SB 931 California 20252026 session

Diablo Canyon nuclear powerplant: Community Impacts Mitigation Program.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory jurisdiction over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires the commission to approve full funding for the Community Impacts Mitigation Program set forth in a settlement between the Pacific Gas and Electric Company and various entities, including public entities in the County of San Luis Obispo, to mitigate the impacts caused by the decommissioning of the Diablo Canyon nuclear powerplant proposed by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Pursuant to existing law, the commission issued a decision authorizing the recovery of the costs of the Community Impacts Mitigation Program through the nuclear decommissioning nonbypassable charge. Existing law requires the commission to direct and authorize the extended operation of the Diablo Canyon nuclear powerplant until October 31, 2030. Existing law requires the commission to authorize the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, as the operator of the Diablo Canyon nuclear powerplant, to recover in rates a volumetric payment of a specified amount for each megawatthour of electricity generated by the nuclear powerplant during the period of extended operations, as provided, and requires the Pacific Gas and Electric Company to submit to the commission for its review, on an annual basis, the amount collected, how those moneys were spent, and a plan for prioritizing the use of those moneys in the next year, as provided. This bill would require the plans described above covering the 2026–27 and 2027–28 fiscal years to include funding for the Essential Services Mitigation Fund established by the Community Impacts Mitigation Program for the extended operation of the Diablo Canyon nuclear powerplant, as provided. The bill would require that purpose to be prioritized for funding in the plans and would require that purpose to be fully funded before funding other authorized uses. The bill would require the funding be provided in 2 equal annual installments of $8,333,333 to the Essential Service Mitigation Fund in the 2026–27 and 2027–28 fiscal years, with the final payment made before October 31, 2028. The bill would require the County of San Luis Obispo to distribute that funding within 30 days of receipt of each deposit, as provided. By imposing requirements on the county to distribute those moneys, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Under existing law, a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because a violation of a commission action implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Diablo Canyon nuclear powerplant. 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. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.