Electricity: wildfire mitigation: deenergization events and reliability.

Post-deenergization event reports must now be published and made publicly available on the electrical corporation's internet website, in addition to being provided to locally elected bodies. Previously they were only required to be provided to local government officials.

The content of post-deenergization event reports is now tied to the commission's reporting requirements established under Rulemaking 18-12-005 (or a successor proceeding) and any additional requirements from the Safety and Enforcement Division, rather than being a standalone list in the statute.

New considerations added for the commission's 2027 determination: (i) enhancements to annual reliability reports including census tract statistics, (ii) data on whether outages disproportionately affect tribal governments or rural, disadvantaged, or low-income communities, and (iii) updates to General Order 166 for reliability thresholds and reporting requirements.

The commission's January 2027 determination is now specifically anchored to Rulemaking 24-05-023 (or a successor proceeding) and broadened from determining whether reports should include certain information to determining whether existing policies, procedures, and rules should be revised or enhanced to augment safety and reliability.

The requirement for local publicly owned electric utilities changed from preparing a report 'equivalent to' the one required of private electrical corporations under Section 2774.1, to preparing a report that 'identifies, but is not limited to, the frequency and duration of interruptions in services.' This is a narrower standard that does not require full equivalence.

Legislative findings section renumbered from duplicate SEC. 5 to a single SEC. 5 (findings) and SEC. 6 (reimbursement), resolving a numbering error in the prior version.

Section 2774.1: The requirement for electrical corporations to include system-level reliability, census tract statistics, and financial assistance customer data in annual reliability reports was changed from a mandatory obligation effective January 1, 2026, to a commission determination due on or before January 1, 2027. The commission now decides whether these data elements should be included.

Section 8387.4: The requirement for post-deenergization event reports to include granular geospatial data on circuit locations and census tract-level impact statistics was changed from a mandatory reporting element to a commission determination due on or before January 1, 2027. The base report now only requires time, place, duration, and customer counts.

Section 8387.2: Plans to support access and functional needs populations during deenergization events must now be developed 'consistent with the commission's orders regarding deenergization,' adding a new coordination requirement.

Local publicly owned electric utility reliability reporting was moved from Part 3 (Section 9530) to Part 4 (Section 9540) of Division 4.8. The requirement changed from 'shall include all of the following' to 'may include any of the following,' making enhanced data elements discretionary rather than mandatory for these utilities.

For local publicly owned electric utilities, the financial assistance customer category was broadened from specific named programs (CARE, FERA, medical baseline allowance) to the general description 'an income-qualifying rate assistance program or assistance program for energy allowances related to medical necessity.'

Multiple deadlines shifted from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2027, giving the commission an additional year before making determinations on enhanced reliability and deenergization reporting requirements.

The enrolled version includes formal signature blocks (Secretary of the Senate, Chief Clerk of the Assembly, Private Secretary of the Governor), page numbers, and blank date fields for the Governor's receipt. The web version replaces these with website navigation elements, a bill history timeline showing all amendment dates from February 6 to September 13, 2025, and metadata fields (vote: majority, appropriation: no, fiscal committee: yes, local program: yes).

Removed the amendment to Section 21204 of the Public Utilities Code (State Aeronautics Act), which had made nonsubstantive changes to the Department of Transportation's rulemaking authority. The bill no longer touches aviation law.

Annual reliability reports from electrical corporations must now include reliability statistics specifically for customers receiving financial assistance, including CARE program enrollees, FERA program enrollees, and those receiving a medical baseline allowance (new Section 2774.1(a)(4)(A)(iii)).

Utilities must now work with persons from the access and functional needs population to develop their deenergization support plans, rather than simply developing plans for that population (Section 8387.2(b)).

Deenergization event reports must now include granular geospatial data on circuit or circuit segment locations (previously just 'granular data on locations of any circuit'), the time/place/duration of the event, and a detailed breakdown of affected customers by type, financial assistance status (CARE, FERA, medical baseline, life-supporting equipment), and census tract disadvantaged community status (Section 8387.4).

Deenergization event reports must now be provided specifically to the locally elected body and the city manager or chief administrative officer of affected cities and counties, rather than just 'the cities and counties.' Reports must also be updated each year and submitted by the Energy Commission (Section 8387.4(c)).

Local publicly owned electric utility reliability reports (new Section 9530) must now include the same expanded data categories as electrical corporation reports, including financial assistance customer statistics, rather than just system/division/census tract reliability.

Fiscal committee review changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now requires fiscal analysis before proceeding. State-mandated local program designation changed from 'no' to 'yes.'

The bill now amends Sections 2774.1 and 8388.5 of, adds Sections 8387.2 and 8387.4 to, and adds Part 3 (Section 9530) to Division 4.8 of the Public Utilities Code, covering electricity reliability, wildfire mitigation, deenergization events, and undergrounding plans. The original aviation code cleanup is retained as a minor section at the end.

The bill now imposes a state-mandated local program (changed from 'no' to 'yes') because it places additional duties on local agencies. Fiscal committee review is also now required (changed from 'no' to 'yes').

New Section 8387.2 defines 'access and functional needs population' as individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, chronic conditions, injuries, limited English proficiency, seniors, children, those in institutionalized settings, low income, homeless, or transportation disadvantaged (including public transit dependents and pregnant individuals).

New Section 8387.2 requires all electrical corporations, local publicly owned electric utilities, and electrical cooperatives to develop and make publicly available a plan to support access and functional needs populations during deenergization events. Plans go to the Public Utilities Commission (for electrical corporations) or the Energy Commission (for public utilities and cooperatives).

New Section 8387.4 requires a detailed report after each deenergization event containing granular circuit location data, census tract-level impact comparisons, and customer information including residential vs commercial status, low-income or disadvantaged community status, and demographic/socioeconomic data. Reports must be provided to affected cities and counties.

Section 2774.1 is amended so that on and after January 1, 2026, annual reliability reports must focus on system- and division-level reliability and census tracts or neighborhoods within them, with metrics reported for worst performing circuits and major event days.

New Section 9530 requires local publicly owned electric utilities to prepare and publish annual reliability reports equivalent to those required of electrical corporations under Section 2774.1, focusing on system- and division-level reliability and census tracts or neighborhoods.

Section 8388.5 (expedited undergrounding program) is substantially expanded: only tier 2 or 3 high fire-threat districts or rebuild areas are eligible; plans must include a 10-year timeline, comparison of undergrounding vs aboveground hardening, workforce development plan, and cost evaluation; the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety must publish plans on its website and approve or deny within nine months; the commission must also review and approve costs within nine months.

Section 8388.5 adds an independent monitor (selected by the office) who assesses compliance annually, with a 180-day correction period for deficiencies. The commission may assess penalties on large electrical corporations that fail to substantially comply with an approved plan.

Section 8388.5 requires each participating large electrical corporation to apply for available federal, state, and other nonratepayer funding throughout the duration of its undergrounding plan, and any moneys received must be used to reduce program costs on ratepayers.

Section 6 provides that no state reimbursement is required under Article XIII B of the California Constitution because local agencies have authority to levy sufficient charges or because costs arise from a new crime or penalty change.

Local publicly owned electric utilities and electrical cooperatives are no longer required to develop deenergization support plans or prepare post-deenergization event reports. Only electrical corporations remain subject to these requirements.

The entire expedited utility distribution infrastructure undergrounding program (amendment to Section 8388.5) is deleted. This removed requirements for 10-year undergrounding plans, independent monitors, semi-annual progress reports, penalty provisions, and federal/state funding application mandates.

For deenergization support plans, electrical corporations must now work with 'representatives of state agencies and community-based organizations that serve, or advocate on behalf of, or both serve and advocate on behalf of' the access and functional needs population, rather than working directly with persons from that population.

Local publicly owned electric utilities must now submit their annual reliability report to the Energy Commission and ensure publicly available information provides sufficient confidentiality to protect electrical system security.

Post-deenergization event reports must now be submitted to the commission, in addition to being provided to locally elected bodies and city managers of affected cities and counties.

The definition of 'access and functional needs population' is replaced with a cross-reference to Section 8593.3 of the Government Code instead of a standalone definition listing specific conditions and characteristics.

The deadline for the commission to determine whether annual reliability reports should include additional information (system-level reliability, census tract statistics, financial assistance customer data) is changed from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2027.

A new legislative findings section (Section 5) is added to satisfy constitutional requirements for statutes that limit public access to government writings, justifying the confidentiality limitation on reliability data as necessary to protect electrical system security.