Bill > AB1372

This bill addresses the treatment of regenerative braking electricity from electric trains as a renewable energy source, creating a new framework for how electrified commuter railroads can interact with electricity providers. Specifically, the bill requires load-serving entities (electricity providers) to develop a net billing contract or tariff for eligible customer-generators like the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board after completing necessary technical studies. The contract must recognize the railroad's ability to generate electricity through regenerative braking, provide detailed 15-minute interval data about electricity imports and exports, and apply bill credits to the railroad for electricity exported to the electrical grid based on the avoided cost of purchasing clean energy elsewhere. The load-serving entity must also provide or install metering at its own cost that can record and document the electricity flows to and from the railroad. The bill expands the definition of "renewable electrical generation facility" to explicitly include regenerative braking from electric trains powered by renewable electricity, thereby allowing these railroads to participate in net energy metering programs. The legislation aims to create a standardized approach for valuing and compensating electricity generated through the braking systems of electric trains, potentially incentivizing more sustainable transportation infrastructure.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1372