I'm in Michigan so I don't have to deal with what you guys in CA do, although I'm sure I'd pass if I had to. Here is my 2 cents:
1. Since you passed the sniff test you know your cats are working, right? Their job ultimately is to clean up the waste and I'd imagine they engineered them to still be able to do their job even with a few minor engine issues occurring. Meaning the minute you have a CEL for a rich condition, that doesn't mean your cat can't still clean up the problem. I'd say things need to get pretty out of whack overall before your cat's potential is maxed out. I'm running original cats at 225k with no problems. When I rebuilt my engine, I installed new O2 sensors, that's all. I'd say passing sniff test is a very good indicator that your cats have some life left in them. A brand new cat could trigger a CEL if you send more crap at it than it can deal with. If your cat has never been overheated excessively and your engine isn't sending it a load of crap, they last a long long time.
2. As far as the electrical, I'm not sure if all (or any) of the sensors actually operate at 12v, I know some on other cars operate at 6. Your computer takes 12v'ish to operate, but I'd bet some sensors are not operating at 12. What I'm saying is i doubt they would engineer critical sensors to not be able to operate without 12v. Personal experience tells me this is true, as you can limp a car on a dying battery with a failed alternator for a while, well below 12v. Basically I'm saying that I wouldn't blame your alternator if otherwise the car runs "normally". I don't think engine computers are that sensitive to small voltage fluctuations.
Good video on testing a cat:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9VZ5K8n5jj0