CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 453Introduced by Senator SternFebruary 19, 2025An act to add Section 913.18 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to natural gas.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSB 453, as introduced, Stern. Natural gas: prices: report.Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including gas corporations. An existing commission order requires the commission to investigate the causes and impacts of the winter 20222023 natural gas price spikes and the potential for recurrence, the impact of the price spikes on natural gas and electricity prices and customer bills, the potential threats to gas and electrical reliability and price volatility in summer 2023 and beyond, potential mitigations, and utility communications to customers to determine whether they were sufficient or require modifications.This bill would require the commission, on or before February 1, 2026, to submit a report to the relevant legislative policy committees of the Legislature on the status, outcomes, and recommendations of the commission order described above and the status and any findings of any related investigations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill TextThe people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. Section 913.18 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:913.18. (a) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, on or before February 1, 2026, the commission shall submit a report to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature on the status, outcomes, and recommendations of the commissions Order Instituting Investigation on the Commissions Own Motion into Natural Gas Prices During Winter 20222023 and Resulting Impacts to Energy Markets.(b) The commission shall include, in the report, the status and any findings of any related investigations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 453Introduced by Senator SternFebruary 19, 2025An act to add Section 913.18 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to natural gas.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSB 453, as introduced, Stern. Natural gas: prices: report.Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including gas corporations. An existing commission order requires the commission to investigate the causes and impacts of the winter 20222023 natural gas price spikes and the potential for recurrence, the impact of the price spikes on natural gas and electricity prices and customer bills, the potential threats to gas and electrical reliability and price volatility in summer 2023 and beyond, potential mitigations, and utility communications to customers to determine whether they were sufficient or require modifications.This bill would require the commission, on or before February 1, 2026, to submit a report to the relevant legislative policy committees of the Legislature on the status, outcomes, and recommendations of the commission order described above and the status and any findings of any related investigations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 453
Introduced by Senator SternFebruary 19, 2025
Introduced by Senator Stern
February 19, 2025
An act to add Section 913.18 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to natural gas.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 453, as introduced, Stern. Natural gas: prices: report.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including gas corporations. An existing commission order requires the commission to investigate the causes and impacts of the winter 20222023 natural gas price spikes and the potential for recurrence, the impact of the price spikes on natural gas and electricity prices and customer bills, the potential threats to gas and electrical reliability and price volatility in summer 2023 and beyond, potential mitigations, and utility communications to customers to determine whether they were sufficient or require modifications.This bill would require the commission, on or before February 1, 2026, to submit a report to the relevant legislative policy committees of the Legislature on the status, outcomes, and recommendations of the commission order described above and the status and any findings of any related investigations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including gas corporations. An existing commission order requires the commission to investigate the causes and impacts of the winter 20222023 natural gas price spikes and the potential for recurrence, the impact of the price spikes on natural gas and electricity prices and customer bills, the potential threats to gas and electrical reliability and price volatility in summer 2023 and beyond, potential mitigations, and utility communications to customers to determine whether they were sufficient or require modifications.
This bill would require the commission, on or before February 1, 2026, to submit a report to the relevant legislative policy committees of the Legislature on the status, outcomes, and recommendations of the commission order described above and the status and any findings of any related investigations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. Section 913.18 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:913.18. (a) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, on or before February 1, 2026, the commission shall submit a report to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature on the status, outcomes, and recommendations of the commissions Order Instituting Investigation on the Commissions Own Motion into Natural Gas Prices During Winter 20222023 and Resulting Impacts to Energy Markets.(b) The commission shall include, in the report, the status and any findings of any related investigations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
## The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 913.18 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:913.18. (a) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, on or before February 1, 2026, the commission shall submit a report to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature on the status, outcomes, and recommendations of the commissions Order Instituting Investigation on the Commissions Own Motion into Natural Gas Prices During Winter 20222023 and Resulting Impacts to Energy Markets.(b) The commission shall include, in the report, the status and any findings of any related investigations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
SECTION 1. Section 913.18 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:
### SECTION 1.
913.18. (a) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, on or before February 1, 2026, the commission shall submit a report to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature on the status, outcomes, and recommendations of the commissions Order Instituting Investigation on the Commissions Own Motion into Natural Gas Prices During Winter 20222023 and Resulting Impacts to Energy Markets.(b) The commission shall include, in the report, the status and any findings of any related investigations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
913.18. (a) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, on or before February 1, 2026, the commission shall submit a report to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature on the status, outcomes, and recommendations of the commissions Order Instituting Investigation on the Commissions Own Motion into Natural Gas Prices During Winter 20222023 and Resulting Impacts to Energy Markets.(b) The commission shall include, in the report, the status and any findings of any related investigations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
913.18. (a) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, on or before February 1, 2026, the commission shall submit a report to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature on the status, outcomes, and recommendations of the commissions Order Instituting Investigation on the Commissions Own Motion into Natural Gas Prices During Winter 20222023 and Resulting Impacts to Energy Markets.(b) The commission shall include, in the report, the status and any findings of any related investigations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
913.18. (a) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, on or before February 1, 2026, the commission shall submit a report to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature on the status, outcomes, and recommendations of the commissions Order Instituting Investigation on the Commissions Own Motion into Natural Gas Prices During Winter 20222023 and Resulting Impacts to Energy Markets.
(b) The commission shall include, in the report, the status and any findings of any related investigations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.