Staff Reports - East Bay Municipal Utility District

Board of Directors
March 7, 2013
Page 3
effective manner." The Board would also be required to publish the accounting on a publicly
available website.
According to the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO), California "currently lacks a
comprehensive framework that fully coordinates" the major energy incentive programs to help
ensure that the state's goals are being met in the most cost-effective manner. The LAO
recommends that "a comprehensive strategy for meeting the state's energy efficiency and
alternative energy objectives" be developed. AB 284 is intended to address the lack of a
comprehensive framework and encourage the development of a comprehensive, coordinated, and
cost-effective approach to the state's energy efficiency and alternative energy programs in order
to achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
By helping to advance the state's energy efficiency, renewable energy, and greenhouse gas
emission reduction goals, AB 284 is consistent with EBMUD's sustainability policy and its
efforts to use renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While AB 284 would not
set a new goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050, it
provides a basis for considering the feasibility of setting a new goal in the future.
EBMUD has previously supported legislation to encourage the use of renewable energy sources
and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. In 2012, EBMUD supported AB 2249 (Buchanan),
which was chaptered (Chapter 607) and provided incentives for solar water heating systems for
pools to offset natural gas usage. In 2007, EBMUD supported AB 1470 (Huffman), which was
chaptered (Chapter 536) and created the Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007. In
2006, the board adopted a "support" position on SB 1 (Murray), which established the Million
Solar Roofs Initiative. SB 1 was signed into law (Chapter 132).
There are currently no entities listed in support or opposition to AB 284.
AB763 AQUATIC INVASIVE PLANTS: CONTROL SUPPORT
(Buchanan) AND ERADICATION
Existing law designates the Department of Boating and Waterways (Boating and Waterways) as
the lead agency of the state for the purpose of cooperating with other agencies in controlling
certain invasive plants in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, its tributaries, and the Suisun
Marsh, and authorizes Boating and Waterways to furnish money, services, equipment, and other
property for the control of those invasive plants, namely South American Spongeplant
(Spongeplant), water hyacinth, and Egeria densa.
AB 763 (Buchanan), as introduced on February 21, 2013, would provide Boating and Waterways
broader statutory authority to address the threat of invasive aquatic plants. Current law requires
that before Boating and Waterways can act to address the threat of a certain invasive aquatic
plant, a statutory change must be made that names the specific type of plant to be addressed. This