Public utilities: emergency and disaster preparedness.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and water corporations, as defined. Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, authorizes local governments to create disaster councils by ordinance to develop plans for meeting any condition constituting a local emergency or state of emergency, as specified. This bill would require the commission to establish standards for disaster and emergency preparedness plans within an existing proceeding, as specified. The bill would require an electrical corporation to develop, adopt, and update an emergency and disaster preparedness plan, as specified. The bill would authorize every city, county, or city and county within the electrical corporation's service area to designate a point of contact for the electrical corporation to consult with on emergency and disaster preparedness plans. The bill would require a water company regulated by the commission to develop, adopt, and update an emergency and disaster preparedness plan, as specified. The bill would find and declare that county and city participation in the preparation of electrical corporations' emergency and disaster preparedness plans is critical to a statewide emergency response and, thus, is an issue of statewide concern.