71660-71664
WATER CODE
SECTION 71660-71664
71660. A district may construct, maintain, improve, and operate public recreational facilities appurtenant to facilities operated or contracted to be operated by the district. It may by ordinance provide regulations binding upon all persons to govern the use of such facilities, including regulations imposing reasonable charges for the use thereof. Violation of district regulations relating to vehicle or boat speed limits, defacement of district property, the use, possession or discharge of firearms, weapons or fireworks, the creation of fire hazards, being under the influence of intoxicating beverages or dangerous drugs, or remaining on, or reentering district premises after an authorized district officer or employee has specifically withdrawn consent for a person to utilize district facilities, is a misdemeanor. Violation of any other regulation of the district adopted pursuant to this section is an infraction. 71661. In addition to the activities authorized by Section 71660, the Big Bear Municipal Water District may construct, maintain, improve, and operate public recreational facilities which are not appurtenant to a water reservoir operated by the district, when such proposal is approved by a majority of the qualified voters of the district voting at a special district election held pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 71450) of Division 20. This section, applicable only to the Big Bear Municipal Water District, is necessary because of the unique and special recreational problems of the area within such district. 71662. A district may utilize any part of its water, and any part of its works, facilities, improvements, and property used for the development, storage, and transportation of water pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 71610) to provide, generate, and deliver hydroelectric power, and may acquire, construct, operate, and maintain any and all works, facilities, improvements, and property necessary or convenient for such utilization. 71663. A district may (a) pursuant to contract, provide, sell, and deliver hydroelectric power to the United States of America or any board, department or agency thereof, to the State of California for the purposes of the State Water Resources Development System, and to any public agency, private corporation, or other person or entity, or any combination thereof, engaged in the sale of electric power at retail; or (b) use all or any part of such hydroelectric power directly, or indirectly through exchange, in exercising any of the powers described in Section 71590 or as otherwise provided by law. For the purposes of this section, "public agency" means a city, county, city and county, district, local agency, public authority, or public corporation. 71663.5. (a) A district may provide, generate, and deliver electric power, and may construct, operate, and maintain any and all works, facilities, improvements, and property, or portion thereof, necessary or convenient for that generation and delivery. (b) The electric powerplant or plants and transmission lines constructed pursuant to this section may be leased for operation. The power generated shall be used by a district for its own purposes. A district may sell surplus power to a public or private entity that is engaged in the distribution or sale of electricity. For purposes of this section, "for its own purposes" means a district performing only functions in its capacity as a water district, including, but not be limited to, any of the following: (1) Pumping operations. (2) Water treatment operations. (3) Barrier intrusion operations. (4) Desalination operations. (c) Nothing in this section grants to a district the authority to provide, sell, or deliver electric power at retail. (d) A district may not acquire property employed in the generation or delivery of electric power for public or private utility purposes, except by mutual agreement between the district and the owner of that property. (e) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature, that each district that has purchased electricity from an electrical corporation on or after February 1, 2001, regardless of whether the district thereafter generates its own electricity, bear a pro rata share of the Department of Water Resources' electricity purchase costs, that are recoverable from electrical corporation customers in commission-approved rates. It is the further intent of the Legislature to prevent any shifting of recoverable costs from districts that generate their own electricity pursuant to this section, to electrical corporation bundled customers. (2) To the extent that any shifting of recoverable costs would occur, in the determination of the commission, those costs shall be recovered from districts that generate their own electricity, pursuant to this section. (3) The Legislature finds and declares that the revisions of this subdivision are consistent with the requirements of Chapter 4 of the Statutes of 2001, First Extraordinary Session, and do not constitute a change in, but are declaratory of existing law. (f) A district that generates its own electricity pursuant to this section shall be responsible for paying the following: (1) A charge equivalent to the charges that would otherwise be imposed on the district by the commission to recover bond related costs pursuant to any agreement between the commission and the Department of Water Resources pursuant to Section 80110 of the Water Code, which charges shall be payable until all obligations of the Department of Water Resources pursuant to Division 27 (commencing with Section 80000) of the Water Code are fully paid or otherwise discharged. All bond charges are the property of the Department of Water Resources. (2) If a district generates new offsite power, it shall be responsible for the additional costs of the Department of Water Resources, equal to the share of the Department of Water Resources' estimated net unavoidable electricity purchase contract costs attributable to the district as determined by the commission, for the period commencing with the district's initial generation of its offsite electricity, through the expiration of all then existing electricity purchase contracts entered into by the Department of Water Resources. (g) A district generating its own electricity pursuant to this section shall reimburse the electrical corporation that previously served the district for all of the following: (1) The electrical corporation's unrecovered past undercollections for electricity purchases, including any financing costs, attributable to that district, that the commission lawfully determines may be recovered in rates. (2) Any additional costs of the electrical corporation recoverable in commission approved rates, equal to the share of the electrical corporation's estimated net unavoidable electricity purchase contract costs attributable to the district, as determined by the commission, for the period commencing with the district's initial generation of electricity pursuant to this section, through the expiration of all then existing electricity purchase contracts entered into by the electrical corporation. (h) (1) Any charges imposed pursuant to subdivision (f) shall be the property of the Department of Water Resources. Any charges imposed pursuant to subdivision (g) shall be the property of the particular electrical corporation. The commission shall establish sufficient mechanisms, including agreements with, or orders with respect to, electrical corporations as are necessary to ensure that charges payable pursuant to this section shall be promptly remitted to the party entitled to the payment. (2) Charges imposed pursuant to this section shall be nonbypassable. (i) Prior to implementing this section, the commission shall submit a report certifying its satisfaction of the provisions of this section to the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, or its successor, and the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce, or its successor. 71664. The Marin Municipal Water District may construct, maintain, and operate one or more plants for the generation of power from wind or solar radiation, and the transmission lines for the conveyance thereof, and in connection therewith shall have all the powers set forth in Sections 71662 and 71663 for the generation and transmission of hydroelectric power.