AgdaPkt 2004-08-23 - Laserfiche WebLink

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BAßð" Legislative Bill Action ............................................................... The following are summaries of just a few of the legislative bills that are currently being acted upon by the League of California Cities. For more information about these and other bills, please visit the League website's to access information about legislation, policy issues and related develop- ments. You can track information on bills (www.cacities.orgßegtracking),locate legislators and legislative committees, send letters to legislators or the media through the online Advocacy Center (www.cacities.org/advocacycenter), research League policy positions, access useful related links, and much more. ENVIRONMENTAL party, the League supports the provisions de- signed to ensure that there will be no cost shifting to other customers for those large users who AS 2006 (Nunez). Electricity. At their meet- elect to purchase power elsewhere. Staff: ing last week, the League board of directors Yvonne Hunter; Status: SenApps, Hrg. August 9; affirmed the League's full support of AB 2006 Position: Support. (Nunez). AS 2006 would establish the "Reliable Electric HOUSING Service Act of 2004". It would put in place a number of important procedures that would SB 1818 (Hollingsworth) Density Bonus facilitate and encourage investment in California's Law. SB 1818, a measure proposing numerous energy infrastructure - including generation and revisions to State Density Bonus Law, has floated transmission facilities - in order to promote stable below the radar while the budget and other mea- and reliable electric service in the future. The bill sures have dominated the attention of local offi- also would establish a procedure for very large cials. This measure, sponsored by legal aid electricity users to purchase power from a third advocates and the California Association of party through direct access. This core/non-core Realtors, contains numerous revisions to the law approach, however, would be permitted only if the which are opposed by the League, the American transaction does not result in stranded costs or Planning Association, and the California State cost-shifting. Association of Counties. The bill also includes a recent amendment Existing Density Bonus Law requires a local requested by the League. It would ensure that the government to grant a concession and a 25% bill does not hinder the ability of a non-core cus- density bonus to a developer who proposes to tomer to participate in a Community Choice include a specified percentage of affordable Aggregation program. This amendment responds housing in a development project. AB 1866, in to a potentially unintended consequence of the brief, proposes to reduce the percentage of proposed core/non-core model included in the bill. affordable housing required to be produced while increasing the number of concessions and density The League believes that AB 2006 is a vitally bonuses which must be provided. important measure to ensure that California has reliable, efficient, cost effective, and environ men- Under the bill, the required percentage of tally responsible electricity at reasonable prices. affordable units would be reduced as follows: Although the League does not have a position regarding the threshold at which a non-core . From 20% to 10% for lower income house- customer could purchase power from a third holds. PAGE 8/PRIORiTY FOCUS August 6,2004· www.cacities.org