AB 50

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law requires a public utility to furnish and maintain such adequate, efficient, just, and reasonable service, instrumentalities, equipment, and facilities as are necessary to promote the safety, health, comfort, and convenience of its patrons, employees, and the public. Existing law requires the commission to enforce rules governing the extension of service by electrical corporations. This bill would additionally require a public utility to furnish and maintain timely service, instrumentalities, equipment, and facilities. The bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2025, to determine the criteria for timely service for electric customers, including, among other things, reasonable average energization time periods for categories of timely service, as specified. Until the commission determines the criteria, the bill would require each large electrical corporation, among other things, to take all practical measures to deliver electric service within 90 days of issuing a written commitment to serve for customers seeking a new connection, and within 30 days of issuing a written commitment to serve for customers seeking upgrades to an existing connection. To facilitate the achievement of the goal of timely electric service, the bill would require each large electrical corporation to evaluate and update, as necessary, its existing distribution planning process, as specified. In order to evaluate the timely performance of each large electrical corporation in meeting the energization timelines in written commitments to serve, and to inform the commission's determination of criteria for timely service, the bill would require the commission to annually collect certain information from each large electrical corporation until new reporting requirements are established. Under the Public Utilities Act, a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirements of the commission is a crime. Because the above-described provisions would be a part of the act, a violation of which 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 a specified reason.