Letter: Deploy Action Joins Leading Groups to Urge CA Assembly Appropriations to Support SB 905

Advanced Energy United, Californians for Local Affordable Solar & Storage (CLASS), Ceres, The Climate Center, Corporate Energy Buyers Association, Environment California, and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) joined Deploy Action to send the letter on August 12, 2026.

The Honorable Buffy Wicks
Chair, Assembly Committee on Appropriations
California State Assembly
Sacramento, California

Re: Support for SB 905 (Becker) (Grid Utilization Metrics)

Dear Chair Wicks:

On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we write in support of grid utilization concepts such as those outlined in SB 905 (Becker), including provisions establishing public data requirements for distribution grid utilization in California.

California is facing increasing electricity demand and soaring energy prices. A recent poll by Embold Research of 1,016 California registered voters found that 6 in 7 voters want utilities to demonstrate efficient use of the existing grid before being allowed to build more infrastructure. The poll also found that more than 8 in 10 voters say reducing electricity bills should be a top or important priority for lawmakers.

Regulators, policymakers, and all Californians deserve clear, publicly accessible information about how efficiently the distribution grid is being used before building new infrastructure. At present, that information does not exist in a standardized, publicly available form. While tools to collect and make available utilities’ load capacity do currently exist, these efforts have resulted in disparate maps and data of varying quality that do not actually assist with distribution planning processes. Information within these maps is often outdated, noncomparable, or obfuscated to the point where it is not useful to anyone.

SB 905 requires large electrical corporations to make data available on distribution grid utilization to reduce peak-load and better balance loads prior to building new infrastructure, including how much of each distribution segment's capacity is being used on average; how much capacity is available to support new loads during off-peak periods; and where constrained distribution areas are located with sufficient geographic detail for the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and third parties to identify opportunities for new infrastructure and generation.

The bill also requires electrical corporations to integrate a distribution grid capacity utilization assessment into their distribution planning process and share that assessment publicly.

SB 905 also requires the CPUC to assign a reduced return on equity (ROE) as a reduction applied each year to the then current authorized rate of ROE for specified types of capital costs included in an electrical corporation’s rate base; requires the CPUC to initiate a proceeding to investigate, develop, and adopt a framework for performance-based metrics for large electrical corporations; improves the accountability of the utility compensation structure for certain employees by making it contingent on the average cost of electricity; and requires the CPUC toevaluate opportunities for alternative financing methods for grid infrastructure. These reforms aim to address electricity affordability and improve electric utility accountability and transparency.

Together, these provisions will give the CPUC and third parties the data they need to evaluate where capacity exists on the existing distribution grid to relieve points of congestion, add new capacity where it’s needed most, and help lower electricity bills by deferring more costly new build. We respectfully urge the Committee's support of these mechanisms in SB 905.

Sincerely,

Arnab Pal
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Deploy Action

Brandon García
California Director
Advanced Energy United

Derek Chernow
Executive Director
Californians for Local Affordable Solar & Storage (CLASS)

Maggie Field
Sr. Manager, State Policy, West
Ceres

Barry Vesser
Interim CEO
The Climate Center

Lindsay Battenberg
Director, Western Policy
Corporate Energy Buyers Association

Laura Deehan
State Director
Environment California

Merrian Borgeson
CA Director, Climate & Energy
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)