THE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY,
UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS
WILL COME TO ORDER. GOOD MORNING
. WE'RE HOLDING OUR COMMITTEE
HEARING IN THE OLD STREET
BUILDING, AND I'M ASKING ALL
MEMBERS TO COME TO ROOM 1200 SO
WE CAN ESTABLISH A QUORUM. I
ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO
THE FIRST BILL HEARING OF THE
COMMITTEE OF 2024. TODAY WE HAVE
SIX BILLS ON OUR AGENDA. UH,
WHERE LACKING A QUORUM, BUT WE
CAN START AS A SUB COMMITTEE. UH
SENATOR DODD, ARE YOU PREPARED?
WE CAN START AS A SUB. IF YOU
YOU CAN BE OUR FIRST THOUGHT
THERE. YOU'RE PRESENTING A B
1003. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING, MR CHAIR MEMBERS.
I'M PRESENTING SB 1003
PERTAINING TO WILDFIRE
MITIGATION PLAN REVIEW. LET ME
BEGIN BY ACCEPTING THE
AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED ON PAGE
SEVEN OF THE COMMITTEE ANALYSIS.
SB 1003 WOULD DIRECT THE OFFICE
OF ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
SAFETY TO CONSIDER THE TIMELINES
AND THE COST EFFECTIVENESS OF
INVESTOR OWNED UTILITY
ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
UPGRADES WHEN REVIEWING WILDFIRE
MITIGATION PLANS. THIS BILL WILL
HELP ENSURE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT
OF RISK FROM UTILITY SPARK
WILDFIRES IS REDUCED IN THE
SHORTEST AMOUNT OF TIME AT THE
MOST FAVORABLE COST TO
RATEPAYERS. I THINK EVERYONE ON
THIS COMMITTEE IS AWARE OF THE
$13.5 BILLION RATE INCREASE THE
èC P èC APPROVED FOR PG AND E.
THAT INCREASE WAS LOOKING
FORWARD FOR THE UPCOMING FOUR
YEARS. ON TOP OF THAT RATE
INCREASE LAST NOVEMBER. THE èC
P èC MORE RECENTLY APPROVED AN
ADDITIONAL RATE INCREASE,
ALLOWING PG AND E TO RECOVER
PAST EXPENDITURES MADE IN 2020
2022 A LOOK BACKWARD IF YOU
WILL. TOGETHER THESE FORWARD AND
BACKWARD LOOKING RATE INCREASES
WILL ADD MORE THAN $400 ANNUALLY
TO A TYPICAL PG AND E BILL. I
THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT MUCH
OF THIS RATE INCREASES ARE
ATTRIBUTABLE WILDFIRE PREVENTION
INVESTMENT IN A PARTICULARLY THE
UNDERGROUND OF ELECTRIC CABLE.
UNDERGROUND IN COSTS THREE
MILLION DOLLARS PER MILE WHILE
ALTERNATIVES SUCH AS COVERED
CONDUCTOR COST AROUND $800,000 A
MILE. DOLLARS A MILE. EXCUSE ME.
I THINK THE POLICYMAKERS
REGULATORS, THE MOST IMPORTANTLY
, RATEPAYERS WANT TO KNOW IF THE
WILDFIRE PROTECTION THEY ARE
PAYING FOR IN UTILITY BILLS IS
BEING PROVIDED IN THE SHORTEST
AMOUNT OF TIME AT THE MOST
REASONABLE COST. S¼ P 1003
SIMPLY DIRECTS THE I Ó U S¼
PERFORM THAT ANALYSIS WHEN THEY
UPDATE THEIR WILDFIRE MITIGATION
PLANS EVERY THREE YEARS. AND
THAT THEY AND THAT THE OFFICE OF
ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE SAFETY
EVALUATE THOSE QUESTIONS WHEN
THEY REVIEW THE UTILITIES
MITIGATION PLAN. S¼ B 1003 IS
SUPPORTED BY TURN THE PLANNING
CONSERVATION LEAGUE, THE
CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU, PACIFIC
FOREST TRUST AND OTHERS. AND I'M
UNAWARE AT THIS POINT IN TIME OF
ANY OPPOSITION. I RESPECTFULLY
ASK FOR AN I VOTE IN HERE TODAY
WITH ME IS PROFESSOR MICHAEL
WARRA AND, UH, KATIE MORSON TO
TESTIFY IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL.
ARE YOU TWO LEGAL WITNESSES HERE
IF SO YOU CAN GO TO THE PODIUM
RIGHT THERE, MICROPHONE AND YOU
HAVE TWO MINUTES EACH. RADFORD.
UM I COME TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF
S¼ B 10 0 THREE, AND I JUST WANT
TO MAKE A FEW POINTS. UM ABOUT
THE CONTEXT IN WHICH WE'RE IN
WITH RESPECT TO WILDFIRE
MITIGATION FROM UTILITIES. AND
UM AND I'LL START WITH POINTING
OUT THAT WE'VE HAD SOME VERY
GOOD LUCK OVER THE LAST COUPLE
OF YEARS IN TERMS OF OUR FIRE
SEASONS. LAST YEAR WAS ONE OF
THE BEST, UH, BEST WILDFIRE
SEASONS OF THE LAST QUARTER
CENTURY, AND THAT'S BUYING US
TIME VALUABLE TIME BECAUSE WHAT
WE KNOW ALSO IS THAT OUR LUCK
WILL EVENTUALLY RUN OUT. WE WILL
HAVE CLIMATE CHANGE AND COMBINED
WITH THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU ALL
ARE CONFRONTING. PROBABLY IN
OTHER COMMITTEES RELATED TO THE
ISSUES WITH FUELS, MITIGATION
AND BETTER WILDFIRE. RESILIENCE
MEAN THAT THERE WILL COME A DAY
WHEN WE NEED TO HAVE OUR
MITIGATION IN PLACE OR WE WILL
FACE CONSEQUENCES. THIS BILL
AIMS TO CORRECT UH, A FLAW IN
THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLANNING
PROCESS THAT EXISTS TODAY IN
CALIFORNIA FOR UTILITIES BY
REQUIRING THAT THE UTILITIES
EVALUATE THE TIMELINESS WITH
WHICH MITIGATION WILL BE PUT IN
PLACE. IT IS SIMPLY NOT THE
SAME. TO EVALUATE A PORTFOLIO OF
MITIGATION OPTIONS. COVERED
CONDUCTOR UNDERGROUND
OPERATIONAL CHANGES, UM, WHERE
ONE PORTFOLIO WILL DELIVER A
LEVEL OF RISK REDUCTION IN ONE
TO THREE YEARS. AND ANOTHER
PORTFOLIO OF ACTIONS WILL
DELIVER RISK REDUCTIONS THAT
WON'T ACTUALLY BE COMPLETED FOR
A DECADE. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE
OF A RESIDENT OF CALIFORNIA
LIVING IN THE WILDLAND URBAN
INTERFACE. THOSE TWO PORTFOLIOS
ARE NOT EQUIVALENT. UNDER THE
CURRENT MITIGATION PLANNING
PROCESS HAS PUT IN PLACE BY AB
1054. HOWEVER THEY ARE
CONSIDERED TO BE EQUIVALENT.
THIS BILL WOULD SERVE SERVE TO
CHANGE THAT AND TO ENSURE THAT
THE UTILITY PLANNING PROCESSES
AROUND SAFETY ARE ALIGNED WITH
THE CONCERNS OF CALIFORNIA
RESIDENTS THAT WHATEVER WE DO
WHATEVER WE CAN AFFORD TO DO IN
TERMS OF UTILITY WILDFIRE
MITIGATION IS DONE AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE, AND THAT THE
TIMELINESS OF THAT OF SAFETY IS
PART OF THE EVALUATION IN THE
WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLANNING
PROCESS THAT OES CONDUCTS ON AN
ANNUAL BASIS. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. THE NEXT WORD. GOOD
MORNING. MY NAME IS KATIE MORONE
AND I'M ATTORNEY. I'M AN
ATTORNEY WITH THE UTILITY REFORM
NETWORK AND A COSPONSOR OF S¼ B
100 THREE. ADVOCATES FOR
CALIFORNIA'S RESIDENTIAL
RATEPAYERS AT THE CALIFORNIA
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION AND
BELIEVES THAT RATEPAYERS DO NOT
NEED TO SACRIFICE THEIR SAFETY
OR RELIABILITY OF THEIR SERVICE
FOR AFFORDABLE RATES. TODAY I
WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS AND WHY
I THINK SENATOR DODD'S BILL
PROVIDES MUCH NEEDED RATEPAYER
PROTECTIONS. RAPE PAYER DOLLARS
ARE A SCARCE RESOURCE, ENERGY
AND SECURITY IS GROWING AND
CUSTOMERS ARE FACED WITH A VERY
REAL QUESTION WHETHER TO PAY
RENT, BUY FOOD OR PAY THEIR
ELECTRIC BILL. A MAJOR DRIVER OF
RATE INCREASES HAS BEEN SPENDING
ON WILDFIRE MITIGATIONS GIVEN
THE SCARCITY OF RATEPAYER
DOLLARS. WE SHOULD ENSURE THAT
UTILITIES ARE PURSUING THE MOST
COST EFFECTIVE WILDFIRE
MITIGATIONS SENATOR DODD'S BILL
DIRECTS THAT CONSIDERATION OF
THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN
MUST CONSIDER THE COST
EFFECTIVENESS OF POTENTIAL
MITIGATIONS IN COMBINATIONS OF
MITIGATIONS. IN PARTICULAR, THE
BILL WILL REQUIRE A
DEMONSTRATION THAT WHERE
UNDERGROUND IS DEPLOYED, IT IS
THE MOST APPROPRIATE ALTERNATIVE
FOR THE LOCATION USING COST
EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS THAT HAS
ALREADY BEEN VETTED BY THE èC
PU èC. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT
SCARCE RESOURCES AND RATEPAYER
DOLLARS ARE USED FOR THEIR MOST
PRODUCTIVE USE. FOR EXAMPLE, PG
AND E REQUESTED $6 BILLION FOR
THE INSTALLATION OF 2000 MILES
OF UNDERGROUND AND ITS 2023
GENERAL RATE CASE. AFTER
ANALYZING THE COST EFFECTIVENESS
OF PG AND E UNDERGROUND PROPOSAL
TURN RECOMMENDED A $2.1 BILLION
PROGRAM FUNDING MORE LIMITED
UNDERGROUND WITH MORE EXTENSIVE
RELIANCE ON COVER CONDUCTOR THAT
WOULD HAVE REDUCED APPROXIMATELY
THE SAME AMOUNT OF RISK ON PG N
E SYSTEM. ULTIMATELY THE
COMMISSION ADOPTED A $4.7
BILLION HARDENING PROGRAM FOR PG
AND E. AND AS A RESULT OF THIS
DECISION, PG AND E CUSTOMERS
HAVE SEEN AN APPROXIMATELY $35
INCREASE IN THEIR MONTHLY BILLS.
OTHER WILDFIRE COSTS ARE STILL
UNDER CONSIDERATION IN A VARIETY
OF COST RECOVERY PROCEEDINGS AT
THE èC P èC. STRONGER
PROTECTIONS ARE NEEDED TO ENSURE
THAT EACH RATEPAYER DOLLAR IS
PUT TO ITS BEST USE. THE PG AND
E GRC DEMONSTRATES HOW RELIANCE
ON EXISTING èC P èC COST
EFFECTIVENESS MEASURES CAN
REVEAL WHETHER UTILITY SPENDING
PROVIDES BENEFITS CONSISTENT
WITH RATEPAYER COST. SB 10 1003
WOULD PROVIDE THOSE PROTECTIONS
BY REQUIRING THE CONSIDERATION
OF COST EFFECTIVENESS AND THE
TIMELINESS OF PROPOSED WELFARE
MITIGATIONS TURN IS PROUD TO
SUPPORT S¼ B 100 THREE. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU NOW
ARE THERE ADDITIONAL WITNESSES
IN SUPPORT HERE IN THE ROOM? IF
SO, JUST STATE, YOUR NAME AND
YOUR ORGANIZATION. JOHNNY
CARLSON WITH THE PLANNING AND
CONSERVATION LEAGUE IN SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. PAUL
MASON WITH PACIFIC FOREST TRUST,
ALSO ON BEHALF OF DEFENDERS OF
WILDLIFE AND SIERRA FOREST
LEGACY. ALSO IN SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. ANY ADDITIONAL INSTANCES IN
SUPPORT, SEEING HEARING NÓ NOW
WHAT MOST OPPOSITION ARE THERE
ANY LEAD WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION
OF THIS MEASURE? PGE YOU HAVE
TWO MINUTES UH, BRANDON EBE ON
BEHALF OF A GAS ELECTRIC. WE'RE
NOT AN OPPOSITION. WE'RE IN A
TWEENER POSITION. WE'VE HAD SOME
GREAT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
AUTHOR WHEN WE HAVE SOME
TECHNICAL CONCERNS WITH WHAT'S
IN PRINT CURRENTLY. UM AS A
COMMITTEE ANALYSIS REFLECTS THE
CURRENT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AND
STEPS OF APPROVAL FOR OUR
PLANNED WILDFIRE INVESTMENTS ARE
COMPLEX AND RIGHTFULLY SO TO
ENSURE THAT CUSTOMERS ARE
PROTECTED. PIGEON. HE SHARES THE
AUTHOR'S CONCERNS ABOUT
INCREASING CUSTOMER BILLS, AND
WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO NÓ MORE
THAN 2 TO 4% ANNUAL BILL GROWTH.
HOWEVER WE MUST LIVE WITHIN OUR
REGULATORS AND LEGISLATIVE
DIRECTION. ONE YEAR DELAY IN
APPROVAL OF OUR RECENT 2020
THREE TO 2026 GR èC ADDED MORE
THAN $10 PER MONTH TO THIS YEAR
AND NEXT YEAR'S BILLS THAT
OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN PAID
LAST YEAR. SIMILARLY SINCE S¼ B
884 PASSED IN 2022. WE'VE BEEN
LOOKING FORWARD TO GUIDANCE FROM
Ó E. I S¼ SO WE CAN FILE OUR 10
YEAR UNDERGROUND IN PLAN WITH
ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THIS
BILL ESSENTIALLY DISCUSSES IS
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT
AND Q TWO OF THIS YEAR AND THEN
WE CAN HAVE A PUBLIC, UH, REVIEW
OF WHAT WE FILE UM WITH REGARDS
TO SPEED OUR TWO YEAR ROLL OUT
OF FAST, TRIPP, WHAT WE CALL EP
S¼ S¼, COMBINED WITH P, S¼, P,
S¼ AND OTHER LAYERS OF
PROTECTION PROVIDE THE MORE THAN
25,000 MILES OF LINE IN HIGH
FIRE THREAT AREAS WITHIN 95%
RISK REDUCTION. DAY BUT THAT
RISK REDUCTION COMES WITH THE
RELIABILITY CONCERNS. WE
CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT
UNDERGROUND IN THE PROPOSED
10,000 MILES OF WINE IS THE MOST
COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION TO THOSE
SPECIFIC LINE MILES WHEN ALL
OTHER COSTS ARE INCLUDED. MOST
NOTABLY, INCLUDING THE CUSTOMER
LIABILITY IMPACTS FROM FAST TRIP
OUTAGES AND STORM RESPONSE. LAST
YEAR ALONE. WE SPENT MORE THAN
$750 MILLION REBUILDING DOWN
LINES DURING THE CLIMATE CHANGE
DRIVEN WINTER STORMS. WE ALSO
HAVE MODELING DEMONSTRATED OUR
UNDERGROUND PLAN. WE WILL HAVE
SECONDARY BENEFITS OF MORE THAN
$1 BILLION IN REDUCTIONS TO THE
RESIDENTIAL WILDFIRE INSURANCE
POLICIES. ALL THAT BEING SAID.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
THE AUTHOR, UM THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. THANK YOU. ANY ADDITIONAL
WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION. SHE NUN
WILL BRING IT BACK TO THE
COMMITTEE. ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE
COMMITTEE AT THIS POINT? THE
WHILE WE ARE YET TO ESTABLISH
SOME FORM, SO ALL RIGHT, SENATOR
DODD. WOULD YOU LIKE TO CLOSE?
RESPECTFULLY ASK YOUR I VOTE
WHEN THAT TIME COMES. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. SENATOR WAHAB THANK
YOU. WILL BE PRESENTING SB 980
THREE. OK?
ALL RIGHT. CHAIR AND MEMBERS.
I'LL BEGIN BY ACCEPTING THE
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS. CALIFORNIA
LACKS THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED
TO MAKE ZERO EMISSIONS.
ALTERNATIVE FUELS A REALISTIC
OPTION FOR CONSUMERS BY 2050. IN
FACT, THAT DATE NEEDS TO BE
PUSHED UP EVEN SOONER. S¼ B 98
THREE WILL CREATE THE
ALTERNATIVE FUELS INFRASTRUCTURE
TASK FORCE. THIS TASK FORCE, UH,
EXAMINES HOW WE CAN PRESERVE THE
COMPETITIVE NATURE OF GAS
STATION PRICING AND HOW WE CAN
INTEGRATE ALTERNATIVE FUELING
INTO EXISTING GAS STATION
INFRASTRUCTURE. CURRENT INTO
ALTERNATIVE FUELING
INFRASTRUCTURE ARE ONLY HALF OF
WHAT IS NEEDED TO TRANSITION BY
2050 OR EARLIER THIS TASK FORCE
WILL DETERMINE THE MOST COST
EFFECTIVE PATH FORWARD FOR ZERO
EMISSION FUEL ALTERNATIVES WHILE
USING OUR EXISTING GASOLINE
INFRASTRUCTURE TO MEET GOVERNOR
NEWSOM'S MANDATE TO TRANSITION
TO S¼ B 980 THREE IS A CRUCIAL
STEP. I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE
TWO WITNESSES TODAY. BEVERLY YU.
THE STATE BUILDING AND
CONSTRUCTIONS TRADE COUNCIL OF
CALIFORNIA AND TERESA COOK,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CALIFORNIA
HYDROGEN COALITION. BEFORE THEY
START THEIR TESTIMONY. LET'S
JUST STOP THE S¼. SECRETARY.
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. BEDFORD.
RADFORD HERE, DELHI, ASHBY,
BECKER CABALLERO CABRE DODDS.
DAD HERE. DURAZZO DURAZO HERE.
EGIN GONZALEZ GROVE GROVE HERE.
LEMONS MIN MIN HERE. NEWMAN
NEWMAN HERE, RUBIO RUBIO!
PRESTO! SKINNER STERN. STERN
HAIR. WILK PRESENT WILK PRESENT.
DELHI PRESENT. PRESENT UH,
PRESENT SO YOU CAN CONTINUE.
BEVERLY CAN IN HIS PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, MISTER PRESIDENT.
GOOD MORNING, BEVERLY. YOU ON
BEHALF OF STATE BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL
REPRESENTING 500,000 HARD
WORKING MEN AND WOMEN. THE
CONSTRUCTION TRADES, INCLUDING
65,000 ROLLED IN OUR STATE OF
THE ART APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE
AUTHOR FOR BRINGING FORWARD S¼ B
98 THREE, AND WE ARE IN STRONG
SUPPORT. AS SPONSORS OF THIS
BILL. WE SUPPORT ALL FORMS OF
ENERGY AND S¼ B 98 THREE IS
ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT ALTERNATIVE
FIELDS ARE AND WILL CONTINUE TO
PLAY A ROLE IN HOW CALIFORNIA
GET FROM POINT A TO B. THE STATE
GOALS ARE SET. THE EXECUTIVE
ORDERS ARE SIGNED. BUT NOW COMES
THE REAL CHALLENGE AND THE HARD
WORK TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE AS A
STATE HAVE SET OUT TO DO. WE'RE
NOT GOING TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS
WITH THE STATUS QUO. ACHIEVING
OUR GOALS REQUIRE SERIOUS
EVALUATION, INVESTMENT IN NEW
INFRASTRUCTURE, AND JUST
THROWING MONEY OUT OF ISSUE WILL
NOT MAGICALLY MEAN THAT THE
INFRASTRUCTURE WILL BE BUILT. WE
MUST EVALUATE CONSUMER
PREFERENCE AND UNDERSTAND THE
COMPLEXITIES OF BOTH STATE AND
LOCAL LAWS THAT COULD BE
BARRIERS TO DEPLOYING
ALTERNATIVE FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THIS BILL IS AN EXAMINATION
OF HOW WE BUILD OFF OF OUR
EXISTING FUELING INFRASTRUCTURE
THAT ARE CONVENIENT IN ALMOST
EVERY COMMUNITY. THIS BILL
ACKNOWLEDGES THERE ARE MANY
STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE CRITICAL
TO THESE CONVERSATIONS,
INCLUDING LABOR. FUELING STATION
OWNERS BOTH URBAN AND RURAL
CONSUMERS, EXPERTS IN E VÆ
CHARGING HYDROGEN FUELING LOCAL
GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES, LAND
USE EXPERTS IN ELECTRIC
UTILITIES, BOTH PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE. OUR MEMBERS CAN BUILD
ANY FORM OF ENERGY GENERATION.
WE WORK HARD TO BUILD THESE NEW
RENEWABLE PROJECTS. WE SUPPORT
THE DEPLOYMENT OF ALTERNATIVE
FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE AND BELIEVE
THE TASK FORCE ESTABLISHED AN S¼
B 983 WILL HELP FACILITATE AND
ACCELERATE THE DEPLOYMENT AND
CONSTRUCTION OF ALTERNATIVE FUEL
INFRASTRUCTURE. IT'S A VERY
CRITICAL STEP, UH, FIRST STEP
FOR CREATING JOBS IN THE SECTOR.
WE WANT TO THANK SENATOR WHA FOR
HER HARD WORK AND LEADERSHIP IN
THIS SECTOR ON THIS, BILL. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT WITNESS TWO
MINUTES FOR US. GOOD MORNING,
SENATORS. THERESA COOK ON BEHALF
OF THE CALIFORNIA HYDROGEN
COALITION. OUR MEMBERSHIP
INCLUDES HYDROGEN FUEL PRODUCERS
, STATION DEVELOPERS AND
MANUFACTURERS OF ZERO EMISSION
FUEL CELL ELECTRIC VEHICLES. S¼
P 980. THREE WILL ENSURE WE'RE
DOING THE EARLY TROUBLESHOOTING
TO SOLVE BARRIERS TO THE
TRANSITION OF OUR CURRENT
FUELING NETWORK TO A NETWORK
THAT CAN SUPPORT CALIFORNIA'S
GROWING FLEET OF ZERO EMISSION
VEHICLES. EXISTING GAS STATIONS
ARE ACTUALLY PERFECTLY
POSITIONED TO SUPPORT THE
FUELING NEEDS OF ZERO EMISSION
FUEL CELL VEHICLE. MUCH LIKE
COMBUSTION ENGINES TODAY, FUEL
CELL VEHICLES FUEL AT HYDROGEN
PUMPS THAT EXISTING STATIONS
TAKING ANYWHERE BETWEEN 3 TO 5
MINUTES AND, UH, THEY'RE ON YOUR
RANGE FOR ANOTHER THREE TO 400
MILES AS OUR FRIEND, SENATOR
NEWMAN. WELL KNOWS IT WOULD TAKE
1000 HYDROGEN FUELING STATIONS
STRATEGICALLY LOCATED THROUGHOUT
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO
PROVIDE FUELING ACCESS TO 94% OF
THE GEOGRAPHIC STATE IN 96% OF
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. FOR
THESE REASONS, WE EXCEPTIONALLY
PLEASED TO BE HERE IN SUPPORT
TODAY AND THANK THE SENATOR AND
AUTHOR FOR HER HARD WORK ON THIS
IMPORTANT ISSUE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU ADDITIONAL WITNESSES
IN SUPPORT STATE YOUR NAME AND
ORGANIZATION, PLEASE. MR CHAIR
MEMBERS, THEO PEHO, REPRESENTING
FORD IN SUPPORT. THANK YOU, MR
CHAIR JACKS ON BEHALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA FUELS AND CONVENIENCE
ALLIANCE AND SUPPORT YOU IN
ADDITIONAL WITNESSES IN SUPPORT.
SHEENA NOW MOVED TO OPPOSITION.
ARE THERE ANY LEAD ORDINANCES IN
OPPOSITION TO THIS MEASURE? NONE
WILL BRING IT BACK TO THE
COMMITTEE. ANY QUESTIONS OR
CONCERNS BY COMMITTEE MEMBERS,
SENATOR NEWMAN JUST A QUICK
COMMENT AND A THANK YOU SINCE,
UH, MISS COOK CALLED ME OUT. UH,
I GRATEFUL FOR THIS BILL, AND
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP
FORWARD, AND SO THANK YOU FOR
BRINGING THE BILL. THERE'S A LOT
OF ADDITIONAL WORK OUTSIDE THE
SCOPE OF THIS PARTICULAR MEASURE
TO MAKE SURE THE CALIFORNIA DOES
MAKE THE INVESTMENTS THAT MAKE
GOOD USE OF THESE PROPERTIES.
UH, IN WAYS THAT ASSIST THE
TRANSITION AT ZERO EMISSIONS
VEHICLES GLAD TO SUPPORT IT, AND
I AM HAPPY TO MOVE IT WHEN THE
TIME IS APPROPRIATE. ARM IS
APPROPRIATE, SENATOR RUBIO.
THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT. UM, I
ALSO THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT
BILL. I THINK AS WE KEEP PUTTING
MANDATES ON OUR STATE, UH, YOU
KNOW, WE HAVE TO ALSO GROW WITH
SOME OF OUR MANDATES AND
INFRASTRUCTURE IS GOING TO BE
KEY NOT ONLY TO MEET OUR GOALS,
BUT I MEAN, I CAN SEE IT'S GONNA
PRODUCE A LOT OF GOOD PAYING
JOBS THAT ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED
IN CALIFORNIA. SO I LIKE TO BE
AT IT AS AN AUTHOR AND
APPROPRIATE AND WITH THAT, I
ALSO SAY MOVED ABOUT THANK YOU,
ITS CO AUTHOR. HAD AS A
CO-AUTHOR. SHE SAID SHE WANTED
TO BE THE AUTHOR. YES SO SHE LET
ME I'LL BE THE AUTHOR. THANK
YOU. VICE CHAIR. DALLY UH, THANK
YOU. I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT. THIS
IS, UM TECHNOLOGY NEUTRAL, BUT I
JUST WANT TO POINT OUT TO THE
COMMITTEE THAT THIS BILL IS
GOING TO ASK THE èC E. WHICH IS
THE FUNDED BY ELECTRICITY
RATEPAYERS. SO THIS BILL WILL
DRIVE UP THE COST OF ELECTRICITY
, BECAUSE IF YOU I'M ON SUB TWO,
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE èC
èC THERE THEY ARE ASKING FOR
MORE INCREASE IN THEIR BUDGET.
WHICH THE RATEPAYERS THE
ELECTRICITY RATEPAYERS PAY FOR.
WOULD SO RATEPAYER ELECTRICITY
RATEPAYERS ARE SUBSIDIZING. UH,
GASOLINE AND FUEL. STUDIES SO I
JUST WANTED THE RECORD TO SHOW
THAT, UM ELECTRICITY RATES WILL
GO UP BECAUSE OF THIS TYPE OF
STUDY BEING DONE BY THE èC èC.
THANK YOU, SENATOR Dð RASO.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU AND I. I
WILL BE SUPPORTIVE. UM I KNOW
JUST A LITTLE BIT AND FOLLOW UP
WITH MY COLLEAGUE. UM MENTION OF
JOBS IS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON
THIS AND ON A NUMBER OF FRONTS
FROM S¼ P 150 TO OTHER EXAMPLES,
AND WE HAVE, AS I SAID, BEFORE
WE HAVE A GOOD TRACK RECORD.
DECENT OR GOOD TRACK RECORD WHEN
IT COMES TO THE CONSTRUCTION
JOBS. UH BUT WE ARE NOT DOING
ENOUGH TO ASSURE NON
CONSTRUCTION JOBS GET INCLUDED
WITH HIGH ROAD JOBS, POLICIES
AND PLANS AND, UM SORRY, I WOULD
REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOME VERSION
OF THAT NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR
BILL. THANK YOU. UM AND JUST TO
ADDRESS THAT CONCERN. I DO WANT
TO SAY THAT THE TASK FORCE
MEMBERS, ONE SPECIFIC TASK FORCE
APPOINTEE WOULD BE FROM A
CONSTRUCTION. ORGANIZATION UM SO
I WANNA MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR
THAT THEY WOULD HAVE SAY AS TO
HOW WE CAN IMPLEMENT THINGS
MOVING FORWARD, SO I JUST WANT
TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
YEAH, I. I UNDERSTAND THAT.
THAT'S WHY I'M MY SPECIFIC
SUGGESTION IS NON CONSTRUCTION.
100% SO WE HAVE OTHER APPOINTEES
THAT ARE ALSO YOU KNOW, WE HAVE
A VERY BIG STATE AND OFTEN TIMES
WHEN WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA,
RURAL AND METRO AREAS, AND THERE
ARE REPRESENTATIVES THAT WOULD
COVER ALL OF THESE, UM, SPECIFIC
REGIONS. SO WE'RE WE'RE VERY
HOPEFUL, ESPECIALLY WITH THE
INTENTION OF WHAT I'M TRYING TO
DO IS ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE
HAVE GOOD PAYING JOBS ACROSS THE
BOARD. UH, NOT NECESSARILY. YOU
DON'T HAVE TO BE IN A UNION TO
BE PAID FAIRLY AND TREATED WITH
DIGNITY, TOO. SO I FULLY FOR
THAT. YEAH I'M AGAIN. WE HAVE,
UM, SOME VERY GOOD EXAMPLES OF
THE KIND OF LANGUAGE THAT IS, UM
UH, TASK FORCE WOULD INCLUDE,
AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT
PROCESS RIGHT NOW, SO I REALLY
WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU KNOW,
DON'T HAVE TO. YEAH, NÓ. I GET
IT SOME EXPLICIT REFERENCE TO
THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, OTHERWISE
IT IT'LL JUST GO OUT THE WINDOW
AND IT'LL BE LOST. THANK YOU,
SENATOR STERN. THANK YOU, MR
CHAIR. SORRY. I LOST MY VOICE
LAST NIGHT. UM WILL BE BRIEF IN
THAT REGARD. SO YOU DON'T? YEAH
YOU YOU CAN'T COUNT ON A LONG
WINDED DIATRIBE HERE. I'M LUCKY
FOR EVERYBODY. MY QUESTIONS TO
YOU. I THINK I MENTIONED TO YOU,
UH, PREVIOUS TO THE HEARING,
SENATOR. UH, FUNCTIONS THAT
ALREADY EXIST IN GOVERNMENT THAT
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT DUPLICATION
OR WHAT'S NOT WORKING WITH THOSE
EFFORTS. UM THE CLEAN
TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WHICH THE
èC èC JUST PUT OUT THEIR MOST
RECENT ITERATION THAT IS OPEN TO
STAKEHOLDERS, AND WE KNOW OUR
LABOR UNIONS AND PETROLEUM
INDUSTRY AND OTHERS WERE INVITED
TO THAT TABLE. IT'S A PUBLIC
PROCESS. SO WHAT'S NOT WORKING
IN YOUR MIND ABOUT THAT CLEAN
TRANSPORTATION PLAN THAT
NECESSITATES US TO STAND UP A
NEW RATEPAYER FUNDED ENTITY THAT
IT CERTAINLY ISN'T WORKING
THROUGH THE EXISTING CHANNEL.
I'M I'M HEARING FROM THE
HYDROGEN FOLKS THAT THEY THEY
THEY'RE NOT SATISFIED BECAUSE
THEY WANT MORE. SO IF THAT'S
WHAT THE BILL IS ABOUT, I GET
IT. BUT I SORT OF AM TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND THAT AND THEN THE
OTHER PIECES ON THE RETAIL
FUELING FRONT. THE DEPARTMENT OF
PETROLEUM MARKET OVERSIGHT. WE
PUT A LOT OF EFFORT OVER THE
LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IN S¼ P
ONE, X TWO TO STAND THAT UP. AND
WE KNOW THERE'S AN INDUSTRY
EFFORT RIGHT NOW TO TELL THEM WE
DON'T WANT TO SHARE ANY OF OUR
DATA. WE DON'T WANT TO SORT OF
PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROCESS. SO
HOW DOES THIS NOT DUPLICATE OR
OVERRIDE BOTH THE Dð PM AND THEN
THE CLEAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
THOSE ARE DEFINITELY, UH WELL,
FIRST. I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM
THERE WAS A BILL SIMILAR TO THIS
A B 1614 BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER
GABRIEL LAST YEAR, WHICH YOU
WERE A COAUTHOR'S IN THIS BILL.
UM I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE ASSEMBLY
MEMBER AS WELL. SO WE GENUINELY
DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS
DUPLICATIVE. IN FACT, THIS IS
VERY NARROW AND VERY FOCUSED ON
WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO TAKE THOSE
ADDITIONAL STEPS. SO FOR I
PERSONALLY DRIVE A HYBRID
ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND I LIVE IN
AN APARTMENT COMPLEX CANNOT
CHARGE THE VEHICLE AT ALL.
BECAUSE MY COMPLEX DOES NOT HAVE
A CHARGING STATION. AND THAT IS
WHAT MANY WORKING CLASS
AMERICANS ARE DEALING WITH AND
WHY THERE HAS BEEN KIND OF A
PUSH BACK ON E VÆ VEHICLES FOR
THE AVERAGE PERSON, BUT, UH,
THROUGH THE CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE
FOR OUR WITNESS TO BE ABLE TO
ANSWER ANY MORE TECHNICAL
QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, SENATOR.
UM I'M SORRY. YOU LOST YOUR
VOICE, UH, HAPPY TO RESPOND TO
TWO INTERESTING POINTS, ONE THAT
YOU BRING UP SENATOR STERN. THE
CLEAN TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM
DOES HAVE AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THAT ADVISORY COMMITTEE SERVES
TO ADVISE ON THE SPENDING FOCUS
OF THE CLEAN TRANSPORTATION
PROGRAM. WE DON'T HAVE A THINK
TANK DEDICATED TO TRYING TO
ADDRESS BARRIERS FOR BUILDING
OUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND, IN
PARTICULAR TAKING ADVANTAGE OF
THE EXISTING FUELS NETWORK.
THERE ISN'T ANYBODY IN THE
CONVENIENCE, UH, INDUSTRY THAT
SITS ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
AND IT REALLY IS OUTSIDE OF
THEIR SCOPE, AND IT'S IMPORTANT
TO NOTE THAT WHEN IT COMES TO
HYDROGEN, FUELING, WHILE STATE
SUPPORT IN THESE EARLY DAYS IS
ESPECIALLY CRITICAL, THAT IS NOT
THE LONG TERM PATH FOR HYDRO.
AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT AS OUR PRIVATE
DEVELOPERS ARE BUILDING OUT THIS
STATION INFRASTRUCTURE NOT ONLY
ARE WE THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO
SUPPORT HYDROGEN EARLY ON
THROUGH THE èC Tð P ADVISORY
COMMITTEE, BUT THEY WERE
ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK OF
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO EASE
THE PATH FOR PRIVATE SECTOR TO
JUST DIRECTLY BUILD AND INVEST
IN THESE STATIONS AT THESE
EXISTING GAS STATIONS. DOES THAT
HELP ANSWER THE QUESTION A
LITTLE BIT. UM IT DOES. I MEAN,
IT'S, UH, THE CURRENT PLAN IS
NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THE
HYDROGEN FUELING INDUSTRY. IT
SOUNDS LIKE IT DOESN'T HAVE
ENOUGH FORWARD LOOKING PRIVATE
SECTOR FACING DIRECTION IN YOUR
IN YOUR MIND, AS OPPOSED TO THE
SORT OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT PLAN
IS THAT A FAIR SUMMARY I WOULD
SAY THAT A B EIGHT REPORT THAT
THE AIR RESOURCES BOARD DOES IS
MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE GEARED
TO WHAT SOME OF THAT FORWARD
FACING WORK, UM, COULD BE DONE.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S OUR BRILLIANT
FRIENDS AT THE AIR BOARD, TRYING
TO SORT OF PROJECT WHAT THE
FUTURE COULD BE, AS OPPOSED TO
BRINGING THE RIGHT FOLKS
TOGETHER, INCLUDING LABOR TO
FIGURE OUT HOW WE OVERCOME SOME
OF THE BARRIERS SO UNDERSTOOD.
MY ONLY THING IS JUST IN A YEAR
IN A WE'RE ABOUT TO TRY TO CUT
$17 BILLION OUT OF THE BUDGET
JUST TO TRY TO FIND
EFFICIENCIES. IF THERE'S AN
EXISTING PROGRAM THAT YOU CAN
WEEK OR STAKEHOLDERS ARE THERE
OR NOT, ANYWAY, IT'S FOOD FOR
THOUGHT AS YOU GO FORWARD NÓ. I
APPRECIATE THAT SENATOR AND ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT I ALSO JUST
WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT, UM,
WE DO HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE IN
PLACE, SO INSTEAD OF STARTING
FROM SCRATCH, AND LIKE SPENDING,
EVEN MORE MONEY AND MORE TIME
AND YOU KNOW, UM NOT WORKING
WITH WITH TOOLS THAT ARE ALREADY
IN PLACE WITH THIS, WE'RE TRYING
TO BUILD ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE HAVE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THEY
CAN JUST GO TO A GAS STATION
CHARGE THEIR VEHICLE. IT'S
SAFER. IT'S CLEANER. UM FOR
EXAMPLE, A LOT OF THE CHARGING
STATIONS ARE UNLIKE THE MOST
RANDOM SPOTS YOU COULD THINK OF
RIGHT? SO FOR A FAMILY OR EVEN A
WOMAN TRAVELING AT NIGHT WHO
NEEDS TO LIKE CHARGE HER VEHICLE
? IT IS NOT NECESSARILY SAFE.
THIS AGAIN ESTABLISHES THE
INFRASTRUCTURE WE ALREADY HAVE,
BUT EXPANDS IT AND MAKES IT, UM,
CLEANER. I THANK THE SENATOR
GROVE. MR CHAIR. MY QUESTION WAS
ANSWERED ON THE HYDROGEN PIECE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING
THIS BILL FORWARD. I KNOW IT
DOESN'T. IT FOCUSES ON GAS
STATIONS AND WHERE YOU HAVE
CHARGING AND EXPANDING CHARGING
STATIONS, BUT, UM, I LOVE THAT
WE'RE INTRODUCING THE HYDROGEN
TECHNOLOGY INTO LEGISLATION. UM,
REGARDLESS OF WHO'S AT THE TABLE
AND ALL OF THAT STUFF, BECAUSE
THE REASON I SAY THAT IS
BECAUSE, UM, IN MY DISTRICT IN
THE WHAT WE CALL THE SPACEPORT
BECAUSE WE GOT IT RECOGNIZED BY
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS A
SPACEPORT. WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING
TERM AIR TRAVEL, NON PERSONNEL
AIR TRAVEL TO DELIVER PACKAGES
AND WE'VE CONVERTED REGULAR FUEL
ENGINES INTO HYDRO ENGINES, AND
WE'RE RECYCLING WATER AND FLYING
UP TO 300 MILES TO DELIVER THIS,
WHICH IS REDUCING EMISSIONS, AND
THE ONLY REASON WE WERE ABLE TO
DO THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A
COMPLETE EIR AND EVERYTHING THAT
GOES THERE SO THEY DON'T NEED A
WHOLE LOT OF I DON'T WANT TO SAY
STATE REGULATORY PROCESSES
BECAUSE IT'S UNDER LOCAL
CONTROL, AND IT'S REALLY A COOL
PROJECT AND WHEN YOU CAN
MINIMIZE GOVERNMENT'S INPUT INTO
THESE PROJECTS, THE PRIVATE
SECTOR CAN THRIVE AND SO THANK
YOU. AND I APPRECIATE YOU,
INCLUDING HYDROGEN, BECAUSE I
THINK ONE DAY IT WILL INCLUDE MY
SPACEPORT, WHICH IS, UH, DOING
HYDROGEN TRAVEL. GREAT ANY
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS
BY COMMITTEE MEMBERS. SENATOR
WILL HOP HOW SENATOR NEWMAN THE
BUN. I JUST WANT TO ADD A LITTLE
BIT TO THE DISCUSSION. SO I
REMEMBER LAST YEAR'S BILL AND
THE BILL, UH, HAD A BIT OF THE
FEELING OF LOOKING TO SUNSET GAS
STATION. SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
THIS TAKES US SORT OF MORE
OPEN-MINDED APPROACH, BUT I JUST
TO MISS COOK'S POINTS AND I
APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT ON HYEN,
ESPECIALLY FOR RURAL AREAS.
THERE ARE QUESTIONS AS TO
WHETHER OR NOT YOU KNOW, GAS
STATION FOOTPRINTS WILL SUPPORT
A BUSINESS MODEL. UH, THAT IS
PROFITABLE AROUND CHARGING
AROUND E VÆ CHARGING. WE OH,
THAT THIS MODALITY IS EASILY
CONVERTED TO HYDRO FUEL CELL
INFRASTRUCTURE. AND SO AS PART
OF THIS LARGER EFFORT, I THINK
THIS COMMITTEE ESPECIALLY HAS TO
LEAN INTO SUPPORTING THAT EFFORT
TO ENSURE THAT FUEL CELL
ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE PART OF
THIS EQUATION, PARTICULARLY IN
THOSE AREAS THAT ARE HARD TO
SERVE WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES,
ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS, SO
APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I THINK
THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER THIS
CONVERSATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER
DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM HERE IN
QINAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO CLOSE?
I RESPECTFULLY ASK HER AND I
VOTE RIGHT MEMBERS. UH, WE HAVE
A DUE PASS AS AMENDED TO THE
COMMITTEE ON RULES. IS THERE A
MOTION IT'S BEEN MOVED BY
SENATOR RUBIO. THE SECRET
POLICE. CALDER ROLL. BRADFORD
BRADFORD, I DALLY. ASHBY,
BECKER. CABALLERO CABALLERO, I
DODD DOT I DURAZZO DURAZZO I
EGGMAN GONZALEZ GROVE. PROVIDE
LEMON. MEN MEN I, NEWMAN NEWMAN,
I RUBIO RUBIO I CTO SKINNER
STERN. WILK WHILK I BIB 10 TO 0.
IT HAS ENOUGH 10 TO 0. IT HAS
ENOUGH VOTE. THAT MEASURE HAS 10
VOTES MEASURES OUT.
CONGRATULATIONS WE'LL LEAVE THE
ROLE OPEN FOR IT ON CALL FOR
ABSENT MEMBERS. YEAH, THAT'S
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE THE
OPEN FOR ABSENT MEMBERS SAT ON.
THANK YOU. AT THIS POINT, I'M
GONNA TURN OVER THE GAVEL TO OUR
VICE CHAIR REAL QUICK BECAUSE I
GOTTA RUN OVER TO ANOTHER
COMMITTEE. EXCEPT WE HAVE
SENATOR PADILLA. ALL RIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA GET SOMETHING DONE
NOW. UH OH. STAND BY. WE LOVE
YOU. LET'S DO IT. GOOD MORNING,
MR CHAIRMAN AND COLLEAGUES. UH
I'M HONORED TO PRESENT S¼ B 1000
THREE 09, WHICH WOULD DIRECT THE
èC PREVIOUSLY REFERENCED IN
CONSULTATION WITH OTHER STATE
AGENCY, INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR'S
OFFICE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT IN THE CALIFORNIA
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO
ESTABLISH A LITHIUM BATTERY
PRODUCTION COUNCIL TO CONDUCT
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ON WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT NEEDS INFRASTRUCTURE
, SEWAGE, WASTEWATER TREATMENT
AND HOUSING NEEDS FOCUSED ON
LITHIUM BATTERY PRODUCTION.
IMPERIAL COUNTY LITHIUM VALLEY
REPRESENTS AN ENORMOUS ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STATE, AS
MANY OF YOU ALREADY WELL KNOW,
THE SALTON SEA IS ONE OF THE
LARGEST RESERVES OF LITHIUM IN
THE WORLD, WHICH COULD FULFILL
OVER ONE THIRD OF GLOBAL DEMAND.
IN 2020 THREE, A NEW REPORT BY
LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LAB
ESTIMATED THAT DEPOSITS HELD
MORE LITHIUM THAN PREVIOUSLY
ESTIMATED ENOUGH TO SUPPORT OVER
THREE 175 MILLION BATTERIES FOR
ELECTRIC VEHICLES MORE THAN THE
TOTAL NUMBER OF VEHICLES
CURRENTLY ON U S¼ ROADS. YET THE
REGION WHICH SURROUNDS THESE
VAST DEPOSITS AS CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE GAPS, INCLUDING A
LACK OF BRIDGES AND ROADS, A
LACK OF COMMUNICATION
INFRASTRUCTURE OR EVEN THE WATER
AND SEWAGE INFRASTRUCTURE
CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING PRODUCTION
AND A SUBSTANTIAL WORKFORCE.
CALIFORNIA CONTINUES TO SEEK TO
POWER THE FUTURE BY PRODUCING
LITHIUM IN A MORE SUSTAINABLE
AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFER WAY
THAN NEARLY ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE
WORLD. BUT AS WE DO SO IT IS
CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE A
COMPREHENSIVE AND INTEGRATED
STRATEGY. I NOTE ONE THAT WE DO
NOT CURRENTLY HAVE THAT SECURES
CALIFORNIA'S GLOBAL LEADERSHIP
IN LITHIUM MANUFACTURING AND
WHICH PREPARES OUR REGION AND
STATE TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF
SUSTAINING A GLOBAL INDUSTRY. I
WILL REMIND MEMBERS AS I THINK,
DOES YOUR REPORT WE'VE TAKEN
GOOD STEPS IN THE LEGISLATURE.
WE PROVIDED RESOURCES THROUGH
GRANTING TO HELP. UM ASSIST THE
DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES. WE
ESTABLISHED A SHORT TERM
COMMISSION TO IDENTIFY NEXT
STEPS. AND NOW WE NEED TO FOCUS
ON AN INTEGRATED STRATEGY
FOCUSED ON PRODUCTION AND ALL
THE SEGMENTS OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN
S¼ 1309 WILL ALLOW BETTER
COORDINATIONS AMONG DIFFERENT
STATE AGENCIES. IT WILL LEAD TO
A COHESIVE AND ROBUST STRATEGY
TO ENSURE THAT WE FOSTER THAT
LITHIUM BATTERY SUPPLY CHAIN IN
CALIFORNIA AND HAVE SUCCESSFUL
PRODUCTION IN APRIL. I'LL BE
CONVENING A BUDGET SUB FOR
COMMITTEE HEARING ON THIS ISSUE
TO INVESTIGATE THE STATE'S
EFFORTS AT BUILDING A
COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY, AND THAT
HEARING WILL INFORM THE FURTHER
DEVELOPMENT OF THIS BILL AS
WELL. WITH ME TODAY TO TESTIFY
IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL IS
MICHELLE VÀ, REPRESENTING THE
COUNTY OF IMPERIAL WELCOME. YOU
HAVE TWO MINUTES. GOOD MORNING,
MR CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MICHELLE VÀ WITH NIELSEN MESMER
ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY OF
IMPERIAL. WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL
TO THE AUTHOR FOR BRINGING
FORWARD THIS BILL, AS ALL OF YOU
KNOW, LITHIUM IS A VITAL MINERAL
THAT'S FOUND IN RECHARGEABLE
BATTERIES THAT CONSUMERS USE IN
THEIR PORTABLE COMMUTING
COMPUTING DEVICES, ELECTRIC
VEHICLES AND BATTERY STORAGE.
UH, CURRENTLY 80% OF THE WORLD'S
RAW LITHIUM IS MINED IN
AUSTRALIA, CHILE AND CHINA, AND
CURRENTLY, CHINA CONTROLS MORE
THAN HALF THE WORLD'S LITHIUM
PROCESSING AND FINDING, UM AND
IS REFINING 3/4 OF THE LITHIUM
ION BATTERY MEGA FACTORIES IN
THE WORLD. UM THE UNITED STATES
ONLY HAS ABOUT 1% OF GLOBAL
LITHIUM BEING MINED AND
PROCESSED AND SO, UH, AS THE
AUTHOR HAS MENTIONED, THERE IS
AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF
OPPORTUNITY IN IMPERIAL COUNTY.
UM IT'S ESTIMATED THAT WE HOLD
AS MUCH AS 15 MILLION TONS OF
LITHIUM IN IMPERIAL COUNTY.
WHICH WOULD, UH, TAKE ABOUT 50
TO 100 YEARS TO EXTRACT THE
MINING OF LITHIUM. IN ADDITION
TO THE GEOTHERMAL POWER
GENERATION, PROVIDED PROVIDE THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR CALIFORNIA AND
THE UNITED STATES TO HAVE
GREATER CONTROL OVER NEEDED
MATERIAL IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN FOR
ELECTRIC VEHICLES, CONSUMER AND
COMMERCIAL ELECTRONICS WHILE
PROVIDING GREATER STABILITY TO
OUR ENERGY SUPPLY, SO WE ARE
VERY GRATEFUL TO THE AUTHOR FOR
BRINGING FORWARD THIS BILL. IT
DOES ALIGN WITH THE COUNTY'S
GOALS AND THE, UH, STATEWIDE
FOCUS IS MUCH APPRECIATED, AND
WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING
OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
AUTHOR ON THE REFINEMENT AND
EXPANSION OF MEMBERS ON THE
COUNCIL, AND WITH THAT,
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN EYE
VOTE. FURTHER WITNESSES IN
SUPPORT. SEEING NONE. WE WILL GO
TO WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION, NOT
A WITNESS. BUT SARAH PALOMO,
CALIFORNIA RETAILERS ASSOCIATION
AND SUPPORT OK, ANYBODY ELSE IN
SUPPORT OF S¼ B 13 AND NINE SEE
ON ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK IN
OPPOSITION. SEEING OFFICERS WILL
BRING IT BACK TO THE DÍAS.
QUESTIONS BY MEMBERS, SENATOR
DODD. YES UH, FIRST OF ALL, I
SUPPORT THIS BILL. I THINK THIS
IS SOMETHING THAT, UH THESE ARE
THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE. IN
RESPONSE TO THE LAST QUESTION WE
HAD ON THE LAST BILL. I THINK IT
WAS YOU, SENATOR DOLLY. I MEAN
AT AT SOME POINT IN TIME. IS
THERE A WAY DO WE ALLOW THE èC
E TO SAY OK, UH, INSTEAD OF
MAYBE THIS SPECIFIC LET ME GET
TO THE POINT HERE. IF THIS IS
TOO EXPENSIVE, BECAUSE LOOK AT
WE'VE REALLY GOT TO START
LOOKING AT THE THINGS WE'RE
DOING. UH IN IN, NOT CREATING
MORE AND MORE IMPACTS FOR OUR
RATEPAYERS. THIS SHOULD BE
SOMETHING THAT WE TALK ABOUT ON
EVERY SINGLE BILL. THAT COMES UP
THAT HAS REPAIR IMPACTS BECAUSE
THESE RATES ARE JUST GOING
THROUGH THE ROOF. SO GRANTED
THAT WE NEED THIS POLICY THAT WE
NEED TO BE MOVE FORWARD ON. THIS
IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. I
WONDER IN THE FUTURE, MAYBE NOT
FOR THIS BILL TODAY, BUT WE
OUGHT TO BE THINKING ABOUT WAYS
OF PUTTING SUBSECTION OF THE
BILL THAT ALLOWS THE èC E èC
TO MOVE. THIS INTO A COMMITTEE
THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE OR SOME
PROGRAM. THEY ALREADY HAVE SO
THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING A NEW
INFRASTRUCTURE NEW COSTS AND I
DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT, UH, I KNOW THAT IN THE
STAFF REPORTS ON SOME OF THE
BILLS TODAY THERE WAS THIS COULD
HAVE, YOU KNOW, RATEPAYER
IMPACT, SO THAT'S WHY I BRING
THAT UP. MR CHAIR. THANK YOU.
I'M GOING TO I KNOW THAT SENATOR
CABALLERO IS, UH NOW I WANNA
ADDRESS THAT ISSUE BECAUSE I
BROUGHT IT UP IN THE LAST ON THE
LAST BILL AND I LAID OFF THAT
BILL. THIS WORK DEFINITELY NEEDS
TO BE DONE. THERE'S NÓ DOUBT
ABOUT IT. UM BUT I HAVE THE SAME
I HAVE ON ALL THESE BILLS THAT
WERE PUNTING THINGS TO THE èC
E. èC IS THE WRONG PLACE TO DO
IT. THIS IS THIS IS, UM
WASTEWATER TREATMENT. THIS IS
HOUSING. THIS IS ALL THINGS THAT
REALLY SHOULD BE HOUSED IN THE
GOBI DEPARTMENT OF THE
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. THAT'S WHERE
THE FUNDS FOR THIS PARTICULAR
WORK, IN MY OPINION SHOULD COME
FROM SO NOT GOING TO BE
SUPPORTING THESE BILLS THAT ARE
DRIVING UP. WE DRIVING UP THE
COST OF ELECTRICITY PAYERS ON
ISSUES. THIS ONE ACTUALLY HAS
SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE
ELECTRICITY. THANK GOD I LIKE IT
A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE LAST
ONE. BUT IT'S STILL DRIVING UP
THE COST. SO I HAVE. I THINK
GOBI IS THE PLACE WHERE WE
SHOULD BE FUNDING THESE. SO I. I
JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE
BECAUSE I'M THE NUMBER ONE THING
I'M HEARING IN MY OFFICE AND I'M
ASSUMING OTHER OFFICES, TOO, IS
PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD THEIR
ELECTRICITY RATES AND WE'RE JUST
CONTINUING TO PUSH THOSE UP, SO
I'LL GO TO RESPOND, SO I AGREE
WITH YOUR POINT. UM, I SUPPORT
THIS BILL TODAY, AND I JUST
THINK THAT SENATOR PADILLA MAYBE
THAT IS SOMETHING. YOU LOOK, IF
THIS IS A DIRECTION WE'RE GOING
AT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. I
UNDERSTAND WITH A $38 BILLION
DEFICIT. IT'S HARD TO YEAH, PUT
MORE THINGS THERE. BUT IF THIS
IS A POLICY, THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA YOU KNOW MAYBE THERE
SHOULD BE A GENERAL FUND YOUR
ITEM, SO I WOULD LIKE ALL I
WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO IS TO
CONSIDER THIS GO BIZ TYPE OF
IDEA. UM YOU KNOW, AS YOU MOVE
THIS BILL FORWARD, MR CHAIRMAN,
SENATOR CABALLERO. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH, ACTUALLY. I HAD THE
SAME IDEAS OF BOTH OF THEM. AND
SO, UM, MY COMMENT WAS JUST
THAT. AT THE HEARING. MAYBE YOU
COULD EXPLORE WHERE THIS MORE
APPROPRIATELY MIGHT BE HANDLED.
RATEPAYERS IN MY DISTRICT ARE
GOING CRAZY. THEY PAY SOME OF
THE HIGHEST ELECTRICITY RATES.
UM AND THE INCREASE ON TOP OF
INCREASE ON TOP OF INCREASE IS
GOING TO BE UNSUSTAINABLE, AND
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HEAR
ABOUT IT. I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH
YOU KNOW? WHAT WHAT GOOD THINGS
WE DO THAT IT'S JUST OUTRAGEOUS.
YOU HAVE SOME PARTS OF YOUR
DISTRICT THAT ARE VERY, VERY
SIMILAR IN TERMS OF CLIMATE.
THIS REALLY IS AN ECONOMIC
INTEREST. I WANTED TO ALSO
CONGRATULATE YOU ON, UM YOUR
IDEAS, AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT
IDEA. YEAH, I JUST DO THINK IT
SHOULD BE FUNDED, UM, NOT BY THE
RATEPAYERS AS AS WE'RE LOOKING
AT THE BROADER ISSUE OF WHAT ARE
THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES I
THINK IT DOES RIGHTFULLY BELONG
SOMEWHERE LIKE GOBI. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS
FORWARD AND I'LL MOVE THE BILL
WHEN YOU'RE WHEN WE'RE READY, MR
CHAIRMAN. AT SOME POINT, I'M
HAPPY TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS OR
COMMENT. SENATOR RUBIO THANK YOU
. I JUST DELIVER THE POINT. I
MEAN, CLEARLY NONE OF US WANT
OUR RAY, PA PAYING MORE, SO I'LL
PUT THAT ASIDE. THEY PRETTY MUCH
COVER THAT ON THAT TOPIC, BUT I
DO WANT TO COMMEND YOU ON THIS.
I KNOW THAT IT'S IMPORTANT WORK
THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND I
KNOW THAT OUR UM COLLEAGUE AS I
REMEMBER, UM EDDIE GARCIA HAS
ALSO DONE SOME WORK ON THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THE
BENEFIT THAT IT WILL BRING. SO I
, YOU KNOW, REALLY COMMEND YOU
FOR TRYING TO BRING THIS FORWARD
. BUT YOU KNOW, IT IS WORTH
EXPLORING OTHER FUNNY STORIES,
AND I THINK YOU'RE GONNA ADDRESS
IT. BUT AGAIN, AND I KNOW UM,
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I'VE HAD
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE OTHER
ASSEMBLY MEMBER AND JUST THE
IMPACT THAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT
AND HOW HEALTH IT'S GOING TO BE
TO THE REGION, AND I THINK I
HEARD YOU SAY, OLHA ONE THIRD OF
GLOBAL DEMANDS, AND YOU KNOW
IT'S A BIG ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO
TACKLE. SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT
ISSUE. BUT I DO AGREE THAT YOU
KNOW IT'S WORTH EXPLORING OTHER
FUNDING SOURCES. SO THANK YOU
FOR THAT. SENATOR DIAZO. THANK
YOU. I. I THINK THIS IS I. I
COMMEND YOU COMMEND THE AUTHOR.
THIS IS REALLY, REALLY
IMPORTANT. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE
PARTS OF THE STATE THAT IS BOTH
EXTREMELY POOR. ECONOMICALLY. UM
HAS BEEN HIT WITH ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE ISSUES. FOR YEARS FOR
DECADES. AND VERY LITTLE
ATTENTION HAS EVER BEEN PAID TO
THIS AREA. AND NOW VOILA! THERE
IS THIS EXTRAORDINARY SOURCE,
UH, OF THIS, UM LITHIUM THAT
WILL CREATE OPPORTUNITIES. AND
TO DO IT RIGHT. NOT JUST
PIECEMEAL AND WE'VE DONE THINGS
IN THE PAST, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT
HAS TO DO WITH ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN
PIECEMEAL, WHATEVER MIGHT SERVE
THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE, BUT IT
SERVES WEALTHIER. UH UH, YOU
KNOW, COMMUNITIES. THIS IS
SOMETHING FROM THE GET
ESTABLISHES. WE'RE GONNA PUT ALL
THOSE PIECES TOGETHER AND IT
DESERVES AND NEEDS A SPECIAL
ATTENTION BECAUSE WE HAVE AN
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. AN
ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITY. I
MEAN, IT JUST FITS SO MANY
PIECES, SO I THINK IT DESERVES
ITS OWN SPECIAL. I'M NOT SURE I
DIDN'T PUT IT. SEE IN MY NOTES
HERE. WHAT THIS EXTRAORDINARY
COST IS GOING TO BE THAT FOLKS
ARE REFERRING TO, BUT I THINK
IT'S REALLY WORTH IT. AND I'M
GLAD THAT FINALLY THERE'S A TIME
WHEN WE CAN PUT ALL THESE PIECES
TOGETHER AND THAT POOR
COMMUNITIES CAN ACTUALLY
BENEFIT. UM IF YOU CAN JUST SAY
A COUPLE OF WORDS ON, UH, I. I
THINK IT'S GREAT. AN ECONOMIC
ANALYSIS OF THE YOU KNOW, NEEDS
AND ECONOMIC NEEDS IN THE AREA.
WHAT'S YOUR VIEW OF THAT? MR
CHAIRMAN, SENATOR, THANK YOU TO
YOUR POINT. I THINK FIRST AND
FOREMOST, I APPRECIATE THE
RECOGNITION OF THE MEMBERS THAT
WE LACK AN INTEGRATED, COHESIVE
KIND OF MULTI DIMENSIONAL
CENTRAL CLEARING HOUSE FOR
COORDINATING DIFFERENT
DEPARTMENTS AND STRATEGIES. IT
IS LITERALLY THE WILD WEST OUT
THERE RIGHT NOW, AS MANY OF YOU
KNOW. I MEAN, GLOBAL CONCERNS
ARE INVESTING BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS AS WE SPEAK AND OUR OUR
OUR WELL AND TALENTED, DIFFERENT
DEPARTMENTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT
ARE ENGAGED AT DIFFERENT LEVELS
IN DIFFERENT PLACES AT DIFFERENT
TIMES WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE. AND
IT'S THE WILD WEST. UM IT'S AN
OPPORTUNITY. I THINK NOT JUST AS
PART OF THAT ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
TO LOOK AT WAYS IN WHICH
CALIFORNIA CAN COMPETE IN
SETTING THE TABLE HERE WITH
SUPERIOR ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES
AND STANDARDS, BUT ALSO LABOR
AND COMMUNITY BENEFIT STANDARDS,
BECAUSE THAT IS VERY CENTRAL TO
ME. PERSONALLY AND AS YOU MIGHT
SEE IN THE ANALYSIS PROVIDED TO
THE COMMITTEE, THE CLOSING
COMMENT BY THE STAFF IS SPOT ON.
THIS PART OF OUR STATE IS NOT
ONLY RURAL, AGRICULTURAL POOR,
EXPLOITED AND LIVING LITERALLY
IN ONE OF THE WORST SLOW MOVING
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE DISASTERS
IN THIS STATE. AS WE SPEAK. BUT
IT HAS BEEN DECADE AFTER DECADE
PROMISED SOMETHING NEW, A NEW
SHINY OBJECT EVERY COUPLE OF
DECADES. THAT'S GONNA LIFT THEM
OUT OF POVERTY. GIVE THEM JOB
OPPORTUNITIES, BRING
INFRASTRUCTURE AND WHAT HAS
TYPICALLY OCCURRED HERE IS THAT
PEOPLE COME IN AND MAKE SOME
MONEY AND LEAVE AND PEOPLE ARE
EXPLOITED. AND I AS NOT JUST THE
CENTER THAT REPRESENTS THIS AREA
, BUT I HOPE THAT ALL OF US
TOGETHER WOULD WANT TO SEEK TO
AVOID THAT EXPLOITATION IN THE
FUTURE. SENATOR WILK. THANK YOU,
MR CHAIR, A COUPLE OF COMMENTS
AND THEN I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
THIS IS AN ASIDE. I AGREE WITH
ALL THE PRIOR COMMENTS IN TERMS
OF MAYBE TAKING A LOOK AT A
DIFFERENT ENTITY TO FUND THIS. I
AM GOING TO SUPPORT THIS TODAY
BECAUSE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. UH,
ONE. I SALUTE YOU FOR YOUR
EFFORTS ON THIS. YOU KNOW,
THERE'S AN ADAGE THAT GEOGRAPHY
IS DESTINY IN THIS AREA HAS
DEFINITELY SUFFERED BECAUSE OF
THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, AND
THIS JUST HAS A PHENOMENAL
OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFORM THE
AREA. I HAD A PRESENTATION LAST
FALL FROM THE IMPERIAL COUNTY
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
AND I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE
VISION, SO THAT'S ONE NUMBER
TWO. LITHIUM IS A COMMODITY THAT
WE NEED. WAS DOWN IN CHILE, I
THINK ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO HAD A
BRIEFING BY THE U S¼ AMBASSADOR
WHO WAS CONCERNED THAT CHINA WAS
BUYING UP ALL THE LITHIUM IN
CHILE AND AS MENTIONED BY YOUR
SPEAKERS, CHINA, CHILE AND IN
AUSTRALIA, SO I THINK IT'S
REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE
DO THIS AND WE HAVE IT HERE FOR
OUR PEOPLE. THE QUESTION I DO
HAVE, THOUGH, BECAUSE IT SEEMS A
REALLY AGGRESSIVE SO PASS THE
BILL. BILL GOES INTO EFFECT
JANUARY 1 AND THEN THE STRATEGIC
PLAN IS SUPPOSED TO BE
COMPLETED. BY MARCH FIRST SO
IT'S YOU KNOW, JUST A COUPLE
MONTHS LATER, PEOPLE ALREADY
WORKING ON THIS, SO THAT'S OUR
WHY IS IT SO AGGRESSIVE? OR DID
I MISREAD THE DATE? I DON'T AND
THAT MAY I LET ME GET MY
TECHNICAL JUST TO GO BACK AND
I'LL LOOK AT THE LINK THAT I
DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS INTENDED TO
BE 90 DAYS. AND SO, UM, LET ME
LET ME CALL YOU BACK. I MAY HAVE
BEEN SUPPORTIVE. I JUST THINK
THAT THAT'S PROBABLY OVERLY
AGGRESSIVE. THAT'S OK. THAT'S
FINE WITH THAT HAPPY TO SUPPORT
THE BILL TODAY. THANK YOU, SIR.
SENATOR GROVE. THANK YOU, MR
CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR CHAMPIONING
LITHIUM, RIGHT? UM I KNOW THAT
KERN COUNTY HAS LITHIUM AS WELL.
AND WE'VE WORKED AND TALKED
ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH,
RESOURCES THAT COME FROM THAT
THOSE TYPE OF COMMUNITIES THAT
ARE UNDERSERVED AND VERY POOR
COMMUNITIES THAT RESOURCES COULD
GO BACK TO THOSE COMMUNITIES TO
BENEFIT THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE,
UM HAVING THAT LITHIUM
EXTRACTION FROM THEIR
COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? IT DOESN'T
NEED TO GO TO. I DON'T KNOW, NOT
PICKING ON SANTA MONICA, BUT THE
BEACH AREA. LET'S JUST CALL IT
THAT. UM, WE'D LIKE IT TO STAY
IN OUR COMMUNITIES. I APPRECIATE
THE WORK ON LITHIUM. I
APPRECIATE THAT YOU SEEK WISDOM
AND DIRECTION, AND SO DOES YOUR
COUNTY FROM OUR COUNTY PLANNING
DIRECTOR. AND I'M NOT, YOU KNOW,
I'M JUST SAYING THAT I THINK
SHE'S EXTRAORDINARY. SHE'S AN
OUT OF THE BOX THINKER. AND UM,
UH, I, I RAN, UH, ACTUALLY JUST
TEXT HER THIS INFORMATION RIGHT
NOW AND ASKED HER WHERE SHE WAS
ON THIS BILL, BECAUSE I THINK
THAT YOUR COUNTY PLANNING AND
OUR COUNTY PLANNING WORKING
TOGETHER ON THE SAME SUBJECT
MATTERS, IT WORKS REALLY WELL
FOR THE STATE AND BENEFITS THE
ENTIRE STATE AND THE NATION IN
THIS CASE BECAUSE OF THE LITHIUM
THAT WE FOUND IN OUR DISTRICTS.
I HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS THAT MY
COLLEAGUES HAVE EXPRESSED ABOUT
THE FUNDING. I'VE HAD MEETINGS
WITH THE èC èC, THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS. THERE ARE SEVERAL
CONCERNS THAT THEY'RE WORRIED
ABOUT AT THE COST OF INCREASES
FOR ENERGY IN OUR STATE
ELECTRICITY RATES BEING
ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY ONE OF
THEM. I HAVE A FRIEND THAT LIVES
IN, UM, HAS A HOUSE IN ARIZONA
ON THE RIVER. UM HE HAS 400
KILOWATTS IN ARIZONA THAT HE
USED LAST MONTH. HIS BILL WAS
$99.43. HE ALSO STILL MAINTAINS
HIS HOUSE IN TAFT, CALIFORNIA
AND HE USED 100 AND SEVEN
KILOWATTS, UH, LESS, YOU KNOW,
ONE THIRD OF WHAT HE USED IN
ARIZONA, AND HIS BILL WAS
$220.84. SO WE DO HAVE AN ISSUE
WITH UTILITY RATES AND PEOPLE
BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THEM. THE
èC èC IS ALSO VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT THE 43 CENT INCREASE FOR
CALIFORNIA RESOURCES. UH,
ESTIMATE. ON THE INCREASE BELOW
CARBON LOW CARBON FUEL STANDARDS
, WHICH IS GOING TO RAISE OUR
GAS PRICES AGAIN. 43 CENT
STARTING I BELIEVE JULY OF THIS
YEAR. I JUST FLEW OUT TO TEXAS
ON THURSDAY FLEW BACK YESTERDAY
WENT AND MET NUMBER 11 MY
GRANDDAUGHTER, WHICH WAS JUST A
BLESSING, AND IT'S $2.89 FOR GAS
. I GET BACK HERE. IT'S ALMOST
$6. SO WE ARE DOING SOMETHING
WRONG. UM, AND WE NEED TO FIX
THAT, UH, II. I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE
DOING WITH. SO I'M NOT OPPOSING
THE BILL BECAUSE OF THE CONTENT
OF IT. I AM OPPOSING THE BILL
BECAUSE OF MY COLLEAGUE'S
COMMENTS ON THE 90 DAYS TO
IMPLEMENT EVERYTHING THAT
GOVERNMENT I CAN ALMOST 100% SAY
THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. AND
I, UM BUT I AM VERY CONCERNED
THAT IT'S GOING TO AFFECT
RATEPAYERS AND HAVE A MORE
COSTLY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON UM
THOSE THAT CAN'T AFFORD IT. AND
THOSE THAT CAN'T AFFORD IT. UM
AND THE UTILITY RATES THAT WE
NOW PAY IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, SO I DO HAVE THOSE
CONCERNS. I TEXT MY CONTACT.
THAT IS LIKE I SAID, AND YOU
KNOW HER YOU YOU'RE COUNTY HAS
WORKED WITH HER. HOW WOULD WE
ADDRESS THIS AND NOT HAVE AFFECT
THE RATEPAYERS? I'M WAITING FOR
A RESPONSE. IF I DO GET IT, I'D
LIKE TO FORWARD THAT TO YOU.
BECAUSE YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN OPEN
IN YOUR COUNTY HAS ALWAYS BEEN
OPEN TO WHAT SHE HER IDEAS AND
HOW SHE MAKES THINGS WORK. SO,
UM, I APOLOGIZE, BUT I CAN'T
SUPPORT THE BILL TODAY. THANK
YOU. OK ANY OTHER MEMBERS? I
DON'T WANT TO MESS ANYBODY. OK
I'M GONNA, UM I'M GONNA WEIGH IN
A LITTLE BIT. I'M GONNA I WAS
ACTUALLY GONNA VOTE NÓ. BUT I'M
GONNA LAY OFF BECAUSE I BELIEVE
YOU'RE YOU'VE HEARD FROM THE
MEMBERS THAT WE'RE ALL CONCERNED
ABOUT THE AND THIS BILL FOCUSES.
ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO
ACTUALLY DEVELOP, SO IT'S WASTE
WATER TREATMENT. IT'S HOUSING.
UM THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK
I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN TO YOUR
COUNTY AS WELL TOWARD THE SALTON
SEA, SAW THE ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES THAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH
DOWN THERE. UM AND I WANT I WANT
TO SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY, I
THINK, AND I THINK THIS IS THE
SHINY THING THAT MAY TURN SOME
THINGS AROUND AND WE NEED IT. SO
I'M GONNA LAY OFF AND GIVE YOU
THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIGURE OUT
THAT HOPEFULLY A DIFFERENT
FUNDING SOURCE BETWEEN NOW AND
WHEN YOU GO THROUGH
APPROPRIATIONS AND WHERE YOUR
BILL GOES FROM THERE, SO WOULD
YOU LIKE TO CLOSE. YES. THANK
YOU, MR CHAIRMAN AND COLLEAGUES.
UM, I HAVE HEARD THAT INPUT AND,
UH, WE'LL CONSIDER IT AND WORK
WITH EVERYONE IN THIS FASHION.
JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS IN
RESPONSE FIRST, I WOULD NOTE
THAT IN PARTICULAR THIS COUNCIL
UH UH, THAT IS PROPOSED HERE IN
THIS BILL LANGUAGE SUNSETS IN
2030. IT IS DISCRETE, SPECIFIC
AND VERY SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED
TO PRODUCE A SPECIFIC OUTCOME,
SO IT IS NOT STANDING UP A NEW
ETERNAL AGENCY OR COMMITTEE OF
STATE GOVERNMENT. SECOND, I
THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IN A
CONSTRAINED BUDGET. SC AREA
WHICH WE'RE ALL HAVING A
WONDERFUL TIME. DEALING WITH
THIS SESSION IS THAT WE ARE
STRATEGIC ABOUT THE THINGS WHICH
WE GIVE, UH BUDGET PRIORITY OR
SUPPORT TO THAT HAVE THE HIGHER
PROBABILITY OF RETURN ON
INVESTMENT. I CAN'T IMAGINE
SOMETHING THAT HAS MORE
POTENTIAL TO RETURN INVESTMENT
TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA THAN
SITTING PHYSICALLY, LITERALLY ON
TOP OF MORE THAN A THIRD OF THE
WORLD'S GLOBAL DEMAND FOR
LITHIUM, IT IS AN ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY I WOULD RESPECTFULLY
SUBMIT THAT IS UNPRECEDENTED IN
CALIFORNIA HISTORY AND THE GREAT
IRONY OF COURSE, IS THAT IT'S
SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE OF
THE MOST EXPLOITED AND NEGLECTED
PARTS OF OUR STATE. UM SO THERE
SHOULD BE STRATEGIC FOCUS. I
WOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT THE
LANGUAGE AS IT IS NOW DIRECTS
THAT THIS BE ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE
HOUSED WHETHER èC èC OR
SOMEWHERE ELSE WHICH I AM OPEN
TO IN TERMS OF THE FUNDING
SOURCING. IT DOES REQUIRE THAT
THIS COMMITTEE BE INTEGRATED AND
IN CONSULTATION AND
COLLABORATION WITH NUMEROUS
OTHER STATE DEPARTMENTS, MANY OF
WHICH THE MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE HAVE ÁP HAVE POINTED
OUT SPECIFICALLY. AND SO IT DOES
DESIRE TO BRING ALL THE RELEVANT
AGENCIES OF GOVERNMENT TOGETHER.
UH AND TO SEEK TO RUN OFF IN A
NEW IN A NEW DIRECTION, AND I AM
I AM VERY MUCH, UM, OPEN TO
WORKING ON THAT. SO THAT WE
ULTIMATELY, UH RESIDE THIS IN
THE APPROPRIATE PLACE WITH THE
MOST APPROPRIATE FUNDING SOURCE
AND THAT IT IS INTEGRATED,
FOCUSED AND DISCREET. THANK YOU.
THE BILL HAS BEEN MOVED BY
SENATOR CABALLERO. WAS THERE
AMENDMENTS TO THE BILL ITEM? NÓ
OK, ALL RIGHT. WE WILL CALL THE
ROLL. THE TWO PATHS TO
APPROPRIATIONS. BRADFORD DALLY
ASHBY, ASHBY. I BECKER CABALLERO
CABALLERO. I, DODD DO? I DURAZZO
DURAZZO I EGGMAN EGM. I GONZALEZ
GONZALEZ. I GROVE LEMON. M MA
NEW MAN. RUBIO RUBIO. I èC R TO
SKINNER. STERN STERN. I WILK A
WILK. AYE. 10 TO 0. IT HAS
ENOUGH BUT 10 TO 0. WE'LL LEAVE
IT ON CALL FOR THE ABSENT
MEMBERS. THANK YOU, SENATOR.
THANK YOU, MR CHAIRMAN AND
MEMBERS. WE WOULD LIKE TO CALL
THE ROLL ON SENATOR DODD'S BILL.
IT WAS DID NOT HAVE A QUORUM AT
THE TIME, WHICH IS S¼ ONES. 13.
I GOT A MOTION BY SENATOR CRO DO
PASS TO THANK YOU. IS IT GOING?
OPERATIONS. TWO PASSES AMENDED
TO APPROPRIATIONS. GO AWAY.
WE'RE GETTING STUFF DONE. HE
CALLED THE ROLL. OK? TO
APPROPRIATIONS. BRADFORD AYE,
BRADFORD. I DALLY DALLY. I ASHBY
ASHBY. I BECKER CABALLERO
CABALLERO. I DODD DOD IO
DURAZZO. I EGGMAN EGGMAN I
GONZALEZ GONZALEZ, I GROVE GROVE
IS LEMON. MEN A NEWMAN NEWMAN,
I, RUBIO RUBIO, ATO SKINNER.
STERN STERN EYE. WILK WILK. AYE.
HAS 14 VOTES, SO 14 THAT BILLS
OUT. WE'LL LEAVE IT OPEN FOR
WE'LL LEAVE IT OPEN FOR THOSE
MEMBERS THAT ARE ABSENT. ALL
RIGHT. WERE YOU NOW MOVING TO S¼
VÆ 1182 BY SENATOR GONZALEZ.
SHE'S PREPARED. YOU MAY BEGIN,
SENATOR. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR AND
MEMBERS. I'M HERE TO PRESENT S¼
B 1182, WHICH WILL REQUIRE CROSS
AGENCY COLLABORATION AND
COMMUNICATION ON HOW CALIFORNIA
CAN KEEP ITS SCHOOLS SAFE IN AN
ERA OF EXTREME IMPACTS FOR
CLIMATE CHANGE. CALIFORNIA
MAINTAINS 125,000 ACRES OF
SCHOOL GROUNDS, 730 MILLION
SQUARE FEET OF FACILITY SPACE
AND 10,000 SCHOOL FACILITIES OF
WHICH 40% OR AT LEAST 50 YEARS
OLD S¼ B 1182 WILL ESTABLISH A
STATEWIDE PLAN. WILL BETTER
POSITION CALIFORNIA SCHOOL
DISTRICTS TO TACKLE THE
GENERATIONAL CHALLENGE OF
TRANSITIONING TO CLIMATE
RESILIENT FACILITIES WHILE ALSO
DRAWING DOWN POTENTIALLY, UM
FEDERAL FUNDING THROUGH THE
INFLATION REDUCTION ACT AND, OF
COURSE, WILL HARMONIZE STATE AND
LOCAL BOND SPENDING WITH THE
STATE'S CLIMATE GOALS TESTIFYING
IN SUPPORT TODAY, I HAVE KIRK
ANN TAYLOR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FOR CLIMATE ACTION, PATHWAY,
PATHWAYS FOR SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS
STEPHANIE SEIDMAN, PROGRAM
DIRECTOR FOR UNDAUNTED CAL. UH
Kò THROUGH 12. I RESPECTFULLY
ASK FOR MY VOTE. THANK YOU,
SENATOR GONZALEZ. UH, MR CHAIR
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. I'M
PLEASED TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR
S¼ B 1182. I'M KIRK ANN TAYLOR.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF
CLIMATE ACTION PATHWAYS FOR
SCHOOLS WHERE NONPROFIT THAT
WORKS WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO
REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS,
HELP THEM SAVE MONEY WHILE
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE
AND THEIR FUTURE CAREERS. I'M
ALSO A PARENT WHO IS CONCERNED
ABOUT THE HARM TO CHILDREN'S
ACADEMIC PROGRESS THAT AS A
RESULT FROM CLIMATE RELATED
DISRUPTIONS TO THEIR SCHOOLING.
UM WE NEED CLIMATE, RESILIENT
SCHOOLS, CLIMATE, RESILIENT.
SCHOOLS WILL PREPARE US, UM, IN
THE EVENT OF STREAM EXTREME
WEATHER, WHICH FORCES LOCAL
UTILITIES TO CUT POWER, OUR
SCHOOLS CAN REMAIN OPEN, POWERED
BY RENEWABLE ENERGY THAT IS
GENERATED AND STORED ON SITE AND
WHEN WILDFIRE SMOKE FILLS THE
AIR, VENTILATION AND SYSTEMS
REMAIN. CLEAN COOL AIR PROVIDE
CLEAN, COOL AIR, PROVIDING
RESPITE FOR STUDENTS AND FOR
FAMILIES AND WHEN STUDENTS
STRUGGLE IN THE TO MAKE SENSE
AND FIND BALANCE IN THE FACE OF
UNCERTAINTY, THEIR SCHOOLS CAN
OFFER CONNECTION AND COMPETENCE
AND HOPE FOR THE FUTURE. SO
CLIMATE ACTION PATHWAYS FOR
SCHOOLS HAS BEEN IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH PORTERVILLE UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT INTO LARE COUNTY. FOR
THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE'VE BEEN
WORKING WITH THEM TO REDUCE
THEIR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS,
AND TO DATE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
HAS ACHIEVED OVER 28% REDUCTION
IN THE GREENHOUSE. GAS EMISSIONS
THEY HAVE ALSO PRODUCED OVER
880,000 IN ENERGY COST SAVINGS
AS A RESULT OF THE FACILITY
PLANS THAT THEY PUT IN PLACE. IN
ADDITION, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO
LEVERAGE OVER 15 MILLION IN
STATE AND FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR
CLIMATE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THIS
HAS TRULY BEEN A WIN WIN FOR THE
LOCAL COMMUNITY FOR STUDENTS AND
THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. BOTTOM
LINE. WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT
EVERY SCHOOL IN THE STATE GETS
ON A PATH LIKE PORTERVILLE AND
THE NEED FOR THE MASTER PLAN IS
GREAT. IT WILL HELP US ALIGN
NATIONAL AND STATE INVESTMENTS
WITH SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE WITH
ALSO THE GOALS FOR
DECARBONISATION CLIMATE,
RESILIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL,
JUSTICE AND EDUCATIONAL EQUITY.
UM THIS MASTER PLAN WILL CREATE
A ROAD MAP FOR SCHOOLS THAT WILL
HELP THEM BENEFIT FROM THE COST
SAVINGS THAT WILL COME ALONG
WITH DECARBONISATION WHILE ALSO
CREATING HEALTHIER SCHOOL
COMMUNITIES. I RESPECTFULLY ASK
THAT YOU VOTE I ON SB 1182.
THANK YOU. GREAT AND JUST
SHOWING THIS AND SUPPORT. GOOD
MORNING, MR CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE AND THANK YOU.
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER GONZALEZ.
MY NAME IS STEPHANIE SEIDMAN.
I'M A FORMER CALIFORNIA PUBLIC
SCHOOL TEACHER AND SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATOR. AND I'M HERE
TODAY AS THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR AT
UNDAUNTED Kò 12 LAST YEAR. WE
CO-AUTHORED A CALL TO ACTION
REPORT CLIMATE, RESILIENT
CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS WITH THE U
èC BERKELEY CENTER FOR CITIES
AND SCHOOLS AND STANFORD
UNIVERSITY. THE REPORT'S CENTRAL
RECOMMENDATION IS FOR CALIFORNIA
TO DEVELOP A MASTER PLAN TO
ENSURE A CO ORDINATED RESPONSE
TO ADAPT OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS
AND GROUNDS TO THE IMPACTS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE. WE NEED A PLAN
TO KEEP STUDENTS HEALTHY AND
LEARNING DURING EXTREME HEAT,
WILDFIRES AND OTHER EXTREME
WEATHER, WHICH NEGATIVELY AND
INEQUITABLY IMPACTS, STUDENT
PHYSICAL HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH
AND LEARNING. A STATEWIDE MASTER
PLAN WILL HELP US ENSURE FOUR
CRITICAL OUTCOMES. FIRST A
MASTER PLAN WILL ENSURE THAT THE
7 BILLION LOCAL AND STATE
DOLLARS WE ALREADY SPEND EVERY
YEAR ON SCHOOL FACILITIES IN
CALIFORNIA IS ALIGNED TO OUR
DECARBONIZATION AND EXTREME HEAT
GOALS. SECOND A MASTER PLAN WILL
ENSURE THAT OUR SCHOOLS CAN TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF NEW INCENTIVES FOR
CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES IN THE
FEDERAL INFLATION REDUCTION ACT
MONEY THAT CALIFORNIA MIGHT
OTHERWISE LEAVE ON THE TABLE.
THESE INVESTMENT TAX CREDITS ARE
UNLIMITED, MEANING THAT OUR
SCHOOLS WILL ONLY BRING IN AS
MANY FEDERAL DOLLARS AS THE
PROJECTS THAT WE DO MAXIMIZING
THESE DOLLARS AND THESE PROJECTS
REQUIRES THOUGHTFUL AND LARGE
SCALE PLANNING. THIRD SB 182
WILL ENSURE THAT THE 730 MILLION
SQUARE FEET OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOL
BUILDINGS ARE PART OF THE
SOLUTION TO REACH OUR STATEWIDE
GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION TARGETS
AND FOURTH A MASTER PLAN WILL
ENSURE THAT THE SCHOOLS AND
COMMUNITIES MOST VULNERABLE TO
THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
AND LEAST RESOURCED TO ADAPT TO
THESE IMPACTS HAVE WHAT THEY
NEED TO MAKE SMART INVESTMENTS
THAT KEEP STUDENTS SAFE, HEALTHY
AND LEARNING. I AM HERE TO
RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU VOTE I
ON SB 1182. THE COST OF INACTION
WILL BE FAR GREATER THAN THE $10
MILLION INVESTMENT NEEDED TO
MODERNIZE OUR SCHOOLS AND
MAXIMIZE FEDERAL DOLLARS. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. RIGHT IN ADDITION,
WHAT THIS IS IN SPORTS STATE,
YOUR NAME AND THE ORGANIZATION.
MR CHAIR MEMBERS. MY QUEST ON
BEHALF OF THE STATE BUILDING AND
CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL OF
CALIFORNIA. THANK YOU. NORA LYNN
ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN NOW IN
SUPPORT. KAI COOPER, REGISTERING
SUPPORT FOR THE BUILDING.
DECARBONISATION COALITION 10
STRANDS IN THE NEW BUILDINGS
INSTITUTE. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR
MEMBERS AND STAFF MITCH STEER
WITH èC F Tð PROUD TO COSPONSOR
THIS BILL, URGE YOUR SUPPORT.
GOOD MORNING VINS ON BEHALF OF
SHEET METAL WORKERS. LOCAL UNION
NUMBER 104 IN SUPPORT. SANTIAGO
RODRIGUEZ WITH CALIFORNIA
ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS IN SUPPORT.
IN ADDITION, WITNESSES IN
SUPPORT SEE NOW. NOW WE GO TO
OPPOSITION. ARE THERE ANY LEAD
WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION TO SB
1182? OK, WE WILL BRING IT BACK
TO THE COMMITTEE SENATOR. WE UH,
THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. EVEN IF
CALIFORNIA WERE TO REACH ALL OF
OUR CARBON EMISSION GOALS. THE
FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE ONLY
PRODUCE 1. OF ALL CARBON
EMISSIONS FOR THE WORLD, SO ON A
GLOBAL LEVEL, WE ARE NOT GOING
TO HIT THOSE TARGETS. I REALLY
THINK THIS IS SMART PUBLIC
POLICY BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE NEED
TO REDUCE THAT, BUT WE ALSO NEED
TO TAKE THE NECESSARY MITIGATION
MEMBERS, UH, MEASURES TO ADAPT
TO CLIMATE CHANGE. SO THIS IS A
GREAT BILL AND THANK YOU FOR
DOING IT. I WILL BE SUPPORTING
IT TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU,
SENATOR MAY THANK YOU, MR CHAIR.
THAT'S Kò. THE FROG ONCE SAID,
IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN. BUT
THIS BILL HELPS FOR DOES THAT
CAUSE IT'S A GREAT BILL WOULD
LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A CO AUTHOR
AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, AND,
UH, WOULD MOVE THE BILL. BEEN
MOVED BY SENATOR MAN SENATOR DOT
NEARLY THE EXACT SAME BILL WAS
VETOED BY THE GOVERNOR. LAST
TIME I VOTED ON IT LAST TIME. I
INTEND TO VOTE IT ON FOR IT
TODAY. BUT AGAIN, I THINK WE
NEED TO BRING UP IF, IN FACT IT
IS TRUE THAT THESE MANDATES THAT
WERE GIVEN TO èC èC TO DO ON A
WIDE RANGE OF THINGS. I THINK
YOU OUGHT TO BE LOOKING AT AS
THIS MOVES THROUGH THE ASSEMBLY.
PERHAPS IF THERE'S ANOTHER AREA,
I THINK WE JUST GOT TO BE VERY
CIRCUMSPECT. CIRCUMSPECT OF
WHAT? WE'RE ASKING OUR
RATEPAYERS TO PAY. AND I KNOW
THIS IS A LOUSY TIME TO BE
THINKING ABOUT THAT WITH THE
BUDGET THE WAY IT IS, BUT IT'S
JUST SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE HAVE
TO DO FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE OF
THE RATEPAYERS THROUGHOUT THE
ENTIRE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
THANK YOU, SENATOR RUBIO. THANK
YOU, MISTER PRESIDENT AND I. I
WAS A CO-AUTHOR TO THE ORIGINAL
BILL. WHICH I'M S¼, UM, THAT IT
WAS VETOED. BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN
WE THINK OF OUR SCHOOLS AND ALL
SORTS OF FORMER TEACHER FOR 20
YEARS IN ADMINISTRATOR AT A
SCHOOL, I MEAN, UH, I THINK IT'S
TIME THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME
OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE
HAVE. AND UH AND I THINK SOMEONE
POINTED IT OUT IN TERMS OF, UH
IT REALLY IS ABOUT EQUITY AND
SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS NEED TO BE
REALLY, YOU KNOW, HONED IN ON
AND SO I COMMEND YOU FOR
BRINGING IT BACK. I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT'S
NEEDED BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF
LEAVING FUNDING ON THE TABLE
WHERE WE CAN DRAW DOWN FROM
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND I THINK
THIS IS, YOU KNOW THE TIME TO DO
IT SINCE THERE'S FUNDING
AVAILABLE THAT WILL COMPLEMENT
WHAT WE CAN DO HERE. SO WITH
THAT, TOO, I WOULD LIKE TO BE
ADDED AS A CO ON THIS ONE AS
WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
EFFORTS, AND WITH THAT, I WILL
MOVE IT, BUT I THINK SOMEONE
ALREADY DID. SO. THANK YOU. YES,
UH, SENATOR BEARD DALI. SO UH,
WE SAW SUPPORT. I THINK I DON'T
KNOW IF ANYBODY THAT DIDN'T
SUPPORT YOUR BILL LAST YEAR, BUT
WHAT IS THE I MEAN? WHAT WHAT?
WHAT INDICATIONS? DO YOU HAVE
THAT THE GOVERNOR IS GONNA SIGN
THIS IN A YEAR WHERE WE HAVE
ACTUALLY MORE CHALLENGES. I'M
KIND OF INTERESTED IN. YEAH, I
MEAN YOURS. THANK YOU, SENATOR
DALLY. IT'S BEEN THROUGH THE
CHAIR. IT'S A GREAT QUESTION,
AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO JUST
NOODLE THROUGH ALL OF THE
DIFFERENT DYNAMICS, BUT WE DO
HAVE YOU KNOW DIFFERENT
SCENARIOS IN TERMS OF ONE TIME
COSTS? UM, LAST YEAR, WE HAD A
$10 MILLION. THAT WOULD BE THE
MASTER PLAN. OBVIOUSLY èC. WE
WANT THEM TO DO THE CO
ORDINATION ALONG WITH, UM UH,
NATURAL RESOURCES. THE STATE
ARCHITECT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF
DEFER A LOT OF THE EXPERTISE TO
THESE OTHER STATE AGENCIES. SO
WE'RE HOPING, YOU KNOW THAT
COULD BE A LITTLE HELPFUL. BUT
UM, THE ONE TIME COST FROM THE
APPROPRIATIONS ANALYSIS FROM
LAST YEAR STATED A 1.5 MILLION
AND 10 LIMITED TERM POSITIONS TO
DEVELOP THE MASTER PLAN. UM
ANOTHER ONE TIME COST
POTENTIALLY $5 MILLION TO FUND
THE WORK OF THE AGENCY
CONTRACTOR, SO THERE'S DIFFERENT
MINOR COSTS LIKE START UP
CAPITAL. I SEE IT AS BUT WHAT I
WOULD SAY IN SIMILAR TO WHAT UH,
SENATOR, RUBIO SAID, IS THAT IT
DOES PROVIDE US LEVERAGE FOR THE
IRA AND IIJ A FUNDING. SO FOR
EXAMPLE, THE FEDERAL INFLATION
REDUCTION ACT CONTAINS A
RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY INVESTMENT
TAX CREDIT, UM, THAT COULD BE
PROVIDED FOR CLEAN ENERGY
INVESTMENTS FOR THESE SCHOOLS AS
AN EXAMPLE OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT
WANTS TO PURCHASE AND INSTALL A
500 KILOWATT SOLAR SYSTEM AT UM,
COST OF $1 MILLION. IT WOULD
RECEIVE A DIRECT PAYMENT. UH,
BETWEEN THREE 105 $100,000 BACK
FROM THE IRA. SO I DO THINK THAT
THIS BILL UM OF COURSE, THIS ONE
TIME START UP CAPITAL, EVEN IN A
REALLY TIGHT BUDGET. UH,
SCENARIO WOULD STILL PROVIDE US
SOME SOME OPPORTUNITY BACK FOR
THESE SCHOOLS TO BE. RETROFITTED
IN A GREEN WAY. SO THAT'S THE
HOPE. I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY NOT
THE PERFECT ANSWER, BUT I THINK
WE ARE LEAVING MONEY ON THE
TABLE. ABSOLUTELY. GREAT ANY
FURTHER DESCRIPTION, DESCRIPTION
OR DEBATE ON THIS ITEM FROM
COMMITTEE MEMBERS HERE IN THAT
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SENATOR
MIN. WE HAVE TWO PASS
RECOMMENDATION. SENATOR WOULD
YOU LIKE TO CLOSE? I JUST WANT
TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR
WITNESSES. WE'LL CONTINUE
PRESSING ON. AND I THINK OUR CO
AUTHORS AS WELL, THANK YOU. OK?
SECRETARY WE DO PASS TO
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION SECRETARY
OF POLICE CALL THE ROLL.
BRADFORD BRADFORD, I DELI DELI.
I ASHBY ASHBY. I BECKER
CABALLERO. DODD DOT IO DURAZZO I
EGM. EDMUND I. GONZALEZ
GONZALEZ. I GROVE. GROVE. I
LEMON. MEN MEN, I NEW MEN,
NEWMAN, I RUBIO RUBIO. I èC R
TO SKINNER. STERN STERN, I, WILK
WILK. AYE. 13 TO 0. 13 TO 0. THE
MEASURES ARE OUT 13 TO 0 WILL
LEAVE THE WORLD OPEN FOR ABSENT
MEMBERS TO ADD ON SENATOR DALEY.
I'M GOING TO HAND THE GAL OVER
TO YOU AND I'LL GO PRESENT. MY.
WE HAVE SENATOR BRADFORD S¼ B
177 LOOKS LIKE HE'S PREPARED AND
READY TO GO. I'M NOT PREPARED,
BUT I'LL GO. THANK YOU. GOOD
MORNING, MR CHAIR MEMBERS. I
START BY STATING I'LL TAKE TO
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS AND I
APPRECIATE THEIR WORK ON THIS.
BILL S¼ P 1177 UPDATES
CALIFORNIA UTILITY SUPPLIER
DIVERSITY LAW TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND A SPIN CONCENTRATION,
PROMOTE DIVERSE COMPANY GROWTH
AND FOSTER MORE DIVERSE
WORKFORCE AS WE KNOW AND IN 1986
, THE LATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER G
MOORE ESTABLISHED THE FIRST
SUPPLY DIVERSITY STATUE IN
CALIFORNIA, BETTER KNOWN AS
JUNIOR ORDER, 156. TIME
UTILITIES ARE REGULATED
UTILITIES HERE IN CALIFORNIA.
UH, WE'RE SPENDING LESS THAN
$500,000 PER YEAR WITH DIVERSE
BUSINESSES, UH, IN 2022
UTILITIES AGGREGATED DIRECT
DIVERSE SPENDING EXCEEDED $14
BILLION TO AN ADDITIONAL $2.8.
BILLION SPENT ON DIVERSE
SUBCONTRACTORS. CALIFORNIA
UTILITY SUPPLIER DIVERSITY LAW
IS ONE OF THE LARGER ENGINES OF
SOCIO ECONOMIC MOBILITY FOR
HISTORICALLY DISADVANTAGED
PEOPLE IN THE STATE. UH, SOME
GAPS STILL REMAIN IN THE
PROGRAM. UTILITIES REPORT ON
SUPPLY DIVERSITY SPENDING DOES
NOT INCLUDE INFORMATION TO
IDENTIFY THE EXTENT OF WHICH
THEY ARE HOPING GROW ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW BUSINESSES
. UH S¼ VÆ 177 AIMS TO OBTAIN
MORE ANNUAL INFORMATION
REGARDING THE WORKFORCE,
DIVERSITY OF CONTRACTORS AND
SUBCONTRACTORS, AS WELL AS
STANDARDIZING THE IN STATE
ECONOMIC BENEFITS. A JUNIOR
ORDER 156. AND UH, 2022 ANNUAL
REPORT TO PU èC NOTED THAT
GROWING THE NUMBER OF NEW
CONTRACTORS WITH PROJECT WOULD
WITH PROJECT EXPERIENCE WHILE
RETAINING RELATIONSHIPS WITH
LONG STANDING DIVERSE SUPPLIERS
REMAINS A CHALLENGE. FOR THE
SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PROGRAM, S¼ B
1177 WILL CLARIFY THAT DIVERSE
BUSINESSES CERTIFICATION STATUS
IS RETAINED UNTIL ITS NORMAL
EXPIRATION DATE IN THE EVENT
THAT THEY ARE ACQUIRED BY
ANOTHER ENTERPRISE ADDITION TO
SPILL REQUIRES UTILITIES TO FILE
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
PLANS WITH SHORT AND LONG TERM
GOALS TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY AT
ALL LEVELS OF EMPLOYMENT. UH
MANY INVESTOR OWNED UTILITIES
AND PUBLIC UTILITIES HAVE
ALREADY ADOPTED, UH DIVERSITY,
EQUITY AND INCLUSION PLANS OR
GROUNDS, BUT, UH UH THERE'S
STILL MUCH WORK TO BE DONE IN
THIS AREA. THAT'S THE 1177 WILL
HELP STANDARDIZE THE DATA ACROSS
UTILITIES AND MORE CLEARLY, UH,
MEASURE THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
I RESPECT CLASS FOR. I VOTE.
HAVE ANY PRIMARY WITNESSES. I
HAVE NÓ PRIMARY WITNESSES TODAY.
OK, ANYONE WISHING TO, UH
COMMENT OR SUPPORT ON SUPPORT OF
THE BILL. SEE NONE. ANYONE? HERE
IN 1200 WISH TO SPEAK IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL. SEE NONE
. WE WILL BRING IT BACK TO THE
DIOCESE. WE HAVE A MOTION BY
SENATOR STERN. I DO HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS. I DO HAVE A QUESTION,
SENATOR BRADFORD. ON THE TIME
THAT. THEY GIVE UP THEIR THERE'S
A THERE'S A GRACE PERIOD IN
THERE OF A, UH DISADVANTAGED.
WOMEN MINORITY DISABLED VETERANS
AND L GB Tð. BUSINESS AND
ENTREPRENEURS. THERE'S A TIME IF
THEY SWITCH FROM ONE TO THE
OTHER. HOW HOW DOES THAT LOOK IN
YOUR IN THE LEGISLATION? I'M
CONFUSED. THEY COULD BE TAKEN
OVER BY THEY CAN BE TAKEN, THEY
CAN BE SWITCHED FROM ONE TO THE
OTHER. CORRECT I DON'T HAVE THAT
RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I'M SORRY,
BUT THERE IS A GRACE, PERIOD.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO KNOW? IF THE
IN THAT GAP PERIOD IF THEY IF
THEY ACTUALLY MEET THE CRITERIA.
BE A DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS
ENTREPRENEUR. I WOULD THINK THEY
MAINTAIN THAT STATUS AND OVER
THAT PERIOD THEY WOULD STILL BE
QUALIFIED AS A DISADVANTAGED
BUSINESS. BUT ONCE IT'S ACQUIRED
I'M TRYING TO SEE I SHOULD HAVE
HAD THAT IN MY NOTES, AND I
DON'T HAVE THAT. I'M SORRY. UH,
WHICH WE WOULD STILL FOLLOW THE
PROTOCOLS AND GUIDANCE THAT WE
HAVE RIGHT NOW AND MAKING SURE
THAT THEY COMPLY WITH THE DIS
DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS STATUS,
SO I'M NOT QUITE CLEAR ON YOUR
QUESTION. THE WAY I UNDERSTAND.
WE UNDERSTAND IT IS THERE CAN BE
ONE. THERE IS A TRANSITION TIME
AND IN THAT TRANSITION TIME FROM
ONE BUSINESS TO THE NEXT I WANT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT
THERE'S NOT A SOMEBODY THAT'S
GETTING THE UM Dð OR THE ABILITY
TO BE ABLE TO BID ON PROJECTS
THAT'S NOT QUALIFIED. THAT'S
WHAT MY CONCERN IS, AND THAT'S
GOING TO BE I'M SORRY. YEAH.
YEAH OK, SO IT IT STILL EX THE
QUALIFICATION WOULD STILL THEY
WOULD STILL BE CONSIDERED A
DISABLED OR Dð B BUSINESS DURING
, UH UNTIL THEIR EXPIRATION OF
THAT QUALIFICATION, SO IF IT'S A
FIVE YEAR QUALIFICATION, THEY
WOULD STILL HAVE IT TO UP TO THE
EXPIRATION DATE OF THEIR STATUS.
OK, SO THE FOLLOW UP. QUESTION
IS THEN I'M CONCERNED THAT IF
YOU IF YOU DID IT ONE YEAR AND
THEN YOU THEY HAD FOUR YEARS
LEFT ON THEIR AND SOMEBODY ELSE
TOOK IT OVER. HOW DO WE KNOW
THAT THOSE PEOPLE MEET THE
CRITERIA IN THE REMAINING FOUR
YEARS? I AGREE, AND THAT'S SOME
OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING
ON THIS BILL TO MAKE SURE THAT
THOSE OVERSIGHTS ARE THERE
BECAUSE WHAT WE HAVE SEEN, JUST
LIKE YOU'RE STATING IS BUSINESS
THAT DID QUALIFY AS
DISADVANTAGED AND THEN GET
ACQUIRED BY ANOTHER BUSINESS,
AND IT'S NÓ LONGER THAT STATUS
SO WE DON'T WANT THEM TO
MAINTAIN THAT. SO WE'RE WE'RE
LOOKING AT THAT, AS WE MOVE
FORWARD AS WELL. THAT IS A
CONCERN. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. NÓ
WE HAVE A MOTION BY SENATOR
STERN AND IT IS DUE PASS TO PASS
AS AMENDED TO APPROPRIATIONS. I
WILL BE NOT VOTING ON THE BILL
TODAY UNTIL I SEE THAT LANGUAGE
CHANGE, SENATOR. THANK YOU. NÓ
PROBLEM. THANK YOU. UM S¼ B 1177
DEPRESSES AMENDED TO
APPROPRIATIONS. BRADFORD HØI
RADFORD I DELI. DALLY NOT
VOTING. ASHBY, ASHBY. I BECKER
CABALLERO. DODD DODD, I DURAZZO
DURAZZO I EGGMAN. EGM I,
GONZALEZ GONZALEZ, I GROVE
LEMON. MEN MEN, A NEW M NEWMAN,
I, RUBIO RUBIO. I SARTO SKINNER.
SKIN OR EYE STERN. STERN EYE
WILK. 11 TO 0. IT HAS AN BUT 11
TO 0. WE'LL LEAVE IT ON CALL FOR
THE ABSENT MEMBERS. UH, YOU ALSO
HAVE ITEM. Tð S¼ B 130. LIKE TO
PRESENT THAT THANK YOU, MR
CHAIR. I SHOULD BE 1130 WOULD
EXPAND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR
THE FAMILY ELECTRIC RATE
ASSISTANCE, BETTER KNOWN AS FAIR
PROGRAM AND REQUIRE THE STATE
THREE LARGEST INVESTOR OWNED
UTILITIES TO REPORT ON THEIR
EFFORTS TO ENROLL CUSTOMERS FOR
THE FAIR PROGRAM. CALIFORNIA
INVESTOR OWNED UTILITIES HAVE
TWO LOW INCOME, UH, SUBSIDY
PROGRAMS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AS
YOU KNOW THE CARE PROGRAM.
CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY AT ALTERNATE
RATE FOR ENERGY PROGRAM AND, UH,
WHICH IS AVAILABLE TO ABOUT UM
OF INDIVIDUALS, 200% UNDER THE
FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL AND
PROVIDES A DISCOUNT ON GAS AND
ELECTRIC AND THE SECOND PROGRAM
IS THE FAIR A PROGRAM AND IT WAS
CREATED IN 2005 IN ORDER TO
PROVIDE UTILITY BILL RELIEF TO
CUSTOMERS IN LARGER HOUSEHOLDS
WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE
CARE PROGRAM. THE FEAR, UH,
CUSTOMERS RECEIVE AN 18%
DISCOUNT ON THEIR MONTHLY
ELECTRIC BILL, UNLIKE THE CARE
PROGRAM FAIR IS HISTORICALLY
UNDER ENROLLED IN 20. THREE PG
AND E ESTIMATED ENROLLMENT IN
THE, UH IN THEIR SERVICE
TERRITORY TO BE ONLY AT 20 3% IN
THE SAME YEAR. SAN DIEGO GAS AND
ELECTRIC IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
EDISON REPORTED THEIR ENROLLMENT
RATES AT 24% AND 14,
RESPECTIVELY. WITH CALIFORNIA
ENERGY BILLS TRENDING HIGHER AND
HIGHER AND THE POTENTIAL FOR,
UH, INCOME BASED FIXED CHARGE TO
BE TIERED, USING THE FAIR
ENROLLMENT AS ONE OF THE
BENCHMARKS NOW IT'S A PERFECT
TIME TO GIVE THIS IMPORTANT
PROGRAM MUCH NEEDED BOOST IN
INTENTION AND ENROLLMENT
TESTIFYING TODAY WITH ME IN
SUPPORT IS KATIE MÐI, UH,
REPRESENTING, UH, THE UTILITY
REFORM NETWORK BETTER KNOWN AS
TURN AND I RESPECT LAST YEAR I
VOTE THANK YOU MAY PROCEED.
THANK YOU AND GOOD MORNING AND
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME BACK. MY
NAME IS KATIE MORONE. I'M AN
ATTORNEY AT TURN. UH, TURN
ADVOCATES FOR RESIDENTIAL
RATEPAYERS IN CALIFORNIA AND
PARTICULARLY FOR, UH, LOW INCOME
RATEPAYERS IN CALIFORNIA. I AM
HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT 1130 CHAIR
BRADFORD'S BILL WOULD ENABLE AND
ENCOURAGE EXPANDED RELIANCE ON
THE FEAR OF PROGRAM. ELECTRIC
RATES FOR ALL OF THE MAJOR IOU
HAVE EITHER DOUBLED OR ALMOST
DOUBLED OVER THE LAST DECADE. AS
A RESULT OF THESE RATE INCREASES
, ENERGY AND SECURITY HAS GROWN
AMONG CUSTOMERS. MORE AND MORE
CALIFORNIANS ARE FEELING THE
SQUEEZE OF HIGH RATES AND FACING
THE HEAT OR EAT DILEMMA, AND
THIS SITUATION IS MOST DIRE FOR
OUR LOWER INCOME CALIFORNIANS.
THERE IS A LOT TO BE DONE TO
ADDRESS UTILITY RATE
AFFORDABILITY. THERE ARE,
HOWEVER, EXISTING PROGRAMS THAT
WILL HELP CALIFORNIA'S LOW
INCOME CUSTOMERS THE CARE
PROGRAM OR THE CALIFORNIA
ALTERNATE RATES FOR ENERGY
PROVIDES THE 30 TO 35% DISCOUNT
ON ELECTRIC BILLS AND 20% ON GAS
BILLS FOR INCOME QUALIFIED
HOUSEHOLDS AT 200% OF THE
FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL AND FEAR
IS AVAILABLE FOR CUSTOMERS WITH
HOUSEHOLD INCOME BETWEEN 202
150% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY
LEVEL. FEAR IS CURRENTLY
AVAILABLE FOR HOUSEHOLDS OF
THREE OR MORE PEOPLE. IT OFFERS
AN 18% DISCOUNT ON ELECTRIC
BILLS. IN 2020 THREE CARE
ENROLMENT WAS AT 100% OF THE
ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS FOR A PG
AND E, S¼, Tð, G, N, E AND 90%
OF ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS FOR S¼
èC E FEAR ENROLLMENT LAG
BEHIND, AS NOTED BY CHAIR
BRADFORD. S¼ B 1130 WOULD REMOVE
THE REQUIREMENTS OF A THREE
PERSON HOUSEHOLD FOR
PARTICIPATION IN VERA. THIS
WOULD EXPAND THE AVAILABILITY OF
ASSISTANT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
FOR CALIFORNIANS THAT ARE NOT
OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE FOR CARE
FURTHER, THE BILL WOULD REQUIRE
A REPORT ON UTILITY EFFORT
EXPORTS TO EFFORTS TO EXPAND
PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM AND
IDENTIFY NEXT STEPS IF THIS
ENROLLMENT DOESN'T INCREASE
UTILITIES HAVE STRUGGLED TO
EXPAND ENROLLMENT. UH, REDUCING
THE HOUSEHOLD NUMBER REQUIREMENT
WILL PROVIDE ANOTHER TOOL FOR
EXPANDING ENROLMENT IN FRA. TURN
SUPPORTS. SB 1130 EXPANDING
ELIGIBILITY FOR FRA AS IT
PROVIDES AN AVENUE OF SUPPORT
FOR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE FOR ALL
CALIFORNIANS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME. THANK YOU ANY OTHER
WITNESSES IN SUPPORT? GOOD
MORNING KI¾M STONE STONE
ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA SOLAR AND STORAGE
ASSOCIATION, IN ENTHUSIASTIC
SUPPORT. REBECCA GONZALEZ WITH
THE WESTERN CENTER ON LAW AND
POVERTY AND SUPPORT EMILY PAPPAS
ON BEHALF OF NELA, PAPPAS AND
ASSOCIATES FOR M, èC E AND
SUPPORT DAVID AVIO, A P,
CALIFORNIA IN SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK IN
OPPOSITION OF S¼ B 1130. CARING
NONE. WE WILL BRING IT BACK TO
THE DÍAS. SENATOR DODD. YES,
SAME AS YOU. DIFFERENT BILL.
WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS. YOU KNOW
THIS IS GONNA HIT RATEPAYERS.
ALTHOUGH RIGHT NOW. WE'VE HEARD
ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE AREN'T
PAYING THEIR BILLS AT ALL. SO
MAYBE IT'S YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE
DISCOUNTING THOSE BILLS, AND WE
GET 85% OF THE MONEY, MAYBE
THAT'S WHY, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME
OF THE UTILITIES AREN'T HERE AND
YOU KNOW, IN OPPOSITION TO THIS,
SO MAY MAYBE IT DOES HELP, BUT I
THINK IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT WE
SAID ON THE PREVIOUS BILLS, IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR US TO AGAIN TRY TO
FIND SOME WAY THAT DOESN'T THE
THESE PROGRAMS DON'T ADVERSELY
AFFECT RATEPAYERS. ANYBODY ELSE?
WE HAVE A QUESTION, SENATOR
BRADFORD SO SOMEBODY ELSE HAS TO
PAY IF WE GIVE A SUBSIDY TO THE
LOWER INCOME, AND SO MY CONCERN
IS OR MAYBE I JUST I WANT TO
UNDERSTAND BETTER. OBVIOUSLY 252
100 TO 250% BELOW THE POVERTY
RATE IS LOW, AND SO THIS BILL
BASICALLY CHANGED IT FROM A
THREE PERSON HOUSEHOLD WHO COULD
COULD GO TO A ONE PERSON
HOUSEHOLD. UM BUT WHEN THAT COST
SHIFT GETS SHIFTED, SAY THEY GET
THE THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE THE
ADVANTAGE OF THE 18. SOMEBODY
ELSE HAS TO PICK UP THAT 18%
THAT IS A RATEPAYER. IN THE
CATEGORY. WHERE'S THE EVERYBODY
ABOVE? THE 250% HAS TO PAY EVEN
PEOPLE THAT HAVE SOLAR I MEAN,
WE HAVE BEEN SUBSIDIZING SOLAR
SINCE DAY ONE. SO I UNDERSTAND
YOUR CONCERN ABOUT COST SHIFT.
SO, UH, I HOPEFULLY INCREASING
THE ENROLLMENT ON THESE COST
SAVING PROGRAMS. IT'S GONNA
BRING THOSE CONSUMERS BILLS DOWN
, AND OVERALL COSTS WILL GO DOWN
AS WELL. SO I I'M SUPPORTIVE OF
THE BILL. I THINK YOU'RE TRYING
TO NARROW IN ON THE POOR OF THE
POOR. AND THAT'S WHERE I WANT TO
GO TO BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES
THAT ARE GETTING REALLY FOR LACK
OF A BETTER TERM SCREWED BY THE
PEOPLE THAT HAVE UH, SOLAR AND
I'VE BEEN VERY YOU KNOW,
OUTSPOKEN ABOUT IT, AND I DON'T
THINK IT'S RIGHT. AND SO, BUT
THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SOLAR ARE
THEY GONNA ARE THEY GONNA THEY?
THEY STILL AREN'T GONNA PAY THIS
BILL. IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T
HAVE SOLAR THAT ARE ABOVE 250
ARE GOING TO PAY THIS BILL,
RIGHT? THAT'S TRUE. I MEAN,
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON
TRYING TO FIX THAT. BUT YOU'RE
RIGHT. IT'S NOT GETTING AROUND
THAT AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO. I
MEAN, I I'M GONNA SUPPORT YOUR
BILL TODAY, BUT AT SOME POINT WE
HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION
THAT THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SOLAR
ARE GETTING SUBSIDIZED BY VERY
POOR PEOPLE. AND THEY DON'T PAY
FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE. AND THEY
GET BASICALLY THEIR ELECTRICITY
AT A BETTER RATE AND HAVE BEEN
SUBSIDIZED BY TAX CREDITS AND A
WHOLE HOST OF IT ALL UP, YES,
REBATES, TAX CREDITS AND WE'VE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE èC èC,
AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
RATES GOING UP SO MY CONCERN
WITH THIS IS WE'RE GOING TO GET
THE LOWEST OF THE LOW, BUT THE
INTERMEDIATE PEOPLE WHO DON'T
HAVE SOLAR ARE GOING THEIR RATES
ARE GOING TO GO UP. EVEN MORE
BECAUSE HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS
SUBSIDY FOR SOMEBODY ELSE, SO I
WILL BE SUPPORTING YOUR BILL. I
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GO. I
JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT'S REALLY
HAPPENING HERE AT THE END OF THE
DAY, THE VERY WEALTHY ARE BEING
SUBSIDIZED BY THE MIDDLE AND THE
VERY POOR. I HAVE. DO WE HAVE
SENATOR SKINNER. I'M SUPPORTING
THE SENATOR'S BILL TODAY, BUT I
JUST THINK IT'S. WE'VE HAD
INFORMATIONAL HEARINGS. WE
PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE ANOTHER ONE
AGAIN ABOUT RATES. BUT I JUST
WANNA PUT SOME. I APPRECIATE
THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO PUT OUT
YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE RECORD
FOR THE PUBLIC. TO UNDERSTAND,
HOWEVER, I THINK IT'S ALSO VERY
IMPORTANT TO INDICATE THAT MANY
OF THE BILLS WE HAD BEFORE US
TODAY THAT ARE PASSING THIS
COMMITTEE ARE GOING TO ADD RATE
PAYER PRESSURE. THEY ARE SO ALL
OUR WILDFIRE WORK OUR, UM ANY
NUMBER OF THINGS, RIGHT? UH AND
AGAIN NOT INDICATING A PRO OR
CON ABOUT IT. JUST THE FACT THAT
WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT
WERE CONFRONTING RIGHT NOW WITH
AS WE ELECTRIFY AND AS WE SO,
BUT WHEN YOU GET WHEN THE ISSUE
AROUND SOLAR WE'VE ALREADY SEEN
THE èC èC MAKE MANY
ADJUSTMENTS. FOR TWO SOLAR
CUSTOMERS. UM AND THE WE WANTED
TO REALLY GET INTO WHAT WE'RE
ALL ALL THE DIFFERENT RATEPAYER
PRESSURES. WHILE THAT ONE WAS A
LEGITIMATE ONE TO LOOK AT, AND
THERE WERE CORRECTIONS MADE,
THERE ARE MANY, MANY, MANY
PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE ENACTED OR
THIS OR PU èC IS ENACTED THAT
CREATE RATEPAYER PRESSURE. AND
WE ARE SEEING HIGH RATES RIGHT
NOW, AND WE KNOW THAT
LEGITIMATELY. THE PUBLIC IS
REACTING AND THOSE HIGH RATES
COULD AFFECT OUR GOALS TO
ELECTRIFY BUT TO NAIL ONE
PARTICULAR SOURCE AS THE CAUSE
FOR THE RATE PRAYER PRESSURE
THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING IS
INACCURATE, AND THAT'S WHAT I
WANTED TO JUST LAY ON THE RECORD
AND WE ALSO AS MEMBERS HAVE TO
THINK ABOUT AS WE INTRODUCE
BILLS. BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE
LOT OF STUFF THAT I WANTED TO
INTRODUCE THIS YEAR, BUT THAT WE
REALLY CAN'T AFFORD RIGHT NOW TO
BE PUTTING ON BILLS THAT WOULD
CREATE MORE RATEPAYER PRESSURE.
SENATOR Dð RAZO NÓ. FOR THE
RECORD, SENATOR SKINNER. ALMOST
EVERY SINGLE BILL THAT WE'VE HAD
TODAY. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN
IN THAT CONTEXT, SO I DON'T
THINK AND I DON'T. I THINK
YOU'RE RIGHT. I DON'T THINK WE
NEED TO PICK ON THE SOLAR
INDUSTRY. UH, THEY'VE DONE A
REALLY GOOD JOB OF PIONEERING
THIS, BUT, UH UH, I THINK WE ALL
KNOW THAT THE SHORTCOMINGS OF
THAT PROGRAM AND IT LOOKS LIKE,
UH UH, YOU KNOW, IT IS UNDER
CONTINUOUS REVIEW AT THE èC P
èC. JUST WANT TO THANK THE
SENATOR FOR BRINGING THIS BILL.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO ARTICULATE
BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY HERE WHEN
IT WAS ONLY HIM AND I LEFT AT
THIS COMMITTEE HEARING AND WE
HEARD FROM THE RATE PAYER GROUPS
AND WE HEARD ABOUT LOW INCOME.
ALL THE MEMBERS LEFT AND WAS
JUST THE SENATOR AND MYSELF. AND
WE WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE
ISSUE OF THE VERY LEAST PEOPLE
THAT ARE ABLE TO PAY IN
CALIFORNIA ARE SUBSIDIZING THE
VERY WEALTHY PEOPLE. THAT'S THE
POINT AND I VOTED AGAINST MANY
OF THOSE BILLS. MOST OF THOSE
BILLS ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND WE
DO NEED TO. WE NEED TO HAVE A
LONGER CONVERSATION ABOUT I. I
THANK THE SENATOR FOR BRINGING
THIS BILL FORWARD BECAUSE HE'S
TRYING TO ADDRESS AN ISSUE THAT
IS REAL. POOR PEOPLE ARE
STRUGGLING, AND THEY'RE CALLING
MY OFFICE AND HIS OFFICE AS WELL
. SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING YOUR
BILL. I LOVE TO GIVE YOU THE
OPPORTUNITY TO CLOSE. WE NEED TO
HAVE A LARGER CONVERSATION WITH
ALL THE MEMBERS HERE, NOT JUST A
FEW OF US TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO GET WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
SO SENATOR, IF YOU'D LIKE TO
CLOSE THANK YOU. AND I HEAR LOUD
AND CLEAR WHERE OUR CONCERNS ARE
. WE ALL KNOW THERE'S NÓ FREE
LUNCH IN AMERICA. SO SOMEONE
PAYS FOR IT. JUST ABOUT
EVERYTHING THAT WE LEGISLATE
HERE IN IN THIS COMMITTEE AND IN
PRETTY MUCH WHATEVER THE SUBJECT
MATTER IS, AND THAT'S THE
REALITY BUT TRYING TO CONTAIN
IT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING
TO DO IS PROVIDE THOSE POOR. THE
POOR WITH THE FAIRER PROGRAM,
UH, A WAY TO REDUCE THEIR
MONTHLY BILL IN SOME FASHION,
BECAUSE, UH, WE KNOW IT'S
HITTING THEM IN THEIR POCKETBOOK
EVERY DAY. WE AS YOU SAID, WE
HEAR FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS ALL
OF THE TIME ABOUT RATES GOING
UP. WE FEELING RIGHT NOW, WITH
THE FIXED CHARTS THAT'S GONNA GO
FOR A LOT OF CONCERN REGARDING
THAT AS WELL. SO I THINK RATES
ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF
EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. WE ARE
MINDFUL OF THAT, AND WE'RE TRULY
LOOKING OUT AFTER THE CONSUMER
AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER WAY.
BUT UH AGAIN, WE WON'T HAVE. I
MEAN, FIX THAT PROBLEM HERE
TODAY, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT
WE DEFINITELY NEED TO, UH, TAKE
A BETTER LOOK AT BECAUSE THERE
ARE SUBSIDIES AND, UM, COST
SHIFTS THAT FOLKS ARE PAYING
FOR, AND IT'S NÓ WAY OF GETTING
AROUND THAT, BUT, UH, WITH THAT
BEING SAID, I RESPECT LAST THANK
YOU, SENATOR. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY
SENATOR STERN, I BELIEVE, AND IT
IS DUE PASS TO APPROPRIATIONS.
CALLED THE ROLE SENATORS
BRADFORD BRADFORD I DELI DELI. I
ASHBY ASHBY. I BECKER CABALLERO.
DODD. THAT I DIAZO DURAZZO I
EGGMAN EG MAN. I GONZALEZ
GONZALEZ, I GROVE LEMON LEMON, I
MIN MIN I, NEIN NEWMAN, I RUBIO
RUBIO. I SARTO. SKINNER. SKIN OR
EYE. STERN STERN EYE WILK. TO 0
13 TO 0 WILL LEAVE THAT BILL ON
CALL FOR ABSENT MEMBERS. SHOULD
WE OPEN THE ROAD FOR ABSENT
MEMBERS RIGHT NOW THAT WERE HERE
EARLIER. WILL START WITH FALL
ITEM ONE. S¼ B 980 THREE,
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
THE ABSENT MEMBERS. DO PASS AS
AMENDED TO THE RULES COMMITTEE.
CURRENT VOTE 10 0 DALLY DALLY,
NOT VOTING. BECKER. EGGMAN
EGGMAN I GONZALEZ THE èC TO èC
TO NOT VOTING. SKINNER. ALL
RIGHT, SKIN OR EYE STERN. THAT
WILL HAVE. OK IT HAS 12 VOTES
RIGHT NOW. I. I INTENDED TO STAY
OFF APOLOGIES. WE CAN'T DO IT
NOW, OK? OK, OK. SO WHAT'S OUR
COUNT? UM 12 TO 0 12 TO 0. WELL,
REACH. I DON'T KNOW IF BECKER
ARE. WE WILL CONTINUE MOVING ON
TO THE LIST NOW MOVING S¼ VÆ
1309. PLEASE CALL THE ABSENT
MEMBERS. YOU. UM CURRENT VOTE 10
0. DO PASS TO THE COMMITTEE ON
APPROPRIATIONS. BRADFORD.
BRADFORD I DELI DELI, NOT
VOTING. BECKER BECKER. I. LEONE
I LIONE I. NEWMAN NEWMAN ICE
YARTO SARTO NÓ SKINNER. I SKIN
OR EYE? 15 TO 1. 15 TO 1. WE'LL
LEAVE THE 15 TO 1 WILL LEAVE THE
ROLE OPEN FOR ABSENT MEMBERS TO
ADD ON NOW MOVING ON TO FALL.
ITEM THREE S¼ B 1003. PLEASE
CALL THAT TO MEMBERS. OH, MY
GOODNESS. I DIDN'T PUT THE VOTE
IN HERE. VOTE 14 0. BECKER
BECKER, I, LEMON. HØI LEONE. I
èC R TWO èC R TWO, NOT VOTING.
SKINNER. FIVE. OK? SEVEN THREE
TO 0 17 TO 0 WILL LEAVE THE ROLL
OPEN FOR ABSENT MEMBERS. I THINK
IT'S OUT THAT OUT OK THAT THAT
BILL IS OUT. NOW MOVING ON TO S¼
B 1182. DO PASS TO THE COMMITTEE
ON EDUCATION. GOSH, MY BOATS
AREN'T IN HERE. VOTE. 13 TO 0.
BECKER. HØI BECKER. I CABALLERO.
LEMON. IONE. I èC R TWO èC R
TWO, NOT VOTING. SKINNER SKINNER
EYE 1314 15. 16 TO 0 16 TO 0.
WE'LL LEAVE THAT MEASURE OPEN.
PERHAPS THE MEMBERS NOW MOVING
ON TO FALL ITEM FIVE S¼ B 1130.
MIGHT NEED YOUR VOTE THING
BECAUSE MY THINGS WEREN'T
RECODED. NÓ I HAVE IT, OK? THANK
YOU, UM, CURRENT VOTE 13 TO 0
BECKER BECKER. I CABALLERO HAVE
A YEAR I GROVE èC R TO WILK. 15
TO 0 15 TO 0 WILL LEAVE THAT
WORLD OPEN FOR PERHAPS THE
MEMBERS SAT ON S¼ VÆ 1177. MM.
CURRENT VOTE 11 0. GOOD. BECKER.
BECKER I, CABALLERO CABALLERO. I
LEMON LEMON. I 14 TO 0. 14 TO 0
14 TO 0 THAT MEASURES OUT.
YOUR VOTES. WAS SOON CABALLERO
WHO WE NEED TO OPEN A ROW FOR J
CAVIAR ON ANY OF THESE ON THE
FIRST ONE. CAN I SEE YOUR SHE'S
ON THE SECOND ONE? A EURO, SO
OK, ITEM 4 1182. CURRENT VOTE 16
0. CABALLERO CABALLERO, A 17 0
THAT MEASURES OUT 17 TO 0.
WHAT'S WHAT'S THE CURRENT VOTE
ON THAT ONE? WHAT'S THAT? OOPS.
HOLD ON ONE SEC. OK, THANKS.
CURRENT VOTE. 12 0, IS THAT S¼ P
98 THREE 983? YES, SHE'S
REOPENED. BECKER. I BECKER I IS
IT POSSIBLE THAT SENATOR SKINNER
CAN CHANGE HER VOTE. WE'RE YOU.
YOU'VE ALREADY VOTED. YOU CAN'T
NOT VOTE. YOU CAN CHANGE IT TO
NÓ. NOW IT HAPPENS HERE, TOO.
AND TO BACK HER UP. OR I GO.
ATTENTION. LEONE. 980 THREE
WAHAB. OK? NOT VOTING. LEMON,
NOT VOTING ON TWO AND SO IT'S 13
IT'S 13 0. HM?
UH S¼ VÆ 9313 0 THAT MEASURES
OUT. SO I THINK THEY'RE. I WANT.
MEMBERS THAT CONCLUDES OUR
BUSINESS HERE TODAY. I WANT TO
THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR
PARTICIPATION IN TODAY'S HEARING
, THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY
, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS
IS NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.