ACA 18

The California Constitution establishes the Public Utilities Commission with jurisdiction over all public utilities, subject to control by the Legislature. Existing statutory law establishes various programs to encourage the deployment of renewable energy and zero-carbon resources, as defined. One of these programs, the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, requires most retail sellers of electricity to procure a minimum quantity of their electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined. This measure would require that the state's programs relating to renewable energy and climate change include nuclear energy as a renewable energy resource and zero-carbon resource. The measure would require that the state's programs relating to renewable energy and climate change include electrical generating facilities that use nuclear energy as renewable electrical generation facilities, eligible renewable energy resources, and zero-carbon resources. The measure would require renewable electrical generation facilities, eligible renewable energy resources, and zero-carbon resources to include, for licensing and certification purposes, electrical generating facilities that use nuclear energy. The measure would also prohibit the Legislature from enacting any law related to energy unless the law is technology neutral, as specified.