Local publicly owned electric utilities: utility poles and support structures.

(1) Existing law provides for the creation of local publicly owned electric utilities, which include municipal corporations, municipal utility districts, public utility districts, and irrigation districts, that furnish electric services. This bill would require a local publicly owned electric utility to make appropriate space and capacity on and in their utility poles and support structures available for use by cable television corporations, video service providers, and telephone corporations. The bill would require fees adopted to cover the costs to provide this use, and terms and conditions of access, to meet specified requirements, and would specify the manner in which these fees and terms and conditions of access could be challenged. By imposing new duties on local utilities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.