California 2021-2022 Regular Session

California Assembly Bill AB280 Compare Versions

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11 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 280Introduced by Assembly Member Robert RivasJanuary 21, 2021 An act to amend Section 8386 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAB 280, as introduced, Robert Rivas. Electrical corporations: wildfire mitigation plans.Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has jurisdiction over electrical corporations. Existing law requires each electrical corporation to annually prepare and submit a wildfire mitigation plan to the Wildfire Safety Division of the commission for review and approval.This bill would require each electrical corporation to also submit its wildfire mitigation plan to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO Bill TextThe people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. Section 8386 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:8386. (a) Each electrical corporation shall construct, maintain, and operate its electrical lines and equipment in a manner that will minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by those electrical lines and equipment.(b) Each electrical corporation shall annually prepare and submit a wildfire mitigation plan to the Wildfire Safety Division for review and approval. approval and to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. In calendar year 2020, and thereafter, the plan shall cover at least a three-year period. The division shall establish a schedule for the submission of subsequent comprehensive wildfire mitigation plans, which may allow for the staggering of compliance periods for each electrical corporation. In its discretion, the division may allow the annual submissions to be updates to the last approved comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan; provided, that each electrical corporation shall submit a comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan at least once every three years.(c) The wildfire mitigation plan shall include all of the following:(1) An accounting of the responsibilities of persons responsible for executing the plan.(2) The objectives of the plan.(3) A description of the preventive strategies and programs to be adopted by the electrical corporation to minimize the risk of its electrical lines and equipment causing catastrophic wildfires, including consideration of dynamic climate change risks.(4) A description of the metrics the electrical corporation plans to use to evaluate the plans performance and the assumptions that underlie the use of those metrics.(5) A discussion of how the application of previously identified metrics to previous plan performances has informed the plan.(6) Protocols for disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the associated impacts on public safety. As part of these protocols, each electrical corporation shall include protocols related to mitigating the public safety impacts of disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the impacts on all of the following:(A) Critical first responders.(B) Health and communication infrastructure.(C) Customers who receive medical baseline allowances pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 739. The electrical corporation may deploy backup electrical resources or provide financial assistance for backup electrical resources to a customer receiving a medical baseline allowance for a customer who meets all of the following requirements:(i) The customer relies on life-support equipment that operates on electricity to sustain life.(ii) The customer demonstrates financial need, including through enrollment in the California Alternate Rates for Energy program created pursuant to Section 739.1.(iii) The customer is not eligible for backup electrical resources provided through medical services, medical insurance, or community resources.(D) Subparagraph (C) shall not be construed as preventing an electrical corporation from deploying backup electrical resources or providing financial assistance for backup electrical resources under any other authority.(7) Appropriate and feasible procedures for notifying a customer who may be impacted by the deenergizing of electrical lines, including procedures for those customers receiving medical baseline allowances as described in paragraph (6). The procedures shall direct notification to all public safety offices, critical first responders, health care facilities, and operators of telecommunications infrastructure with premises within the footprint of potential deenergization for a given event.(8) Plans for vegetation management.(9) Plans for inspections of the electrical corporations electrical infrastructure.(10) Protocols for the deenergization of the electrical corporations transmission infrastructure, for instances when the deenergization may impact customers who, or entities that, are dependent upon the infrastructure.(11) A list that identifies, describes, and prioritizes all wildfire risks, and drivers for those risks, throughout the electrical corporations service territory, including all relevant wildfire risk and risk mitigation information that is part of the commissions Safety Model Assessment Proceeding (A.15-05-002, et al.) and the Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filings. The list shall include, but not be limited to, both of the following:(A) Risks and risk drivers associated with design, construction, operations, and maintenance of the electrical corporations equipment and facilities.(B) Particular risks and risk drivers associated with topographic and climatological risk factors throughout the different parts of the electrical corporations service territory.(12) A description of how the plan accounts for the wildfire risk identified in the electrical corporations Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filing.(13) A description of the actions the electrical corporation will take to ensure its system will achieve the highest level of safety, reliability, and resiliency, and to ensure that its system is prepared for a major event, including hardening and modernizing its infrastructure with improved engineering, system design, standards, equipment, and facilities, such as undergrounding, insulating of distribution wires, and replacing poles.(14) A description of where and how the electrical corporation considered undergrounding electrical distribution lines within those areas of its service territory identified to have the highest wildfire risk in a commission fire threat map.(15) A showing that the electrical corporation has an adequately sized and trained workforce to promptly restore service after a major event, taking into account employees of other utilities pursuant to mutual aid agreements and employees of entities that have entered into contracts with the electrical corporation.(16) Identification of any geographic area in the electrical corporations service territory that is a higher wildfire threat than is currently identified in a commission fire threat map, and where the commission should consider expanding the high fire threat district based on new information or changes in the environment.(17) A methodology for identifying and presenting enterprisewide safety risk and wildfire-related risk that is consistent with the methodology used by other electrical corporations unless the commission determines otherwise.(18) A description of how the plan is consistent with the electrical corporations disaster and emergency preparedness plan prepared pursuant to Section 768.6, including both of the following:(A) Plans to prepare for, and to restore service after, a wildfire, including workforce mobilization and prepositioning equipment and employees.(B) Plans for community outreach and public awareness before, during, and after a wildfire, including language notification in English, Spanish, and the top three primary languages used in the state other than English or Spanish, as determined by the commission based on the United States Census data.(19) A statement of how the electrical corporation will restore service after a wildfire.(20) Protocols for compliance with requirements adopted by the commission regarding activities to support customers during and after a wildfire, outage reporting, support for low-income customers, billing adjustments, deposit waivers, extended payment plans, suspension of disconnection and nonpayment fees, repair processing and timing, access to electrical corporation representatives, and emergency communications.(21) A description of the processes and procedures the electrical corporation will use to do all of the following:(A) Monitor and audit the implementation of the plan.(B) Identify any deficiencies in the plan or the plans implementation and correct those deficiencies.(C) Monitor and audit the effectiveness of electrical line and equipment inspections, including inspections performed by contractors, carried out under the plan and other applicable statutes and commission rules.(22) Any other information that the Wildfire Safety Division may require.(d) The Wildfire Safety Division shall post all wildfire mitigation plans and annual updates on the commissions internet website for no less than two months before the divisions decision regarding approval of the plan. The division shall accept comments on each plan from the public, other local and state agencies, and interested parties, and verify that the plan complies with all applicable rules, regulations, and standards, as appropriate.
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33 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 280Introduced by Assembly Member Robert RivasJanuary 21, 2021 An act to amend Section 8386 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAB 280, as introduced, Robert Rivas. Electrical corporations: wildfire mitigation plans.Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has jurisdiction over electrical corporations. Existing law requires each electrical corporation to annually prepare and submit a wildfire mitigation plan to the Wildfire Safety Division of the commission for review and approval.This bill would require each electrical corporation to also submit its wildfire mitigation plan to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO
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99 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION
1010
1111 Assembly Bill
1212
1313 No. 280
1414
1515 Introduced by Assembly Member Robert RivasJanuary 21, 2021
1616
1717 Introduced by Assembly Member Robert Rivas
1818 January 21, 2021
1919
2020 An act to amend Section 8386 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.
2121
2222 LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
2323
2424 ## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
2525
2626 AB 280, as introduced, Robert Rivas. Electrical corporations: wildfire mitigation plans.
2727
2828 Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has jurisdiction over electrical corporations. Existing law requires each electrical corporation to annually prepare and submit a wildfire mitigation plan to the Wildfire Safety Division of the commission for review and approval.This bill would require each electrical corporation to also submit its wildfire mitigation plan to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.
2929
3030 Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has jurisdiction over electrical corporations. Existing law requires each electrical corporation to annually prepare and submit a wildfire mitigation plan to the Wildfire Safety Division of the commission for review and approval.
3131
3232 This bill would require each electrical corporation to also submit its wildfire mitigation plan to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.
3333
3434 ## Digest Key
3535
3636 ## Bill Text
3737
3838 The people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. Section 8386 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:8386. (a) Each electrical corporation shall construct, maintain, and operate its electrical lines and equipment in a manner that will minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by those electrical lines and equipment.(b) Each electrical corporation shall annually prepare and submit a wildfire mitigation plan to the Wildfire Safety Division for review and approval. approval and to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. In calendar year 2020, and thereafter, the plan shall cover at least a three-year period. The division shall establish a schedule for the submission of subsequent comprehensive wildfire mitigation plans, which may allow for the staggering of compliance periods for each electrical corporation. In its discretion, the division may allow the annual submissions to be updates to the last approved comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan; provided, that each electrical corporation shall submit a comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan at least once every three years.(c) The wildfire mitigation plan shall include all of the following:(1) An accounting of the responsibilities of persons responsible for executing the plan.(2) The objectives of the plan.(3) A description of the preventive strategies and programs to be adopted by the electrical corporation to minimize the risk of its electrical lines and equipment causing catastrophic wildfires, including consideration of dynamic climate change risks.(4) A description of the metrics the electrical corporation plans to use to evaluate the plans performance and the assumptions that underlie the use of those metrics.(5) A discussion of how the application of previously identified metrics to previous plan performances has informed the plan.(6) Protocols for disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the associated impacts on public safety. As part of these protocols, each electrical corporation shall include protocols related to mitigating the public safety impacts of disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the impacts on all of the following:(A) Critical first responders.(B) Health and communication infrastructure.(C) Customers who receive medical baseline allowances pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 739. The electrical corporation may deploy backup electrical resources or provide financial assistance for backup electrical resources to a customer receiving a medical baseline allowance for a customer who meets all of the following requirements:(i) The customer relies on life-support equipment that operates on electricity to sustain life.(ii) The customer demonstrates financial need, including through enrollment in the California Alternate Rates for Energy program created pursuant to Section 739.1.(iii) The customer is not eligible for backup electrical resources provided through medical services, medical insurance, or community resources.(D) Subparagraph (C) shall not be construed as preventing an electrical corporation from deploying backup electrical resources or providing financial assistance for backup electrical resources under any other authority.(7) Appropriate and feasible procedures for notifying a customer who may be impacted by the deenergizing of electrical lines, including procedures for those customers receiving medical baseline allowances as described in paragraph (6). The procedures shall direct notification to all public safety offices, critical first responders, health care facilities, and operators of telecommunications infrastructure with premises within the footprint of potential deenergization for a given event.(8) Plans for vegetation management.(9) Plans for inspections of the electrical corporations electrical infrastructure.(10) Protocols for the deenergization of the electrical corporations transmission infrastructure, for instances when the deenergization may impact customers who, or entities that, are dependent upon the infrastructure.(11) A list that identifies, describes, and prioritizes all wildfire risks, and drivers for those risks, throughout the electrical corporations service territory, including all relevant wildfire risk and risk mitigation information that is part of the commissions Safety Model Assessment Proceeding (A.15-05-002, et al.) and the Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filings. The list shall include, but not be limited to, both of the following:(A) Risks and risk drivers associated with design, construction, operations, and maintenance of the electrical corporations equipment and facilities.(B) Particular risks and risk drivers associated with topographic and climatological risk factors throughout the different parts of the electrical corporations service territory.(12) A description of how the plan accounts for the wildfire risk identified in the electrical corporations Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filing.(13) A description of the actions the electrical corporation will take to ensure its system will achieve the highest level of safety, reliability, and resiliency, and to ensure that its system is prepared for a major event, including hardening and modernizing its infrastructure with improved engineering, system design, standards, equipment, and facilities, such as undergrounding, insulating of distribution wires, and replacing poles.(14) A description of where and how the electrical corporation considered undergrounding electrical distribution lines within those areas of its service territory identified to have the highest wildfire risk in a commission fire threat map.(15) A showing that the electrical corporation has an adequately sized and trained workforce to promptly restore service after a major event, taking into account employees of other utilities pursuant to mutual aid agreements and employees of entities that have entered into contracts with the electrical corporation.(16) Identification of any geographic area in the electrical corporations service territory that is a higher wildfire threat than is currently identified in a commission fire threat map, and where the commission should consider expanding the high fire threat district based on new information or changes in the environment.(17) A methodology for identifying and presenting enterprisewide safety risk and wildfire-related risk that is consistent with the methodology used by other electrical corporations unless the commission determines otherwise.(18) A description of how the plan is consistent with the electrical corporations disaster and emergency preparedness plan prepared pursuant to Section 768.6, including both of the following:(A) Plans to prepare for, and to restore service after, a wildfire, including workforce mobilization and prepositioning equipment and employees.(B) Plans for community outreach and public awareness before, during, and after a wildfire, including language notification in English, Spanish, and the top three primary languages used in the state other than English or Spanish, as determined by the commission based on the United States Census data.(19) A statement of how the electrical corporation will restore service after a wildfire.(20) Protocols for compliance with requirements adopted by the commission regarding activities to support customers during and after a wildfire, outage reporting, support for low-income customers, billing adjustments, deposit waivers, extended payment plans, suspension of disconnection and nonpayment fees, repair processing and timing, access to electrical corporation representatives, and emergency communications.(21) A description of the processes and procedures the electrical corporation will use to do all of the following:(A) Monitor and audit the implementation of the plan.(B) Identify any deficiencies in the plan or the plans implementation and correct those deficiencies.(C) Monitor and audit the effectiveness of electrical line and equipment inspections, including inspections performed by contractors, carried out under the plan and other applicable statutes and commission rules.(22) Any other information that the Wildfire Safety Division may require.(d) The Wildfire Safety Division shall post all wildfire mitigation plans and annual updates on the commissions internet website for no less than two months before the divisions decision regarding approval of the plan. The division shall accept comments on each plan from the public, other local and state agencies, and interested parties, and verify that the plan complies with all applicable rules, regulations, and standards, as appropriate.
3939
4040 The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
4141
4242 ## The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
4343
4444 SECTION 1. Section 8386 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:8386. (a) Each electrical corporation shall construct, maintain, and operate its electrical lines and equipment in a manner that will minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by those electrical lines and equipment.(b) Each electrical corporation shall annually prepare and submit a wildfire mitigation plan to the Wildfire Safety Division for review and approval. approval and to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. In calendar year 2020, and thereafter, the plan shall cover at least a three-year period. The division shall establish a schedule for the submission of subsequent comprehensive wildfire mitigation plans, which may allow for the staggering of compliance periods for each electrical corporation. In its discretion, the division may allow the annual submissions to be updates to the last approved comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan; provided, that each electrical corporation shall submit a comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan at least once every three years.(c) The wildfire mitigation plan shall include all of the following:(1) An accounting of the responsibilities of persons responsible for executing the plan.(2) The objectives of the plan.(3) A description of the preventive strategies and programs to be adopted by the electrical corporation to minimize the risk of its electrical lines and equipment causing catastrophic wildfires, including consideration of dynamic climate change risks.(4) A description of the metrics the electrical corporation plans to use to evaluate the plans performance and the assumptions that underlie the use of those metrics.(5) A discussion of how the application of previously identified metrics to previous plan performances has informed the plan.(6) Protocols for disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the associated impacts on public safety. As part of these protocols, each electrical corporation shall include protocols related to mitigating the public safety impacts of disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the impacts on all of the following:(A) Critical first responders.(B) Health and communication infrastructure.(C) Customers who receive medical baseline allowances pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 739. The electrical corporation may deploy backup electrical resources or provide financial assistance for backup electrical resources to a customer receiving a medical baseline allowance for a customer who meets all of the following requirements:(i) The customer relies on life-support equipment that operates on electricity to sustain life.(ii) The customer demonstrates financial need, including through enrollment in the California Alternate Rates for Energy program created pursuant to Section 739.1.(iii) The customer is not eligible for backup electrical resources provided through medical services, medical insurance, or community resources.(D) Subparagraph (C) shall not be construed as preventing an electrical corporation from deploying backup electrical resources or providing financial assistance for backup electrical resources under any other authority.(7) Appropriate and feasible procedures for notifying a customer who may be impacted by the deenergizing of electrical lines, including procedures for those customers receiving medical baseline allowances as described in paragraph (6). The procedures shall direct notification to all public safety offices, critical first responders, health care facilities, and operators of telecommunications infrastructure with premises within the footprint of potential deenergization for a given event.(8) Plans for vegetation management.(9) Plans for inspections of the electrical corporations electrical infrastructure.(10) Protocols for the deenergization of the electrical corporations transmission infrastructure, for instances when the deenergization may impact customers who, or entities that, are dependent upon the infrastructure.(11) A list that identifies, describes, and prioritizes all wildfire risks, and drivers for those risks, throughout the electrical corporations service territory, including all relevant wildfire risk and risk mitigation information that is part of the commissions Safety Model Assessment Proceeding (A.15-05-002, et al.) and the Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filings. The list shall include, but not be limited to, both of the following:(A) Risks and risk drivers associated with design, construction, operations, and maintenance of the electrical corporations equipment and facilities.(B) Particular risks and risk drivers associated with topographic and climatological risk factors throughout the different parts of the electrical corporations service territory.(12) A description of how the plan accounts for the wildfire risk identified in the electrical corporations Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filing.(13) A description of the actions the electrical corporation will take to ensure its system will achieve the highest level of safety, reliability, and resiliency, and to ensure that its system is prepared for a major event, including hardening and modernizing its infrastructure with improved engineering, system design, standards, equipment, and facilities, such as undergrounding, insulating of distribution wires, and replacing poles.(14) A description of where and how the electrical corporation considered undergrounding electrical distribution lines within those areas of its service territory identified to have the highest wildfire risk in a commission fire threat map.(15) A showing that the electrical corporation has an adequately sized and trained workforce to promptly restore service after a major event, taking into account employees of other utilities pursuant to mutual aid agreements and employees of entities that have entered into contracts with the electrical corporation.(16) Identification of any geographic area in the electrical corporations service territory that is a higher wildfire threat than is currently identified in a commission fire threat map, and where the commission should consider expanding the high fire threat district based on new information or changes in the environment.(17) A methodology for identifying and presenting enterprisewide safety risk and wildfire-related risk that is consistent with the methodology used by other electrical corporations unless the commission determines otherwise.(18) A description of how the plan is consistent with the electrical corporations disaster and emergency preparedness plan prepared pursuant to Section 768.6, including both of the following:(A) Plans to prepare for, and to restore service after, a wildfire, including workforce mobilization and prepositioning equipment and employees.(B) Plans for community outreach and public awareness before, during, and after a wildfire, including language notification in English, Spanish, and the top three primary languages used in the state other than English or Spanish, as determined by the commission based on the United States Census data.(19) A statement of how the electrical corporation will restore service after a wildfire.(20) Protocols for compliance with requirements adopted by the commission regarding activities to support customers during and after a wildfire, outage reporting, support for low-income customers, billing adjustments, deposit waivers, extended payment plans, suspension of disconnection and nonpayment fees, repair processing and timing, access to electrical corporation representatives, and emergency communications.(21) A description of the processes and procedures the electrical corporation will use to do all of the following:(A) Monitor and audit the implementation of the plan.(B) Identify any deficiencies in the plan or the plans implementation and correct those deficiencies.(C) Monitor and audit the effectiveness of electrical line and equipment inspections, including inspections performed by contractors, carried out under the plan and other applicable statutes and commission rules.(22) Any other information that the Wildfire Safety Division may require.(d) The Wildfire Safety Division shall post all wildfire mitigation plans and annual updates on the commissions internet website for no less than two months before the divisions decision regarding approval of the plan. The division shall accept comments on each plan from the public, other local and state agencies, and interested parties, and verify that the plan complies with all applicable rules, regulations, and standards, as appropriate.
4545
4646 SECTION 1. Section 8386 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:
4747
4848 ### SECTION 1.
4949
5050 8386. (a) Each electrical corporation shall construct, maintain, and operate its electrical lines and equipment in a manner that will minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by those electrical lines and equipment.(b) Each electrical corporation shall annually prepare and submit a wildfire mitigation plan to the Wildfire Safety Division for review and approval. approval and to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. In calendar year 2020, and thereafter, the plan shall cover at least a three-year period. The division shall establish a schedule for the submission of subsequent comprehensive wildfire mitigation plans, which may allow for the staggering of compliance periods for each electrical corporation. In its discretion, the division may allow the annual submissions to be updates to the last approved comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan; provided, that each electrical corporation shall submit a comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan at least once every three years.(c) The wildfire mitigation plan shall include all of the following:(1) An accounting of the responsibilities of persons responsible for executing the plan.(2) The objectives of the plan.(3) A description of the preventive strategies and programs to be adopted by the electrical corporation to minimize the risk of its electrical lines and equipment causing catastrophic wildfires, including consideration of dynamic climate change risks.(4) A description of the metrics the electrical corporation plans to use to evaluate the plans performance and the assumptions that underlie the use of those metrics.(5) A discussion of how the application of previously identified metrics to previous plan performances has informed the plan.(6) Protocols for disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the associated impacts on public safety. As part of these protocols, each electrical corporation shall include protocols related to mitigating the public safety impacts of disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the impacts on all of the following:(A) Critical first responders.(B) Health and communication infrastructure.(C) Customers who receive medical baseline allowances pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 739. The electrical corporation may deploy backup electrical resources or provide financial assistance for backup electrical resources to a customer receiving a medical baseline allowance for a customer who meets all of the following requirements:(i) The customer relies on life-support equipment that operates on electricity to sustain life.(ii) The customer demonstrates financial need, including through enrollment in the California Alternate Rates for Energy program created pursuant to Section 739.1.(iii) The customer is not eligible for backup electrical resources provided through medical services, medical insurance, or community resources.(D) Subparagraph (C) shall not be construed as preventing an electrical corporation from deploying backup electrical resources or providing financial assistance for backup electrical resources under any other authority.(7) Appropriate and feasible procedures for notifying a customer who may be impacted by the deenergizing of electrical lines, including procedures for those customers receiving medical baseline allowances as described in paragraph (6). The procedures shall direct notification to all public safety offices, critical first responders, health care facilities, and operators of telecommunications infrastructure with premises within the footprint of potential deenergization for a given event.(8) Plans for vegetation management.(9) Plans for inspections of the electrical corporations electrical infrastructure.(10) Protocols for the deenergization of the electrical corporations transmission infrastructure, for instances when the deenergization may impact customers who, or entities that, are dependent upon the infrastructure.(11) A list that identifies, describes, and prioritizes all wildfire risks, and drivers for those risks, throughout the electrical corporations service territory, including all relevant wildfire risk and risk mitigation information that is part of the commissions Safety Model Assessment Proceeding (A.15-05-002, et al.) and the Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filings. The list shall include, but not be limited to, both of the following:(A) Risks and risk drivers associated with design, construction, operations, and maintenance of the electrical corporations equipment and facilities.(B) Particular risks and risk drivers associated with topographic and climatological risk factors throughout the different parts of the electrical corporations service territory.(12) A description of how the plan accounts for the wildfire risk identified in the electrical corporations Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filing.(13) A description of the actions the electrical corporation will take to ensure its system will achieve the highest level of safety, reliability, and resiliency, and to ensure that its system is prepared for a major event, including hardening and modernizing its infrastructure with improved engineering, system design, standards, equipment, and facilities, such as undergrounding, insulating of distribution wires, and replacing poles.(14) A description of where and how the electrical corporation considered undergrounding electrical distribution lines within those areas of its service territory identified to have the highest wildfire risk in a commission fire threat map.(15) A showing that the electrical corporation has an adequately sized and trained workforce to promptly restore service after a major event, taking into account employees of other utilities pursuant to mutual aid agreements and employees of entities that have entered into contracts with the electrical corporation.(16) Identification of any geographic area in the electrical corporations service territory that is a higher wildfire threat than is currently identified in a commission fire threat map, and where the commission should consider expanding the high fire threat district based on new information or changes in the environment.(17) A methodology for identifying and presenting enterprisewide safety risk and wildfire-related risk that is consistent with the methodology used by other electrical corporations unless the commission determines otherwise.(18) A description of how the plan is consistent with the electrical corporations disaster and emergency preparedness plan prepared pursuant to Section 768.6, including both of the following:(A) Plans to prepare for, and to restore service after, a wildfire, including workforce mobilization and prepositioning equipment and employees.(B) Plans for community outreach and public awareness before, during, and after a wildfire, including language notification in English, Spanish, and the top three primary languages used in the state other than English or Spanish, as determined by the commission based on the United States Census data.(19) A statement of how the electrical corporation will restore service after a wildfire.(20) Protocols for compliance with requirements adopted by the commission regarding activities to support customers during and after a wildfire, outage reporting, support for low-income customers, billing adjustments, deposit waivers, extended payment plans, suspension of disconnection and nonpayment fees, repair processing and timing, access to electrical corporation representatives, and emergency communications.(21) A description of the processes and procedures the electrical corporation will use to do all of the following:(A) Monitor and audit the implementation of the plan.(B) Identify any deficiencies in the plan or the plans implementation and correct those deficiencies.(C) Monitor and audit the effectiveness of electrical line and equipment inspections, including inspections performed by contractors, carried out under the plan and other applicable statutes and commission rules.(22) Any other information that the Wildfire Safety Division may require.(d) The Wildfire Safety Division shall post all wildfire mitigation plans and annual updates on the commissions internet website for no less than two months before the divisions decision regarding approval of the plan. The division shall accept comments on each plan from the public, other local and state agencies, and interested parties, and verify that the plan complies with all applicable rules, regulations, and standards, as appropriate.
5151
5252 8386. (a) Each electrical corporation shall construct, maintain, and operate its electrical lines and equipment in a manner that will minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by those electrical lines and equipment.(b) Each electrical corporation shall annually prepare and submit a wildfire mitigation plan to the Wildfire Safety Division for review and approval. approval and to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. In calendar year 2020, and thereafter, the plan shall cover at least a three-year period. The division shall establish a schedule for the submission of subsequent comprehensive wildfire mitigation plans, which may allow for the staggering of compliance periods for each electrical corporation. In its discretion, the division may allow the annual submissions to be updates to the last approved comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan; provided, that each electrical corporation shall submit a comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan at least once every three years.(c) The wildfire mitigation plan shall include all of the following:(1) An accounting of the responsibilities of persons responsible for executing the plan.(2) The objectives of the plan.(3) A description of the preventive strategies and programs to be adopted by the electrical corporation to minimize the risk of its electrical lines and equipment causing catastrophic wildfires, including consideration of dynamic climate change risks.(4) A description of the metrics the electrical corporation plans to use to evaluate the plans performance and the assumptions that underlie the use of those metrics.(5) A discussion of how the application of previously identified metrics to previous plan performances has informed the plan.(6) Protocols for disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the associated impacts on public safety. As part of these protocols, each electrical corporation shall include protocols related to mitigating the public safety impacts of disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the impacts on all of the following:(A) Critical first responders.(B) Health and communication infrastructure.(C) Customers who receive medical baseline allowances pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 739. The electrical corporation may deploy backup electrical resources or provide financial assistance for backup electrical resources to a customer receiving a medical baseline allowance for a customer who meets all of the following requirements:(i) The customer relies on life-support equipment that operates on electricity to sustain life.(ii) The customer demonstrates financial need, including through enrollment in the California Alternate Rates for Energy program created pursuant to Section 739.1.(iii) The customer is not eligible for backup electrical resources provided through medical services, medical insurance, or community resources.(D) Subparagraph (C) shall not be construed as preventing an electrical corporation from deploying backup electrical resources or providing financial assistance for backup electrical resources under any other authority.(7) Appropriate and feasible procedures for notifying a customer who may be impacted by the deenergizing of electrical lines, including procedures for those customers receiving medical baseline allowances as described in paragraph (6). The procedures shall direct notification to all public safety offices, critical first responders, health care facilities, and operators of telecommunications infrastructure with premises within the footprint of potential deenergization for a given event.(8) Plans for vegetation management.(9) Plans for inspections of the electrical corporations electrical infrastructure.(10) Protocols for the deenergization of the electrical corporations transmission infrastructure, for instances when the deenergization may impact customers who, or entities that, are dependent upon the infrastructure.(11) A list that identifies, describes, and prioritizes all wildfire risks, and drivers for those risks, throughout the electrical corporations service territory, including all relevant wildfire risk and risk mitigation information that is part of the commissions Safety Model Assessment Proceeding (A.15-05-002, et al.) and the Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filings. The list shall include, but not be limited to, both of the following:(A) Risks and risk drivers associated with design, construction, operations, and maintenance of the electrical corporations equipment and facilities.(B) Particular risks and risk drivers associated with topographic and climatological risk factors throughout the different parts of the electrical corporations service territory.(12) A description of how the plan accounts for the wildfire risk identified in the electrical corporations Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filing.(13) A description of the actions the electrical corporation will take to ensure its system will achieve the highest level of safety, reliability, and resiliency, and to ensure that its system is prepared for a major event, including hardening and modernizing its infrastructure with improved engineering, system design, standards, equipment, and facilities, such as undergrounding, insulating of distribution wires, and replacing poles.(14) A description of where and how the electrical corporation considered undergrounding electrical distribution lines within those areas of its service territory identified to have the highest wildfire risk in a commission fire threat map.(15) A showing that the electrical corporation has an adequately sized and trained workforce to promptly restore service after a major event, taking into account employees of other utilities pursuant to mutual aid agreements and employees of entities that have entered into contracts with the electrical corporation.(16) Identification of any geographic area in the electrical corporations service territory that is a higher wildfire threat than is currently identified in a commission fire threat map, and where the commission should consider expanding the high fire threat district based on new information or changes in the environment.(17) A methodology for identifying and presenting enterprisewide safety risk and wildfire-related risk that is consistent with the methodology used by other electrical corporations unless the commission determines otherwise.(18) A description of how the plan is consistent with the electrical corporations disaster and emergency preparedness plan prepared pursuant to Section 768.6, including both of the following:(A) Plans to prepare for, and to restore service after, a wildfire, including workforce mobilization and prepositioning equipment and employees.(B) Plans for community outreach and public awareness before, during, and after a wildfire, including language notification in English, Spanish, and the top three primary languages used in the state other than English or Spanish, as determined by the commission based on the United States Census data.(19) A statement of how the electrical corporation will restore service after a wildfire.(20) Protocols for compliance with requirements adopted by the commission regarding activities to support customers during and after a wildfire, outage reporting, support for low-income customers, billing adjustments, deposit waivers, extended payment plans, suspension of disconnection and nonpayment fees, repair processing and timing, access to electrical corporation representatives, and emergency communications.(21) A description of the processes and procedures the electrical corporation will use to do all of the following:(A) Monitor and audit the implementation of the plan.(B) Identify any deficiencies in the plan or the plans implementation and correct those deficiencies.(C) Monitor and audit the effectiveness of electrical line and equipment inspections, including inspections performed by contractors, carried out under the plan and other applicable statutes and commission rules.(22) Any other information that the Wildfire Safety Division may require.(d) The Wildfire Safety Division shall post all wildfire mitigation plans and annual updates on the commissions internet website for no less than two months before the divisions decision regarding approval of the plan. The division shall accept comments on each plan from the public, other local and state agencies, and interested parties, and verify that the plan complies with all applicable rules, regulations, and standards, as appropriate.
5353
5454 8386. (a) Each electrical corporation shall construct, maintain, and operate its electrical lines and equipment in a manner that will minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by those electrical lines and equipment.(b) Each electrical corporation shall annually prepare and submit a wildfire mitigation plan to the Wildfire Safety Division for review and approval. approval and to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. In calendar year 2020, and thereafter, the plan shall cover at least a three-year period. The division shall establish a schedule for the submission of subsequent comprehensive wildfire mitigation plans, which may allow for the staggering of compliance periods for each electrical corporation. In its discretion, the division may allow the annual submissions to be updates to the last approved comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan; provided, that each electrical corporation shall submit a comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan at least once every three years.(c) The wildfire mitigation plan shall include all of the following:(1) An accounting of the responsibilities of persons responsible for executing the plan.(2) The objectives of the plan.(3) A description of the preventive strategies and programs to be adopted by the electrical corporation to minimize the risk of its electrical lines and equipment causing catastrophic wildfires, including consideration of dynamic climate change risks.(4) A description of the metrics the electrical corporation plans to use to evaluate the plans performance and the assumptions that underlie the use of those metrics.(5) A discussion of how the application of previously identified metrics to previous plan performances has informed the plan.(6) Protocols for disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the associated impacts on public safety. As part of these protocols, each electrical corporation shall include protocols related to mitigating the public safety impacts of disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the impacts on all of the following:(A) Critical first responders.(B) Health and communication infrastructure.(C) Customers who receive medical baseline allowances pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 739. The electrical corporation may deploy backup electrical resources or provide financial assistance for backup electrical resources to a customer receiving a medical baseline allowance for a customer who meets all of the following requirements:(i) The customer relies on life-support equipment that operates on electricity to sustain life.(ii) The customer demonstrates financial need, including through enrollment in the California Alternate Rates for Energy program created pursuant to Section 739.1.(iii) The customer is not eligible for backup electrical resources provided through medical services, medical insurance, or community resources.(D) Subparagraph (C) shall not be construed as preventing an electrical corporation from deploying backup electrical resources or providing financial assistance for backup electrical resources under any other authority.(7) Appropriate and feasible procedures for notifying a customer who may be impacted by the deenergizing of electrical lines, including procedures for those customers receiving medical baseline allowances as described in paragraph (6). The procedures shall direct notification to all public safety offices, critical first responders, health care facilities, and operators of telecommunications infrastructure with premises within the footprint of potential deenergization for a given event.(8) Plans for vegetation management.(9) Plans for inspections of the electrical corporations electrical infrastructure.(10) Protocols for the deenergization of the electrical corporations transmission infrastructure, for instances when the deenergization may impact customers who, or entities that, are dependent upon the infrastructure.(11) A list that identifies, describes, and prioritizes all wildfire risks, and drivers for those risks, throughout the electrical corporations service territory, including all relevant wildfire risk and risk mitigation information that is part of the commissions Safety Model Assessment Proceeding (A.15-05-002, et al.) and the Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filings. The list shall include, but not be limited to, both of the following:(A) Risks and risk drivers associated with design, construction, operations, and maintenance of the electrical corporations equipment and facilities.(B) Particular risks and risk drivers associated with topographic and climatological risk factors throughout the different parts of the electrical corporations service territory.(12) A description of how the plan accounts for the wildfire risk identified in the electrical corporations Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filing.(13) A description of the actions the electrical corporation will take to ensure its system will achieve the highest level of safety, reliability, and resiliency, and to ensure that its system is prepared for a major event, including hardening and modernizing its infrastructure with improved engineering, system design, standards, equipment, and facilities, such as undergrounding, insulating of distribution wires, and replacing poles.(14) A description of where and how the electrical corporation considered undergrounding electrical distribution lines within those areas of its service territory identified to have the highest wildfire risk in a commission fire threat map.(15) A showing that the electrical corporation has an adequately sized and trained workforce to promptly restore service after a major event, taking into account employees of other utilities pursuant to mutual aid agreements and employees of entities that have entered into contracts with the electrical corporation.(16) Identification of any geographic area in the electrical corporations service territory that is a higher wildfire threat than is currently identified in a commission fire threat map, and where the commission should consider expanding the high fire threat district based on new information or changes in the environment.(17) A methodology for identifying and presenting enterprisewide safety risk and wildfire-related risk that is consistent with the methodology used by other electrical corporations unless the commission determines otherwise.(18) A description of how the plan is consistent with the electrical corporations disaster and emergency preparedness plan prepared pursuant to Section 768.6, including both of the following:(A) Plans to prepare for, and to restore service after, a wildfire, including workforce mobilization and prepositioning equipment and employees.(B) Plans for community outreach and public awareness before, during, and after a wildfire, including language notification in English, Spanish, and the top three primary languages used in the state other than English or Spanish, as determined by the commission based on the United States Census data.(19) A statement of how the electrical corporation will restore service after a wildfire.(20) Protocols for compliance with requirements adopted by the commission regarding activities to support customers during and after a wildfire, outage reporting, support for low-income customers, billing adjustments, deposit waivers, extended payment plans, suspension of disconnection and nonpayment fees, repair processing and timing, access to electrical corporation representatives, and emergency communications.(21) A description of the processes and procedures the electrical corporation will use to do all of the following:(A) Monitor and audit the implementation of the plan.(B) Identify any deficiencies in the plan or the plans implementation and correct those deficiencies.(C) Monitor and audit the effectiveness of electrical line and equipment inspections, including inspections performed by contractors, carried out under the plan and other applicable statutes and commission rules.(22) Any other information that the Wildfire Safety Division may require.(d) The Wildfire Safety Division shall post all wildfire mitigation plans and annual updates on the commissions internet website for no less than two months before the divisions decision regarding approval of the plan. The division shall accept comments on each plan from the public, other local and state agencies, and interested parties, and verify that the plan complies with all applicable rules, regulations, and standards, as appropriate.
5555
5656
5757
5858 8386. (a) Each electrical corporation shall construct, maintain, and operate its electrical lines and equipment in a manner that will minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by those electrical lines and equipment.
5959
6060 (b) Each electrical corporation shall annually prepare and submit a wildfire mitigation plan to the Wildfire Safety Division for review and approval. approval and to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. In calendar year 2020, and thereafter, the plan shall cover at least a three-year period. The division shall establish a schedule for the submission of subsequent comprehensive wildfire mitigation plans, which may allow for the staggering of compliance periods for each electrical corporation. In its discretion, the division may allow the annual submissions to be updates to the last approved comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan; provided, that each electrical corporation shall submit a comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan at least once every three years.
6161
6262 (c) The wildfire mitigation plan shall include all of the following:
6363
6464 (1) An accounting of the responsibilities of persons responsible for executing the plan.
6565
6666 (2) The objectives of the plan.
6767
6868 (3) A description of the preventive strategies and programs to be adopted by the electrical corporation to minimize the risk of its electrical lines and equipment causing catastrophic wildfires, including consideration of dynamic climate change risks.
6969
7070 (4) A description of the metrics the electrical corporation plans to use to evaluate the plans performance and the assumptions that underlie the use of those metrics.
7171
7272 (5) A discussion of how the application of previously identified metrics to previous plan performances has informed the plan.
7373
7474 (6) Protocols for disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the associated impacts on public safety. As part of these protocols, each electrical corporation shall include protocols related to mitigating the public safety impacts of disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the impacts on all of the following:
7575
7676 (A) Critical first responders.
7777
7878 (B) Health and communication infrastructure.
7979
8080 (C) Customers who receive medical baseline allowances pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 739. The electrical corporation may deploy backup electrical resources or provide financial assistance for backup electrical resources to a customer receiving a medical baseline allowance for a customer who meets all of the following requirements:
8181
8282 (i) The customer relies on life-support equipment that operates on electricity to sustain life.
8383
8484 (ii) The customer demonstrates financial need, including through enrollment in the California Alternate Rates for Energy program created pursuant to Section 739.1.
8585
8686 (iii) The customer is not eligible for backup electrical resources provided through medical services, medical insurance, or community resources.
8787
8888 (D) Subparagraph (C) shall not be construed as preventing an electrical corporation from deploying backup electrical resources or providing financial assistance for backup electrical resources under any other authority.
8989
9090 (7) Appropriate and feasible procedures for notifying a customer who may be impacted by the deenergizing of electrical lines, including procedures for those customers receiving medical baseline allowances as described in paragraph (6). The procedures shall direct notification to all public safety offices, critical first responders, health care facilities, and operators of telecommunications infrastructure with premises within the footprint of potential deenergization for a given event.
9191
9292 (8) Plans for vegetation management.
9393
9494 (9) Plans for inspections of the electrical corporations electrical infrastructure.
9595
9696 (10) Protocols for the deenergization of the electrical corporations transmission infrastructure, for instances when the deenergization may impact customers who, or entities that, are dependent upon the infrastructure.
9797
9898 (11) A list that identifies, describes, and prioritizes all wildfire risks, and drivers for those risks, throughout the electrical corporations service territory, including all relevant wildfire risk and risk mitigation information that is part of the commissions Safety Model Assessment Proceeding (A.15-05-002, et al.) and the Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filings. The list shall include, but not be limited to, both of the following:
9999
100100 (A) Risks and risk drivers associated with design, construction, operations, and maintenance of the electrical corporations equipment and facilities.
101101
102102 (B) Particular risks and risk drivers associated with topographic and climatological risk factors throughout the different parts of the electrical corporations service territory.
103103
104104 (12) A description of how the plan accounts for the wildfire risk identified in the electrical corporations Risk Assessment Mitigation Phase filing.
105105
106106 (13) A description of the actions the electrical corporation will take to ensure its system will achieve the highest level of safety, reliability, and resiliency, and to ensure that its system is prepared for a major event, including hardening and modernizing its infrastructure with improved engineering, system design, standards, equipment, and facilities, such as undergrounding, insulating of distribution wires, and replacing poles.
107107
108108 (14) A description of where and how the electrical corporation considered undergrounding electrical distribution lines within those areas of its service territory identified to have the highest wildfire risk in a commission fire threat map.
109109
110110 (15) A showing that the electrical corporation has an adequately sized and trained workforce to promptly restore service after a major event, taking into account employees of other utilities pursuant to mutual aid agreements and employees of entities that have entered into contracts with the electrical corporation.
111111
112112 (16) Identification of any geographic area in the electrical corporations service territory that is a higher wildfire threat than is currently identified in a commission fire threat map, and where the commission should consider expanding the high fire threat district based on new information or changes in the environment.
113113
114114 (17) A methodology for identifying and presenting enterprisewide safety risk and wildfire-related risk that is consistent with the methodology used by other electrical corporations unless the commission determines otherwise.
115115
116116 (18) A description of how the plan is consistent with the electrical corporations disaster and emergency preparedness plan prepared pursuant to Section 768.6, including both of the following:
117117
118118 (A) Plans to prepare for, and to restore service after, a wildfire, including workforce mobilization and prepositioning equipment and employees.
119119
120120 (B) Plans for community outreach and public awareness before, during, and after a wildfire, including language notification in English, Spanish, and the top three primary languages used in the state other than English or Spanish, as determined by the commission based on the United States Census data.
121121
122122 (19) A statement of how the electrical corporation will restore service after a wildfire.
123123
124124 (20) Protocols for compliance with requirements adopted by the commission regarding activities to support customers during and after a wildfire, outage reporting, support for low-income customers, billing adjustments, deposit waivers, extended payment plans, suspension of disconnection and nonpayment fees, repair processing and timing, access to electrical corporation representatives, and emergency communications.
125125
126126 (21) A description of the processes and procedures the electrical corporation will use to do all of the following:
127127
128128 (A) Monitor and audit the implementation of the plan.
129129
130130 (B) Identify any deficiencies in the plan or the plans implementation and correct those deficiencies.
131131
132132 (C) Monitor and audit the effectiveness of electrical line and equipment inspections, including inspections performed by contractors, carried out under the plan and other applicable statutes and commission rules.
133133
134134 (22) Any other information that the Wildfire Safety Division may require.
135135
136136 (d) The Wildfire Safety Division shall post all wildfire mitigation plans and annual updates on the commissions internet website for no less than two months before the divisions decision regarding approval of the plan. The division shall accept comments on each plan from the public, other local and state agencies, and interested parties, and verify that the plan complies with all applicable rules, regulations, and standards, as appropriate.