Electricity: electrical infrastructure: wildfire mitigation.

Senator Pérez's wildfire mitigation legislation requires electrical utilities to expand their preventive strategies and strengthen coordination with emergency responders. The bill mandates removal of permanently abandoned electrical facilities by 2027 and requires utilities to consider undergrounding distribution infrastructure when rebuilding in high-risk areas.

The legislation enhances wildfire mitigation planning requirements for both investor-owned and publicly owned utilities. Plans must now address risks in areas adjacent to high fire threat zones, detail communication protocols with local governments, and account for all transmission facilities including those permanently abandoned. Utilities must conduct annual preparedness workshops with local fire departments and assign representatives to regional emergency operations centers.

For large electrical corporations, the bill restricts their ability to include certain fire risk mitigation expenditures in their equity rate base starting in 2025. Local publicly owned utilities and electrical cooperatives must now specifically consider wildland-urban interface risks in their mitigation strategies and coordinate more closely with emergency response agencies.

The measure establishes new procedures for utility coordination with the Office of Emergency Services during emergencies. Representatives from affected utilities must complete standardized emergency management training and work within state regional operations centers that overlap with their service territories.