Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law, relative to private energy producers, requires every electric utility, as defined, to make available to an eligible customer-generator, as defined, a standard contract or tariff for net energy metering on a first-come-first-served basis until the time that the total rated generating capacity of renewable electrical generation facilities, as defined, used by eligible customer-generators exceeds 5% of the electric utility’s aggregate customer peak demand. Electrical corporations are an electric utility for these purposes.

This bill would require the commission to complete a study by June 30, 2013, to determine the extent to which each class of ratepayers and each region of the state receiving service under the net energy metering tariff is paying the full cost of the services provided to them by electrical corporations, the extent to which those customers pay their share of the costs of public purpose programs, and the benefits of net energy metering. The bill would require the commission to report the results of the study to the Legislature within 30 days of its completion.