Electrical and gas service: accessory dwelling units.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. Existing law requires the commission to require every residential unit in an apartment house or similar multiunit residential structure, condominium, or mobilehome park issued a building permit on or after July 1, 1982, with certain exceptions, to be individually metered for electrical and gas service. This bill would additionally except from that requirement an accessory dwelling unit, as defined, if the owner of the property on which the accessory dwelling unit is located elects to have the accessory dwelling unit's electrical and gas services metered through existing or upgraded utility meters located on that property. The bill would require an electrical corporation and gas corporation, if an owner of such a property elects to have the accessory dwelling unit's electrical and gas services metered through utility meters located on that property, to allow the property owner to do so. 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 above provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing this bill's requirements would be a crime, the 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 a specified reason.