Public utilities: redirection of moneys authorized for maintenance, safety, or reliability.

Existing law establishes the Public Utilities Commission, with regulatory jurisdiction and authority over public utilities, including electrical and gas corporations. Existing law places various responsibilities upon the commission to ensure that public utility services are provided in a manner that protects the public safety and the safety of utility employees. This bill would require an electrical or gas corporation to annually notify the commission, as part of an ongoing proceeding or in a report otherwise required to be submitted to the commission, of each time that capital or expense revenue authorized by the commission for maintenance, safety, or reliability was redirected by the electrical or gas corporation to other purposes. The bill would require the commission to ensure that the notification is also made available in a timely fashion to the Office of the Safety Advocate, Office of Ratepayer Advocates, and parties on the service list of any relevant proceeding. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and because a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. 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.