SB 453: Microgrid incentive program.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and the Independent System Operator, to take specified actions by December 1, 2020, to facilitate the commercialization of microgrids for distribution customers of large electrical corporations, including, among other actions, by, without shifting costs between ratepayers, developing methods to reduce barriers for microgrid deployment. Under existing law, the PUC requires certain large electrical corporations to jointly develop a Microgrid Incentive Program to fund clean energy microgrids to support the critical needs of vulnerable populations impacted by a grid outage.

This bill would require the PUC to require each electrical corporation to provide to the commission, on or before January 15, 2026, the status of any awarded or unallocated funds collected for the Microgrid Incentive Program. The bill would require the commission, after reviewing that information, if it determines additional actions, using funds collected on or before January 1, 2026, are needed, to consider the use of a third-party administrator and to ensure that unallocated funds are allocated to areas that have experienced 2 or more deenergization events, prioritizing vulnerable communities, including access and functional needs populations, and prioritizing customers that operate critical community infrastructure that supports resiliency during a deenergization event. The bill would require, if there are remaining unallocated funds on January 1, 2027, that those funds to be returned to ratepayers.

Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime.

Because a violation of a PUC action implementing the bill’s requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 2

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. August 28, 2026Joint Rule 61(b)(16) suspended. (Ayes 57. Noes 1. Page 6819.)
2. August 19, 2026Ordered to third reading.
3. August 19, 2026From inactive file.
4. August 18, 2026Notice of intention to remove from inactive file given by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry.
5. July 2, 2026Ordered to inactive file on request of Assembly Member Garcia.
6. June 3, 2026Ordered to third reading.
7. June 3, 2026From inactive file.
8. June 1, 2026Notice of intention to remove from inactive file given by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry.
9. September 9, 2025Ordered to inactive file on request of Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry.
10. August 21, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
11. August 20, 2025From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 20).
12. July 17, 2025Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.