Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 390. Section 390.
(a)
Subject to applicable contractual terms, energy prices paid to nonutility power generators by a public utility electrical corporation based upon the commission’s prescribed “short run avoided cost energy methodology” shall be determined as set forth in subdivisions (b) and (c).
(b)
Until the requirements of subdivision (c) have been satisfied, short run avoided cost energy payments paid to nonutility power generators by an electrical corporation shall be based on a formula that reflects a starting energy price, adjusted monthly to reflect changes in a starting gas index price in relation to an average of current California natural gas border price indices. The starting energy price shall be based on 12-month averages of recent, pre-January 1, 1996, short-run avoided energy prices paid by each public utility electrical corporation to nonutility power generators. The starting gas index price shall be established as an average of index gas prices for the same annual periods.
(c)
The short-run avoided cost energy payments paid to nonutility power generators by electrical corporations shall be based on the clearing price paid by the independent Power Exchange if (1) the commission has issued an order determining that the independent Power Exchange is functioning properly for the purposes of determining the short-run avoided cost energy payments to be made to nonutility power generators, and either (2) the fossil-fired generation units owned, directly or indirectly, by the public utility electrical corporation are authorized to charge market-based rates and the “going forward” costs of those units are being recovered solely through the clearing prices paid by the independent Power Exchange or from contracts with the Independent System Operator, whether those contracts are market-based or based on operating costs for particular utility-owned powerplant units and at particular times when reactive power/voltage support is not yet procurable at market-based rates at locations where it is needed, and are not being recovered directly or indirectly through any other source, or (3) the public utility electrical corporation has divested 90 percent of its gas-fired generation facilities that were operated to meet load in 1994 and 1995. However, nonutility power generators subject to this section may, upon appropriate notice to the public utility electrical corporation, exercise a one-time option to elect to thereafter receive energy payments based upon the clearing price from the independent Power Exchange.
(d)
If a nonutility power generator is being paid short-run avoided costs energy payments by an electrical corporation by a firm capacity contract, a forecast as-available capacity contract, or a forecast as-delivered capacity contract on the basis of the clearing price paid by the independent Power Exchange as described in subdivision (c) above, the value of capacity in the clearing price, if any, shall not be paid to the nonutility power generator. The value of capacity in the clearing price, if any, equals the difference between the market clearing customer demand bid at the level of generation dispatched by the independent Power Exchange and the highest supplier bid dispatched.
(e)
Short-run avoided energy cost payments made pursuant to this section are in addition to contractually specified capacity payments. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect, modify or amend the terms and conditions of existing nonutility power generators’ contracts with respect to the sale of energy or capacity or otherwise.
(f)
Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the level of transition cost recovery provided to utilities under electric industry restructuring policies established by the commission.
(g)
The term “going forward costs” shall include, but not be limited to, all costs associated with fuel transportation and fuel supply, administrative and general, and operation and maintenance; provided that, for purposes of this section, the following shall not be considered “going forward costs”: (1) commission-approved capital costs for capital additions to fossil-fueled powerplants, provided that such additions are necessary for the continued operation of the powerplants utilized to meet load and such additions are not undertaken primarily to expand, repower or enhance the efficiency of plant operations; or, (2) commission-approved operating costs for particular utility-owned powerplant units and at particular times when reactive power/voltage support is not yet procurable at market-based rates in locations where it is needed, provided that the recovery shall end on December 31, 2001.