California Governor Newsom Enacts Legislation to Reduce Gas Bills and Promote Clean Energy Transition
California Governor Newsom has signed two significant bills into law, SB 1359 and AB 2313, aimed at reducing gas bills for residents and facilitating a transition to a cleaner energy future. SB 1359, known as the Natural Gas Ratepayer Protection Act, enhances transparency regarding gas utilities' investments. It mandates annual reports from gas utilities detailing planned infrastructure spending, the status of replacement and upgrade projects, assessments of stranded asset risks, and the distributional impacts of these assets on remaining gas ratepayers. The bill also requires utilities to describe any implemented or evaluated electrification or non-pipeline alternatives. AB 2313, titled The Home Energy Choice, offers customers whose homes are scheduled for gas service line repair or replacement the option to receive funding to electrify their homes instead of continuing gas service. This option is presented to households where electrification is deemed more cost-effective than maintaining gas service, and...
