§ 844 Electric Utility Asset Transfers

(a) A transfer of transition property by an electrical corporation to an affiliate or to a financing entity, or by an affiliate of an electrical corporation or a financing entity to another financing entity, which the parties have in the governing documentation expressly stated to be a sale or other absolute transfer, in a transaction approved in a financing order, shall be treated as an absolute transfer of all of the transferor’s right, title, and interest (as in a true sale), and not as a pledge or other financing, of the transition property, other than for federal and state income and franchise tax purposes. Granting to holders of rate reduction bonds a preferred right to revenues of the electrical corporation, or the provision by the company of other credit enhancement with respect to rate reduction bonds, shall not impair or negate the characterization of any transfer as a true sale, other than for federal and state income and franchise tax purposes. (b) A transfer of transition property shall be deemed perfected as against third persons when both of the following have taken place: (1) The commission has issued the financing order authorizing the fixed transition amounts included in the transition property. (2) An assignment of the transition property in writing has been executed and delivered to the transferee. (c) As between bona fide assignees of the same right for value without notice, the assignee first filing a financing statement in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 9501) of Division 9 of the Commercial Code naming the assignor of the transition property as debtor and identifying the transition property has priority. Any description of the transition property shall be sufficient if it refers to the financing order creating the transition property. A copy of the financing statement shall be filed by the assignee with the commission, and the commission may require the assignor or the assignee to make other filings with respect to the transfer in accordance with procedures it may establish, but these filings shall not affect the perfection of the transfer. (Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 991, Sec. 56. Effective January 1, 2000. Operative July 1, 2001, by Sec. 75 of Ch. 991.)