(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) It is the policy of the state to reach carbon neutrality no later than 2045 and to maintain net negative emissions of greenhouse gases after 2045. To meet these goals and federal, state, regional, and local air quality and decarbonization standards, plans, and regulations, projections from the commission and the Energy Commission show the need for a large increase in both the quantity of electricity used and the functions for which electricity will be used.

(2) To meet these decarbonization goals and federal, state, regional, and local air quality and decarbonization standards, plans, and regulations, the state’s electrical distribution systems must be substantially upgraded, new customers must promptly connect to the electrical distribution system, and existing customers must have their service level promptly upgraded.

(3) There are many reports of large housing developments that are unable to be promptly energized. California has an urgent need to increase its supply of housing, requiring both new electrical distribution capacity and the prompt energization of new housing.

(4) There are many reports of individual customers who are unable to have their electrical service promptly upgraded or energized and charging stations for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles and off-road vehicles, vessels, trains, and equipment that are unable to be promptly energized. These delays may inhibit the state’s ability to meet its decarbonization goals and federal, state, regional, and local air quality and decarbonization standards, plans, and regulations.

(5) To improve the speed at which energization and service upgrades are performed, each electrical corporation that distributes electricity must improve its advance planning, engineering, and construction of increased distribution and transmission system capacity.

(6) Paragraph (1) of subdivision (s) of Section 712.8 requires the operator of the Diablo Canyon powerplant to submit annually to the commission for its review the amount of compensation earned under paragraph (5) of subdivision (f) of Section 712.8, how it was spent, and a plan for prioritizing the uses of the compensation the next year. Paragraph (1) of subdivision (s) of Section 712.8 also provides that to the extent that it is not needed for Diablo Canyon, that compensation shall be spent on critical public purpose priorities, one of which is accelerating customer and generator interconnections.

(7) Electrifying transportation and buildings may put downward pressure on rates by spreading fixed costs over more kilowatthours of usage.

(8) Delays in energization, including service upgrades, are costly both to the customers awaiting service and to other customers deprived of the downward pressure on rates.

(9) To carry out the planning, engineering, and construction of electrical distribution systems needed to promptly serve customers, each electrical corporation that distributes electricity must recruit, train, and retain an adequately sized, qualified workforce.

(10) The commission should establish target deadlines for utilities that distribute electricity to energize new customers and upgrade the service of existing customers.

(11) The commission should establish reporting requirements requiring each electrical corporation that distributes electricity to report the extent to which it complied with the target deadlines and the reasons for its noncompliance.

(b) Nothing in paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) changes the requirements of Section 712.8.

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 394, Sec. 1. (SB 410) Effective January 1, 2024.)