Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Under existing law, the commission administers, or otherwise oversees, various public purpose programs, including energy efficiency and conservation programs, cost-effective energy efficiency programs, rate assistance programs for eligible food banks, and home insulation financial assistance programs. Under existing law, those programs are generally funded through a charge on electrical service, which is collected through customer rates.

This bill would establish the Public Utilities Public Purpose Programs Fund. The bill would require the commission, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to allocate the moneys in the fund to fund certain public purpose programs and programs administered by electrical regional energy networks, as specified. The bill would require the Controller to transfer an unspecified sum on July 1 of each fiscal year, commencing with the 2026–27 fiscal year, from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the fund.

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.