Public Utilities Code

Division 1. Regulation of Public Utilities Part 1. Public Utilities Act Chapter 2.3. Electrical Restructuring Article 16. California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program

§ 399.13. Annual preparation of renewable energy procurement plan by electrical corporations; proposal, review, and adoption by commission as part of general procurement plan process; report on necessity of electrical transmission facility; annual compliance report by retail sellers; duties of commission; contracts; penalties; recovery of procurement and administrative costs

1. The commission shall direct each electrical corporation to annually prepare a renewable energy procurement plan that includes the elements specified in paragraph (6), to satisfy its obligations under the renewables portfolio standard. To the extent feasible, this procurement plan shall be proposed, reviewed, and adopted by the commission as part of, and pursuant to, a general procurement plan process. The commission shall require each electrical corporation to review and update its renewable energy procurement plan as it determines to be necessary. The commission shall require all other retail sellers to prepare and submit renewable energy procurement plans that address the requirements identified in paragraph (6).
1. Every electrical corporation that owns electrical transmission facilities shall annually prepare, as part of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Order 890 process, and submit to the commission, a report identifying any electrical transmission facility, upgrade, or enhancement that is reasonably necessary to achieve the renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements of this article. Each report shall look forward at least five years and, to ensure that adequate investments are made in a timely manner, shall include a preliminary schedule when an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity will be made, pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1001), for any electrical transmission facility identified as being reasonably necessary to achieve the renewable energy resources procurement requirements of this article. Each electrical corporation that owns electrical transmission facilities shall ensure that project-specific interconnection studies are completed in a timely manner.
2. The commission shall direct each retail seller to prepare and submit an annual compliance report that includes all of the following:
1. The current status and progress made during the prior year toward procurement of eligible renewable energy resources as a percentage of retail sales, including, if applicable, the status of any necessary siting and permitting approvals from federal, state, and local agencies for those eligible renewable energy resources procured by the retail seller, and the current status of compliance with the portfolio content requirements of subdivision (c) of Section 399.16, including procurement of eligible renewable energy resources located outside the state and within the WECC and unbundled renewable energy credits.
2. If the retail seller is an electrical corporation, the current status and progress made during the prior year toward construction of, and upgrades to, transmission and distribution facilities and other electrical system components it owns to interconnect eligible renewable energy resources and to supply the electricity generated by those resources to load, including the status of planning, siting, and permitting transmission facilities by federal, state, and local agencies.
3. Recommendations to remove impediments to making progress toward achieving the renewable energy resources procurement requirements established pursuant to this article.
3. The commission shall review each annual compliance report filed by a retail seller. The commission shall notify a retail seller if the commission has determined, based upon its review, that the retail seller may be at risk of not satisfying the renewable energy procurement requirements for the then-current or a future compliance period and shall provide recommendations in that circumstance regarding satisfying those requirements.
4. The commission shall adopt, by rulemaking, all of the following:
1. A process that provides criteria for the rank ordering and selection of least-cost and best-fit eligible renewable energy resources to comply with the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program obligations on a total cost and best-fit basis. This process shall take into account all of the following:
1. Estimates of indirect costs associated with needed transmission investments.
2. The cost impact of procuring the eligible renewable energy resources on the electrical corporation's electricity portfolio.
3. The viability of the project to construct and reliably operate the eligible renewable energy resource, including the developer's experience, the feasibility of the technology used to generate electricity, and the risk that the facility will not be built, or that construction will be delayed, with the result that electricity will not be supplied as required by the contract.
4. Workforce recruitment, training, and retention efforts, including the employment growth associated with the construction and operation of eligible renewable energy resources and goals for recruitment and training of women, minorities, and disabled veterans.
5. Estimates of electrical corporation expenses resulting from integrating and operating eligible renewable energy resources, including, but not limited to, any additional wholesale energy and capacity costs associated with integrating each eligible renewable resource.
1. No later than December 31, 2015, the commission shall approve a methodology for determining the integration costs described in subclause (I).
6. Consideration of any statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit established pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500) of the Health and Safety Code).
7. Consideration of capacity and system reliability of the eligible renewable energy resource to ensure grid reliability.
2. Rules permitting retail sellers to accumulate, beginning January 1, 2011, excess procurement in one compliance period to be applied to any subsequent compliance period. The rules shall apply equally to all retail sellers. In determining the quantity of excess procurement for the applicable compliance period, the commission shall retain the rules adopted by the commission and in effect as of January 1, 2015, for the compliance period specified in subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 399.15. For any subsequent compliance period, the rules shall allow the following:
1. For electricity products meeting the portfolio content requirements of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 399.16, contracts of any duration may count as excess procurement.
2. Electricity products meeting the portfolio content requirements of paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 399.16 shall not be counted as excess procurement. Contracts of any duration for electricity products meeting the portfolio content requirements of paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 399.16 that are credited towards a compliance period shall not be deducted from a retail seller's procurement for purposes of calculating excess procurement.
3. If a retail seller notifies the commission that it will comply with the provisions of subdivision (b) for the compliance period beginning January 1, 2017, the provisions of clauses (i) and (ii) shall take effect for that retail seller for that compliance period.
3. Standard terms and conditions to be used by all electrical corporations in contracting for eligible renewable energy resources, including performance requirements for renewable generators. A contract for the purchase of electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy resource, at a minimum, shall include the renewable energy credits associated with all electricity generation specified under the contract. The standard terms and conditions shall include the requirement that, no later than six months after the commission's approval of an electricity purchase agreement entered into pursuant to this article, the following information about the agreement shall be disclosed by the commission: party names, resource type, project location, and project capacity.
4. An appropriate minimum margin of procurement above the minimum procurement level necessary to comply with the renewables portfolio standard to mitigate the risk that renewable projects planned or under contract are delayed or canceled. This paragraph does not preclude an electrical corporation from voluntarily proposing a margin of procurement above the appropriate minimum margin established by the commission.
5. Consistent with the goal of increasing California's reliance on eligible renewable energy resources, the renewable energy procurement plan shall include all of the following:
1. An assessment of annual or multiyear portfolio supplies and demand to determine the optimal mix of eligible renewable energy resources with deliverability characteristics that may include peaking, dispatchable, baseload, firm, and as-available capacity.
2. Potential compliance delays related to the conditions described in paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 399.15.
3. A bid solicitation setting forth the need for eligible renewable energy resources of each deliverability characteristic, required online dates, and locational preferences, if any.
4. A status update on the development schedule of all eligible renewable energy resources currently under contract.
5. Consideration of mechanisms for price adjustments associated with the costs of key components for eligible renewable energy resource projects with online dates more than 24 months after the date of contract execution.
6. An assessment of the risk that an eligible renewable energy resource will not be built, or that construction will be delayed, with the result that electricity will not be delivered as required by the contract.
6. In soliciting and procuring eligible renewable energy resources, each electrical corporation shall offer contracts of no less than 10 years duration, unless the commission approves of a contract of shorter duration.
7. In soliciting and procuring eligible renewable energy resources for California-based projects, each electrical corporation shall give preference to renewable energy projects that provide environmental and economic benefits to communities afflicted with poverty or high unemployment, or that suffer from high emission levels of toxic air contaminants, criteria air pollutants, and greenhouse gases.
1. Subparagraph (A) applies to all procurement of eligible renewable energy resources for California-based projects, whether the procurement occurs through all-source requests for offers, eligible renewable resources only requests for offers, or other procurement mechanisms. This subparagraph is declaratory of existing law.
8. In soliciting and procuring eligible renewable energy resources, each retail seller shall consider the best-fit attributes of resource types that ensure a balanced resource mix to maintain the reliability of the electrical grid.
1. A retail seller may enter into a combination of long- and short-term contracts for electricity and associated renewable energy credits. Beginning January 1, 2021, at least 65 percent of the procurement a retail seller counts toward the renewables portfolio standard requirement of each compliance period shall be from its contracts of 10 years or more in duration or in its ownership or ownership agreements for eligible renewable energy resources.
2. The commission shall review and accept, modify, or reject each electrical corporation's renewable energy resource procurement plan prior to the commencement of renewable energy procurement pursuant to this article by an electrical corporation. The commission shall assess adherence to the approved renewable energy resource procurement plans in determining compliance with the obligations of this article.
3. Unless previously preapproved by the commission, an electrical corporation shall submit a contract for the generation of an eligible renewable energy resource to the commission for review and approval consistent with an approved renewable energy resource procurement plan. If the commission determines that the bid prices are elevated due to a lack of effective competition among the bidders, the commission shall direct the electrical corporation to renegotiate the contracts or conduct a new solicitation.
4. If an electrical corporation fails to comply with a commission order adopting a renewable energy resource procurement plan, the commission shall exercise its authority to require compliance.
5. The commission may authorize a procurement entity to enter into contracts on behalf of customers of a retail seller for electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources to satisfy the retail seller's renewables portfolio standard procurement requirements. The commission shall not require any person or corporation to act as a procurement entity or require any party to purchase eligible renewable energy resources from a procurement entity.
1. Subject to review and approval by the commission, the procurement entity shall be permitted to recover reasonable administrative and procurement costs through the retail rates of end-use customers that are served by the procurement entity and are directly benefiting from the procurement of eligible renewable energy resources.
6. Procurement and administrative costs associated with contracts entered into by an electrical corporation for eligible renewable energy resources pursuant to this article and approved by the commission are reasonable and prudent and shall be recoverable in rates.
7. Construction, alteration, demolition, installation, and repair work on an eligible renewable energy resource that receives production incentives pursuant to Section 25742 of the Public Resources Code, including work performed to qualify, receive, or maintain production incentives, are "public works" for the purposes of Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1720) of Part 7 of Division 2 of the Labor Code.

Division 1.5. California Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority Act Chapter 3. The California Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority Article 5. Generation Facilities

§ 3354. Compliance with public works and public agencies

All generation facilities constructed or improved pursuant to this division shall comply with Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1720) of Part 7 of Division 2 of the Labor Code.

Division 7. Public Utility District Act Chapter 4. Powers and Functions of Districts Article 3. Utility Works and Services

§ 16461.5. Shasta Dam Area Public Utility District; undeveloped property; public works construction

1. The Shasta Dam Area Public Utility District may construct those public works necessary for the industrial and commercial development of any undeveloped property owned by the district prior to January 12, 1990. A decision by the Shasta Dam Area Public Utility District to construct public works pursuant to this section is a legislative act subject to referendum pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 9340) of Chapter 4 of Division 9 of the Elections Code. The improvements shall comply with all of the ordinances, resolutions, policies, and other standards of the city or county in which the property is located, and comply with all state laws governing public works and public agencies.
2. Any contract awarded by the Shasta Dam Area Public Utility District pursuant to this section shall be considered a public works project subject to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1720) of Part 7 of Division 2 of the Labor Code.
3. None of the costs for public works constructed pursuant to this section shall be borne by Shasta Dam Area Public Utility District customers.

Division 10. Transit Districts Part 12. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Chapter 5. Powers and Functions of District Article 4. Construction Manager/General Contractor Project Delivery Contracts

§ 100152. Bidding requirements for public works projects

Any public works project that is contracted for pursuant to this article shall be subject to the requirements of Section 1771.4 of the Labor Code.

Division 10. Transit Districts Part 14. Sacramento Regional Transit District Chapter 5. Powers and Functions of District Article 5. Transit Facilities and Service

§ 102284. Joint use agreements

1. The district may enter into agreements for the joint use of any property and rights by the district and any public agency or public utility operating transit facilities; may enter into agreements with any public agency or public utility operating any transit facilities, and wholly or partially within or without the district, for the joint use of any property of the district or of the public agency or public utility, or the establishment of through routes, joint fares, transfer of passengers or pooling arrangements.
2. In addition to any power described in subdivision (a), the district may enter into agreements for the joint use or joint development of any property or rights by the district and any public agency, or public utility operating transit facilities or nontransit facilities, or both, or any other person, firm, corporation, association, organization, or other entity, public or private, either, in whole or in part, within or outside the district, for the joint use or development of any nontransit facilities of the district or of the public agency, public utility, person, firm, corporation, association, organization, or other entity, public or private, for the establishment of through routes, joint fares, transfer of passengers, pooling arrangements, station cost-sharing, connector fees, or land, air, or development rights, sales or leasing, necessary for, incidental to, or convenient for, the full exercise of the powers granted in this chapter. For the purpose of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
1. "Joint development" includes, but is not limited to, agreements with any person, firm, corporation, association, organization, or other entity, public or private, to develop or to engage in the planning, financing, construction, or operation of nontransit district facilities or development projects adjacent, or physically or functionally related, to district transit facilities.
2. "Development project" includes, but is not limited to, projects for any use or mixed use including public, commercial, or residential uses.
3. "Nontransit facilities," includes, but is not limited to, any land, buildings, or equipment, or interest therein, that is used for the production of transit revenue not arising from the operation of a transit system.
3. Construction projects or works of improvement for facilities authorized by the district under the terms of a joint development agreement that is approved under the authority conferred by this section shall be considered a public works project subject to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1720) of Part 7 of Division 2 of the Labor Code and shall be enforced by the Department of Industrial Relations in the same manner in which it carries out this responsibility under the Labor Code.

§ 102288. Acquisition of facilities; approval of installations in highways

1. The district may acquire, construct, own, operate, control, or use rights-of-way, rail lines, bus lines, stations, platforms, switches, yards, terminals, parking lots, and any and all facilities necessary or convenient for transit service, within or partly outside the district, underground, upon, or above the ground and under, upon or over public streets or other public ways or waterways, together with all physical structures necessary or convenient for the access of persons or vehicles thereto, and may acquire any interest in or rights to use or joint use of any or all of the foregoing; however, installations in state freeways are subject to the approval of the Department of Transportation, and installations in other state highways are subject to Article 2 (commencing with Section 670) of Chapter 3 of Division 1 of the Streets and Highways Code. Installations in county highways and city streets are subject to similar encroachment permits.
2. In addition to any power described in subdivision (a), the district may, to the extent that it is not expressly provided for in subdivision (a), develop, lease, jointly develop, or jointly use air rights, land rights, development rights, rights-of-way, rail trackage, entrances and exits, and any and all fixed facilities and structures physically or functionally related to transit service.
3. Construction projects or works of improvement for facilities authorized by the district under the terms of a joint development agreement that is approved under the authority conferred by this section shall be considered a public works project subject to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1720) of Part 7 of Division 2 of the Labor Code and shall be enforced by the Department of Industrial Relations in the same manner in which it carries out this responsibility under the Labor Code.

Division 10. Transit Districts Part 15. San Mateo County Transit District Chapter 5. Powers and Functions of District Article 12. Construction Manager/General Contractor Project Delivery Contracts

§ 103396. Bidding requirements for public works projects

Any public works project that is contracted for pursuant to this article shall be subject to the requirements of Section 1771.4 of the Labor Code.

Division 12. County Transportation Commissions Chapter 4. Powers and Functions Article 2. Contracts

§ 130242. Private entities; transit systems; facilities; subcontractors

1. In addition to the other powers it possesses, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority may enter into contracts with private entities, the scope of which may combine within a single contract all or some of the planning, design, permitting, development, joint development, construction, construction management, acquisition, leasing, installation, and warranty of all or components of (1) transit systems, including, without limitation, passenger loading or intermodal station facilities, and (2) facilities on real property owned or to be owned by the authority.
2. The authority may award contracts pursuant to subdivision (a) after a finding, by a two-thirds vote of the members of the authority, that awarding the contract under this section will achieve for the authority, among other things, certain private sector efficiencies in the integration of design, project work, and components.
3. A contract awarded pursuant to this section may include operation and maintenance elements, if the inclusion of those elements (1) is necessary, in the reasonable judgment of the authority, to assess vendor representations and warranties, performance guarantees, or life-cycle efficiencies, and (2) does not conflict with collective bargaining agreements to which the authority is a party.
4. A contract under this section shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder whose bid is responsive to the criteria set forth in the invitation for bids, or, at the authority's discretion, to a contractor chosen by a competitive bidding process that employs objective selection criteria that may include, but are not limited to, the proposed design approach, features, functions, life-cycle costs, and other criteria deemed appropriate by the authority, in addition to price. Notice requesting bids or proposals shall be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation. For contracts estimated to exceed ten million dollars ($10,000,000), publication shall be made at least 60 days before the receipt of the bids or price proposals. For contracts estimated not to exceed ten million dollars ($10,000,000), publication shall be made at least 30 days before the receipt of the bids or price proposals. The authority, at its discretion, may reject any and all bids and proposals, and may readvertise. All bids and price proposals submitted pursuant to this section shall be presented under sealed cover and shall be accompanied by one of the following forms of bidder security: (1) cash, (2) a cashier's check made payable to the authority, (3) a certified check made payable to the authority, or (4) a bidder's bond executed by an admitted surety insurer, made payable to the authority. Upon an award, the security of each unsuccessful bidder shall be returned in a reasonable period of time, but in no event shall that security be held by the authority beyond 60 days from the time the award is made.
5. When the design of portions of the project permits the selection of subcontractors, the contractor shall competitively bid those portions. The contractor shall provide to the authority a list of subcontractors whose work is in excess of one-half of 1 percent of the total project cost as soon as the subcontractors are identified. Once listed, the subcontractors shall have the rights provided in the Subletting and Subcontracting Fair Practices Act (Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 4100) of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code).