Electricity: electrical infrastructure: permanently abandoned transmission facilities: emergency response: liaisons.

Corrected a duplicated word in Section 762.8(d): 'out of service service' changed to 'out of service' in the definition of permanently abandoned transmission facility.

Added passage dates: Passed the Senate August 25, 2026 and Passed the Assembly August 24, 2026, along with a Governor's approval block dated 2026.

The requirement for electrical corporations to remove permanently abandoned facilities was narrowed from all facilities to only transmission facilities, excluding distribution lines and other non-transmission equipment.

A section stating the Legislature's intent to enact subsequent legislation related to regulation of water systems and water districts was removed entirely, along with 'relating to water' from the bill title.

The deadline for the Public Utilities Commission to update General Order No. 95 requiring removal of permanently abandoned transmission facilities was extended from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2028.

Section 8395(a) now requires electrical corporations to act 'consistent with Section 768.6' (the disaster and emergency preparedness plan requirement), creating a cross-reference between the emergency operations chapter and existing preparedness obligations.

The definition of 'permanently abandoned facility' was changed to 'permanently abandoned transmission facility,' explicitly limiting it to transmission facilities that are out of service.

References to 'local operations center' were updated throughout to 'local emergency operations center' for consistency with standard emergency management terminology.

The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes' and the state-mandated local program designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now triggers fiscal analysis and local program cost considerations.

The deadline for the commission to update General Order No. 95 requiring removal of permanently abandoned transmission facilities was extended from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2028.

The definition of 'permanently abandoned transmission facility' now states that a facility must be 'out of service, as determined by the commission,' making clear that the commission makes that determination rather than it being a purely factual finding.

Removed duplicate words: 'corporations corporations' corrected to 'corporations' and 'work within with' corrected to 'work with' in Section 8395(b).

The bill's scope expanded from a single-sentence intent statement about water districts to a multi-section act covering electricity regulation, wildfire mitigation planning, permanently abandoned facility removal, and emergency operations coordination between utilities and local emergency agencies.

New Section 762.8 requires the CPUC to update General Order No. 95 by January 1, 2027, mandating that electrical corporations remove all permanently abandoned facilities (defined as out-of-service facilities where the owner cannot document intent to return them to service within a commission-set timeframe). Safety and wildfire mitigation requirements must apply to these facilities until removal.

Section 8386 was substantially rewritten. Wildfire mitigation plan submission changed from annual to at least once every four years. A new preliminary plan requirement tied to rate case filings begins January 1, 2027. The required plan content expanded from a few items to over 23 detailed requirements including deenergization protocols, customer notification procedures, risk identification and prioritization, undergrounding analysis, workforce adequacy, and multi-language community outreach.

New Chapter 8 (Section 8395) requires all electrical corporations and local publicly owned electric utilities with service areas overlapping a local operations center to establish coordination procedures with the Office of Emergency Services and other emergency agencies, and to assign trained liaison representatives (SEMS/NIMS certified) to work within each applicable local operations center.

New provisions require electrical corporations to consider impacts on customers receiving medical baseline allowances (life-support equipment users) when disabling reclosers or deenergizing. Corporations may deploy backup power or provide financial assistance to eligible customers who demonstrate financial need (including CARE enrollment) and are not covered by medical services, insurance, or community resources.

The fiscal note changed from 'no' to 'yes' for state-mandated local program, because the bill imposes new duties on local publicly owned electric utilities. A reimbursement section states no state reimbursement is required because local agencies can levy service charges or costs arise from crime/penalty changes.

Defined 'permanently abandoned facility' as a facility that is out of service and the owner cannot demonstrate, with appropriate documentation, an intent to place the facility or portions into service within a time determined by the commission.