Plain English Breakdown
The bill specifies an upgrade relative to infrastructure in place on January 1, 2026, but does not define what constitutes 'eligible customer segments'.
AB-1787: Smart Meter Upgrades and Dynamic Rate Options
This law requires the Public Utilities Commission to make large electric companies offer at least one dynamic rate option if they get approval to upgrade their smart meter systems.
What This Bill Does
- Requires the commission to require a large electrical corporation, if approved for upgrading smart meter infrastructure relative to January 1, 2026 levels, to offer eligible customer segments at least one dynamic rate option within 18 months of service start.
- Mandates that companies provide the same time-varying distribution rates to both bundled and unbundled customers in the same geographic area.
- Requires specified conditions be met before allowing large corporations to recover costs from upgrading smart meter systems.
Who It Names or Affects
- Large electrical corporations seeking approval for smart meter upgrades
- The Public Utilities Commission, which must review requests and enforce rules
- Eligible customer segments of these large electric companies
Terms To Know
- Dynamic rate option
- A pricing plan where the cost of electricity changes based on time or demand, as specified by the commission.
- Smart meter infrastructure
- The system used to measure and track energy use that is being upgraded relative to levels in place on January 1, 2026.
Limits and Unknowns
- The law only applies if the Public Utilities Commission approves a request to upgrade smart meter infrastructure.
- It does not specify which customer segments are eligible beyond requiring them to be offered broadly as 'eligible customer segments'.
- No state reimbursement is provided for costs mandated by this act.