Public utilities: fireproofing programs.

Existing law requires electrical corporations and local publicly owned electric utilities to construct, maintain, and operate their electrical lines and equipment in a manner that will minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by those electrical lines and equipment. Existing law requires electrical corporations and local publicly owned electric utilities to prepare annually a wildfire mitigation plan. This bill would require the Public Utilities Commission to direct each electrical corporation and gas corporation to file an application for programs to provide financial assistance to owners of residential properties in fire-prone areas within their respective service territories to install improvements to reduce or eliminate wildfire impacts on those properties or to purchase emergency equipment or supplies for use in case of a deenergization event. The bill would require that the programs be funded through voluntary contributions from customers of the corporations. The bill would require the governing board of a local publicly owned electric or gas utility to implement analogous programs to provide financial assistance to owners of residential properties in fire-prone areas within the service territory of the utility. Because this bill would impose additional duties on the governing boards of local publicly owned electric or gas utilities, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any rule, order, decision, or direction of the commission is a crime. Because a violation of an order of the commission implementing these requirements would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 specified reasons.