(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) “Investor-owned energy utilities” means the state’s three largest electrical corporations, as defined in Section 218 of the Public Utilities Code, and each gas corporation, as defined in Section 222 of the Public Utilities Code, of the state.

(2) “Local publicly owned energy utility” means a local publicly owned electric utility, as defined in Section 224.3 of the Public Utilities Code, or a local publicly owned gas utility.

(3) “Partnership” means the statewide institutional partnership between the California State University, the University of California, and investor-owned energy utilities.

(4) “University” means the University of California and the California State University.

(b) The Regents of the University of California are requested to, and the California State University shall, consider aligning their greenhouse gas reduction goals with those of the partnership and the state by doing all of the following:

(1) Expanding participation in the partnership to include the university facilities served by local publicly owned energy utilities that choose to participate, and seeking the assistance of the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission in requesting the participation of those local publicly owned energy utilities.

(2) Evaluating activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency based upon adherence to the Public Utilities Commission’s energy efficiency and savings protocols, if applicable, including, but not limited to, deep energy efficiency and eligible renewable energy resources, subject to applicable funding.

(3) Wherever feasible, utilizing whole-building, or whole-campus, meter-based verification.

(4) Developing an administrative framework that can be utilized by the partnership, to the extent allowable by the funding source, to allocate any future funding from the state or other sources for energy projects or projects for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

(c) This section does not affect the eligibility of a university to receive resources from federal, state, and local government, or from public utilities or other sources through the partnership, and to leverage those resources.

(d) Funds associated with an investor-owned energy utility shall be used in compliance with Public Utilities Commission requirements at the university facilities within the service territory of the investor-owned energy utility.

(e) As a condition to participation in the expanded partnership, a university shall report to each investor-owned energy utility or local publicly owned energy utility the annual reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases from the expanded partnership at all university facilities within that utility’s service territory, by a mutually agreed upon date.

(Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 597, Sec. 2. (AB 1150) Effective January 1, 2016.)