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<ns0:Id>20250SB__086899INT</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-01-05</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:MeasureNum>868</ns0:MeasureNum>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator Wiener</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Wiener</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 8520) to Division 4.1 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>electricity</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Electricity: portable solar generation devices.</ns0:Subject>
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<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, while local publicly owned electric utilities are under the direction of their governing boards.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would exempt a portable solar generation device, as defined, from all interconnection requirements imposed by state law, the commission, electrical corporation rules, or local publicly owned electric utility rules, as specified. The bill would prohibit an electrical corporation or a local publicly owned electric utility from requiring a customer using a portable solar generation device to take specified actions, including, among other things, paying any fee or charge related to the device or the electricity the device feeds into a building’s electrical system. The bill would provide that an electrical
corporation or a local publicly owned electric utility is not liable for any damage or injury caused by a portable solar generation device.</html:p>
<html:p>Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.</html:p>
<html:p>Because a violation of a commission action implementing the bill’s requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
<html:p>Additionally, by imposing new duties on local publicly owned electric utilities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would provide that
no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons.</html:p>
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<ns0:DigestKey>
<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
<ns0:LocalProgram>YES</ns0:LocalProgram>
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<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
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<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_3E606FF2-92F5-4B29-BF9E-D49EAAF7F4F1">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Electricity is an essential resource, especially on hot summer days.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The rising cost of electricity is a barrier to basic necessities, such as air conditioning.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Interconnection fees and processes can add substantial costs and time to the adoption of customer-sited solar and energy storage projects.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
It is the policy of the state to promote and encourage the use of solar energy systems and to limit obstacles to their use.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the installation of solar energy systems by removing obstacles to, and minimizing the costs of, those systems.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 8520) is added to Division 4.1 of the
<ns0:DocName>Public Utilities Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:LawHeading type="CHAPTER" id="id_B2A5982C-90B8-441A-90D6-8ADAF6F7F5CD">
<ns0:Num>11.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:LawHeadingText>Portable Solar Generation Devices</ns0:LawHeadingText>
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_A5F6D52A-00C6-49DF-A94C-F3536DFE1073">
<ns0:Num>8520.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:Content>
<html:p>For purposes of this chapter, all of the following definitions apply:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Electrical corporation” has the same meaning as defined in Section 218.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Local publicly owned electric utility” has the same meaning as defined in Section 224.3.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Portable solar generation device” means a moveable photovoltaic energy generation device that meets all of the following conditions:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
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Has a maximum aggregated AC output of 1,200 watts to a building’s electrical system.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
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Is designed to be connected to a building’s
electrical system through a single standard electrical outlet.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Is intended to offset the customer’s onsite electricity consumption.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Is certified as a plug-in photovoltaic system by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Includes a feature, certified by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory, that isolates the portable solar generation device from the building’s electrical system to prevent the portable solar generation device from backfeeding electricity to the electrical grid during a power outage.
</html:p>
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_C679EE76-97FF-42E7-AF06-DB2DA6701785">
<ns0:Num>8521.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A portable solar generation device is exempt from all interconnection requirements imposed by state law, the commission, electrical corporation rules, or local publicly owned electric utility rules, including, but not limited to, any requirement to enter into an interconnection agreement.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
An electrical corporation or a local publicly owned electric utility shall not require a customer using a portable solar generation device to do any of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Obtain the electrical corporation’s or local publicly owned electric utility’s approval before installing or using the portable solar generation device.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Provide notification or registration for the use of a portable solar generation device.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Pay any fee or charge related to the portable solar generation device or the electricity the portable solar generation device feeds into a building’s electrical system.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Install any additional controls or equipment beyond what is integrated into the portable solar generation device.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
An electrical corporation or local publicly owned electric utility shall not be liable for any damage or injury caused by a portable solar generation device.
</html:p>
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII
<html:span class="ThinSpace"/>
B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act or because costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII
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B of the California Constitution.
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