Bill > SB292

This bill addresses wildfire mitigation and electrical system reliability by requiring electrical corporations and local publicly owned electric utilities to enhance their reporting and support mechanisms. Specifically, electrical corporations must develop plans to support people with access and functional needs during power shutoffs (called "deenergization events"), and create detailed post-event reports that document the impact of these events. The bill requires the Public Utilities Commission to review existing policies by January 1, 2027, to potentially improve electrical system safety and reliability, with a focus on understanding how power outages might disproportionately affect vulnerable communities like tribal governments, rural areas, and low-income neighborhoods. Local publicly owned electric utilities will now be required to prepare annual reliability reports that include information about service interruptions, with provisions to maintain confidentiality to protect electrical system security. The bill also mandates that these reports be publicly available and include details like frequency and duration of service interruptions, and potentially include statistics about reliability across different census tracts or for customers receiving financial assistance. While the bill imposes new requirements on utilities, it includes provisions to ensure that the additional reporting and planning do not compromise the security of the electrical grid.

Budget and Finance, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB292