Electricity: calculation methodology: data disclosure.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not specify the exact nature of the penalties for non-compliance, only that violations would be treated as a crime under existing law.

Electricity Data Disclosure

AB-1761 requires the Public Utilities Commission to make data used in decisions about electricity charges available to load-serving entities and ratepayer advocates.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to ensure that all data relied upon for decisions or rulings is shared with load-serving entities and ratepayer advocates.
• Makes it necessary for electrical corporations, PUC staff, and other parties to share their data when proposing new charges or analyzing existing ones.
• Specifies requirements for how this data must be disclosed publicly, except for market-sensitive information.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Public Utilities Commission
• Electrical corporations and other parties involved in electricity charges
• Load-serving entities and ratepayer advocates

Terms To Know

Public Utilities Commission (PUC)

A government agency that regulates public utilities, including electrical companies.

Load-serving entity

An organization responsible for providing electricity to customers.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how the PUC will enforce these requirements.
• It is unclear what specific penalties will be applied for non-compliance with data disclosure rules.
• There are no details on how market-sensitive data will be handled to protect sensitive information.

Official Summary Text

AB 1761, as amended, Rogers.
Electricity: calculation methodology: data disclosure.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. 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 require the commission to ensure that all data
relied on in
serving as a basis for
any decision or
ruling,
ruling issued by the commission,
or in any proposal
or analysis provided by
an electrical corporation, the commission’s staff, or any other party,
commission staff,
for the determination or application of a calculation methodology for any charge imposed on customers of a load-serving entity to recover
the cost of contracts or resources owned by an electrical corporation or any value derived from that calculation
costs associated with contracts, electrical corporation-owned generation, or any other resource or value included in that charge
and any other charge derived from those costs,
is made available to load-serving entities and ratepayer advocates on behalf of customers.
The bill would require the commission to require an electrical corporation or other party, in submitting a proposal or analysis for the determination or application of a calculation methodology for any charge imposed on customers of a load-serving entity to recover costs associated with contracts, electrical corporation-owned generation, or any other resource or value included in that charge
and any other charge derived from those costs, to make all data serving as a basis for that proposal or analysis available to load-serving entities and ratepayer advocates on behalf of customers.
The bill would require that data to meet specified requirements, including that it is made through a public disclosure, except for market-sensitive data, as provided.
Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order,
decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.
Because the above prohibition would be a part of the act, and because a violation of a commission action implementing the above prohibition would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF