KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to California

AB-1302 • 2026

Electricity: customer generators: departing load charges.

Electricity: customer generators: departing load charges.

Energy Technology
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Wallis
Last action
2026-02-02
Official status
From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation includes claims that go beyond what is supported by the official source material.

Electricity Rules for Customer Generators

AB-1302 requires a study by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to design a fair system for customers who generate their own electricity, focusing on transparency in charges and support for renewable energy.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the commission to study and design a new system until December 31, 2031, allowing electrical customers of various types to generate their own electricity at home or work.
  • Ensures that all electrical customers are treated fairly when they generate their own electricity.
  • Increases transparency in how charges for leaving the grid (departing load charges) are calculated and applied.
  • Promotes the development and integration of renewable energy sources.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Electrical customers who want to generate their own electricity at home or work.
  • Electric companies, community choice aggregators, local publicly owned electric utilities, and electrical cooperatives.

Terms To Know

Departing load charges
Fees that are charged when a customer stops using the main electricity grid to generate their own power.
Renewable energy sources
Energy from natural resources like sunlight, wind, and water that can be used again and again without running out.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much the new system will cost or who will pay for it.
  • It is unclear what specific changes will be made to departing load charges until the commission's report in December 2027.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

  2. 2026-01-31 California Legislative Information

    Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.

  3. 2025-03-26 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.

  4. 2025-03-25 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on U. & E. Read second time and amended.

  5. 2025-03-24 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on U. & E.

  6. 2025-02-24 California Legislative Information

    Read first time.

  7. 2025-02-22 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

  8. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1302, as amended, Wallis.
Public utilities: rates.
Electricity: customer generators: departing load charges.
Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to develop and coordinate a program of research and development in energy supply, consumption, and conservation and the technology of siting facilities, and to give priority to those forms of research and development that are of particular importance to the state, as specified.
This bill would require the commission, until December 31, 2031, to study and design a new system for allowing electrical customers of electrical corporations, community choice aggregators, local publicly owned electric utilities, and electrical cooperatives to generate their own electricity on
their commercial or residential sites. The bill would require the commission, in designing the new system, to ensure all electrical customers are treated fairly, increase transparency in the calculation and application of departing load charges, promote the development and integration of renewable energy sources, support the state’s clean energy goals, consider the benefits of customer-generated energy, and provide a mechanism for stakeholder input, as provided. The bill would require the commission, on or before December 31, 2027, to submit a report to the Legislature detailing the proposed new process for departing load charges and any recommendations for legislative action.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the requirement that rates and charges be just and reasonable.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF