CA Codes (puc:701-715)PUBLIC UTILITIES CODE
SECTION 701-715
701. The commission may supervise and regulate every public utility
in the State and may do all things, whether specifically designated
in this part or in addition thereto, which are necessary and
convenient in the exercise of such power and jurisdiction.
701.1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that, in addition to
other ratepayer protection objectives, a principal goal of electric
and natural gas utilities' resource planning and investment shall be
to minimize the cost to society of the reliable energy services that
are provided by natural gas and electricity, and to improve the
environment and to encourage the diversity of energy sources through
improvements in energy efficiency and development of renewable energy
resources, such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy.
(b) The Legislature further finds and declares that, in addition
to any appropriate investments in energy production, electrical and
natural gas utilities should seek to exploit all practicable and
cost-effective conservation and improvements in the efficiency of
energy use and distribution that offer equivalent or better system
reliability, and which are not being exploited by any other entity.
(c) In calculating the cost effectiveness of energy resources,
including conservation and load management options, the commission
shall include, in addition to other ratepayer protection objectives,
a value for any costs and benefits to the environment, including air
quality. The commission shall ensure that any values it develops
pursuant to this section are consistent with values developed by the
State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission
pursuant to Section 25000.1 of the Public Resources Code. However, if
the commission determines that a value developed pursuant to this
subdivision is not consistent with a value developed by the State
Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission pursuant to
subdivision (c) of Section 25000.1 of the Public Resources Code, the
commission may nonetheless use this value if, in the appropriate
record of its proceedings, it states its reasons for using the value
it has selected.
(d) In determining the emission values associated with the current
operating capacity of existing electric powerplants pursuant to
subdivision (c), the commission shall adhere to the following
protocol in determining values for air quality costs and benefits to
the environment. If the commission finds that an air pollutant that
is subject to regulation is a component of residual emissions from an
electric powerplan
