LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomePublic Utilities CodeDiv. 5Ch. 1Art. 7§ 10303 Municipal Energy Facility Acquisition Vote

§ 10303 Municipal Energy Facility Acquisition Vote

Public Utilities Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 10303 Municipal Energy Facility Acquisition Vote

If a city that hasn't been selling electricity or gas wants to borrow money (like using certificates of participation) to buy a power or gas system so it can start selling to people, it must hold a public vote.

Key Takeaways

  • •A vote is required whenever a municipality not already providing electricity or gas wants to use certificates of participation or other debt to buy utility facilities.
  • •The same voting rule applies to redevelopment agencies buying those facilities.
  • •For redevelopment agencies, the voters are the people who will actually receive the electricity or gas from the bought facilities.

Example

A town that never had its own electric company decides to buy a nearby power plant using a certificate of participation.

Before the town can use that borrowing tool to buy the plant, the town must let the people who will get electricity from the plant vote on the purchase.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 10303 Municipal Energy Facility Acquisition Vote

The use of certificates of participation by a municipal corporation not previously engaged in furnishing electricity or gas to customers on a regular and ongoing basis, or the use of any evidence of indebtedness, including, but not limited to, certificates of participation, by a redevelopment agency, for the acquisition of all, or any portion, of the facilities of an electrical or gas corporation for the purpose of furnishing electricity or gas to customers is subject to an election held pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 54380) of Chapter 6 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code, except that, in the case of any acquisition by a redevelopment agency, the term “qualified voters,” as used in Section 54380 of the Government Code, means those persons who would be served by the facilities proposed to be acquired. (Added by Stats. 1988, Ch. 266, Sec. 1.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

certificates of participationmunicipal corporationredevelopment agencyqualified voters

Related Statutes

  • § 10301 Municipal Utility Acquisition Safeguards
  • § 10052 Municipal Utility Sale Approval
  • § 10001 Municipal Public Utility Definition
  • § 10001.5 Municipal Broadband Compliance
  • § 10002 Municipal Public Utility Authority

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Public Utilities Code. Section 10303.
View Official Source