY EXTRA
PALETTES HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE
SAME PROCESS. IT'S JUST GOING TO
BE HOPEFULLY A QUICKER PROCESS.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE GOLD IS.
BILL IS MR CHAIRMAN SENATOR WITH
THIS DOES IS BUILD ON A B 205 BY
CREATING AN ALTERNATIVE
ENTITLEMENT PROCESS THAT HAS
SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WOULD
EXPEDITE THAT PROCESS FOR
TRANSMISSION PROJECTS. UM, THE
ALTERNATIVE APPLICATION PROCESS
THAT'S AVAILABLE FROM A B 205.
THIS BILL EXPANDS THE ABILITY
FOR LARGER GENERAL ENERGY
TRANSMISSION PROJECTS TO ALSO
UTILIZE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THIS PROCESS. PRIOR LEGISLATION
CONSTRAIN THAT TWO SMALLER SCALE
PROJECTS WITH LESS QUALIFIERS.
THIS WOULD OPEN THIS UP TO A
BIGGER CLASS OF TRANSMISSION
APPLICATION, BUT BUT THE THERE
IS NO EXEMPTING THE
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW IS STILL
THAT'S MY POINT. I WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE CLEAR THERE IS NO
EXEMPTION. UH AROUND SEQUEL.
IT'S JUST SIMPLY WHO ACTS AS
LEAD AGENCY. SOMETHING LIKE
CONSULTANT. LET'S JUST STOP THE
QUORUM. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
BRADFORD HERE DELI DELI HERE.
ASHBY ASHBY HERE. BECKER
CABALLERO DODD. DAD HERE. DURAZO
ERAZO HERE, EGGMAN EGGMAN HERE.
GONZALES GROWTH GONZALEZ HERE.
SORRY, GROVE. MCGUIRE MEN MEN
HERE, NEWMAN. RUBIO CR TOE TOE
HERE, SKINNER SKIN OR HAIR,
STERN. STERN HERE, WILK. CHROME
HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. WE HAVE A
MOTION BY VICE CHAIR, DOLLY.
IT'S A DO PASS THROUGH THE
SENATE FLOOR. CONSULTANT PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL ON SB 619. SP 619
THAT THE ASSEMBLY AMENDMENTS BE
CONCURRED IN BRADFORD. ALRIGHT I
DELI DELI I ASHBY, FBI, BECKER.
CABALLERO DODD. BYE DOT I DURAZO
TERRAZZO. AYE, EGGMAN EGGMAN I
GONZALES GROVE. MCGUIRE MEN.
HIÆN AYE NEWMAN RUBIO, SIART TÔI
SKINNER ER I STERN WILK. MEMBERS
THAT CONCLUDES OUR WORK, SENATOR
BADIA THAT BILL IS OUT. YOU HAVE
10 VOTES. WE'LL LEAVE THE ROLE
OPEN FOR ABSENT MEMBERS TO ADD
ON, BUT MEMBERS WERE FINISHED
FOR TODAY, AND, UH WE'LL LEAVE
THE ROLE OPEN FOR WHAT ANOTHER
10 MINUTES. THANK YOU, MR
CHAIRMAN. GENEROUS, EXACTLY. SO
WE'RE GONNA ASK THE MEMBERS TO
MAKE THEIR WAY DOWN AS QUICK AS
POSSIBLE TO BE ADDED ON THANK
YOU. SORRY. OH, SPECIFICALLY.
SO THEN YOU CAN OPEN THE ROLL ON
SP 619 FOR ABSENT MEMBERS.
BECKER BECKER. AYE. THANK YOU.
LISTEN, LISTEN.
YEAH. JUST GRAB HIM RIGHT NOW.
BROOKHART. YEAH.
YEAH, YEAH, VERY EARLY. OKAY?
YEAH. YEAH.
AND GO. OH, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE
SAID. THANK YOU. RUNNING
ROUGHSHOD. YEAH.
MY BOSS.
THE FACT. IN MY WAY. YEAH.
TAKING A LIVE ON THAT OKAY? SP
VERY LIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO OPEN
A CALL FOR SOME MEMBERS SAT ON
619 THAT THE ASSEMBLY AMENDMENTS
BE CONCURRED IN GONZALES. FIVE
GONZALES I, GROVE MCGUIRE,
NEWMAN RUBIO WILK WILK. AYE.
IT'S COMPLETELY. DO NOT.
I'M ALWAYS. I DON'T THINK WE
NEED THAT WAS IT RIGHT. YEAH.
YEAH.
SB 619 THAT THE ASSEMBLY
AMENDMENTS BE CONCURRED IN RUBIO
RUBIO. AYE.
14. 14 0, SO IT'S OUT. MHM. SP
619 IS OUT 14 0 THAT CONCLUDES
THE SENATE ENERGY. UTILITIES AND
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE. WE
STAND ADJOURNED. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. ARTICULATED. THANK YOU.