Utility Legislation

09 / 13 / 13

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Consideration of a water conservation bill, which would mandate water metering (either by a water provider owned meter or a landlord owned submeter) in each unit at newly constructed multifamily properties statewide, has been postponed until the 2014 legislative session. On August 13, 2013, SB 750 failed to secure enough votes in the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife to proceed to the Assembly floor, forcing the bill to be reworked or abandoned. The Senate had approved the bill in May.

Although stakeholders such as apartment owners, managers, and utility billing industry associations like the Utility Management Conservation Association (UCMA) support the bill’s conservation goals, there were concerns over impracticable landlord billing requirements, excessive penalties for simple billing errors, and the potential scarcity of available meters caused by current rules governing the testing and sealing of meters in California. As a member of the UMCA, YES Energy Management (Yardi’s utility billing subsidiary) provided technical submetering expertise to the legislature and relevant stakeholders to create a bill that addresses these concerns.

Senator Wolk (D-Davis), author of SB 750, consulted with several opposing stakeholders in an attempt to amend the bill and obtain the committee’s approval prior to the end of the legislative session on September 13, 2013. Although the discussions with the Senator’s office were productive, the extent of the unresolved issues made it difficult for all parties to reach a consensus prior to the end of the legislative session.

Work on the bill is expected to continue in 2014 with advice from the utility billing associations and apartment associations.

To read the current text of SB 750, visit http://www.legislature.ca.gov/cgi-bin/port-postquery?bill_number=sb_750&sess=CUR&house=B&author=wolk