The legislation directly impacts the existing regulatory framework governed by the Public Utilities Code, which vests authority in the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) over public utilities and their operational standards. The intent of the bill is to enhance the reliability of services while also ensuring that electrical corporations continuously improve their systems to prevent future outages. Importantly, the bill aims to balance safety, reliability, and customers' needs by addressing the increasing disruptions caused by both planned safety power shutoffs aimed at wildfire prevention and unplanned outages. It's also worth noting that no reimbursement is required for local agencies under the California Constitution for this bill, as it will create new infractions or modify existing definitions of crimes.
Assembly Bill 3181, introduced by Assembly Member Pellerin, aims to address the growing frequency of electrical outages experienced by customers of electrical corporations in California. The bill requires that if one or more customers on an electrical distribution circuit experience four or more discrete outages within a single calendar year, the responsible electrical corporation must conduct a review to determine the causes of these outages. This review must also outline the planned improvements intended to reduce future outage risks below the established threshold, which is four outages per year per circuit. The findings from this review are to be made available to impacted customers as well as the local government within the service area of the affected circuit.
Although the bill seeks to improve service reliability, there may be concerns regarding its implementation and the associated costs to electrical corporations. Some stakeholders may argue that it places an excessive regulatory burden on utility companies, affecting its ability to operate efficiently. Conversely, proponents of the bill argue that ensuring a review process for frequent outages is a necessary step to improve customer satisfaction and long-term reliability. Another point of contention is the complexity surrounding the definition of 'discrete electrical outages' and the criteria under which the electrical corporations will be held accountable, as it specifically excludes outages due to system maintenance or severe weather conditions.