SBX 28 (Sher), related to expedited siting, passed out of both houses
today and was sent to Governor Davis.  The bill was amended to remove
the unemployment provisions which the Chamber and Manufacturers objected
to.  Some of the key provisions of the bill are as follows:

Expedites various CEC procedures for siting power plants;

Limits to 45 days and 100 days, until January 1, 2004, a local
jurisdiction's time for initial review and final review, respectively,
of an application submitted to the CEC;

Requires CEC to certify repowering projects within 180 days;

Extends from August 1, 2001 to December 31, 2002, the date by which
temporary "peaker" power plants must be in
service so as to qualify for the four-month siting process.

Requires ARB to develop expedited programs for retrofitting and
identifying and banking of emission credits;

Requires air districts to adopt an expedited program for permitting of
standby or distributed generation facilities and natural gas
transmission facilities;

Authorizes payment to air districts of mitigation fees for a new power
plant in lieu of obtaining actual emissions offsets, when the owner or
operator of the plant has shown that offsets are not available;

Waives conditionally, for a period of 10 years, standby charges imposed
by electrical corporations on customers who have installed non-gas-fired
distributed generation equipment five megawatts or smaller that commence
operation by September 1, 2002.  Provides that the waiver for gas-fired
units shall only apply until June 1, 2006.

Permits a gas corporation, until June 1, 2002, to exercise the power of
eminent domain to condemn any property for the purpose of competing with
another entity  in the offering of natural gas and services related to
natural gas.  Additionally, until June 1, 2002, prohibits CPUC from
making a finding on a petition or complaint  filed pursuant to Section
625 of the Public Utilities Code, and requires CPUC to dismiss the
petition or complaint.


http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/sbx1_28_bill_20010423_amended
_asm.pdf