A bevy of bills aimed at addressing California’s high electricity rates and rapidly evolving power system passed their first major test on Wednesday.
What happened: The California Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee weighed in on a wide range of proposals as the state legislature races toward its April 24 deadline for policy committees to report fiscal bills to the appropriation committees.
Why it matters: The breadth of the legislation — ranging from creating special electricity rates for large energy users, like data centers, to scrutinizing wildfire mitigation spending by utilities — underlines the central role that energy policy is playing in this year’s legislative session.
Regulating data centers: The committee passed Assemblymember Rick Zbur’s AB 2383, which would create a special electricity rate for large energy users.
