Electricity: electrical infrastructure: wildfire mitigation.

Senator Pérez's wildfire mitigation legislation requires electrical utilities to remove permanently abandoned facilities and enhance their wildfire prevention strategies, particularly in wildland-urban interface areas. The bill mandates that electrical corporations evaluate undergrounding distribution infrastructure when rebuilding in wildfire-affected regions if deemed cost-effective compared to other mitigation approaches.

The legislation expands requirements for wildfire mitigation plans submitted by both investor-owned and publicly owned utilities. Plans must now address risks specific to the wildland-urban interface, enable non-account holders to receive power shutoff notifications, and detail procedures for coordinating with local governments during emergencies. Utilities must also provide comprehensive accounting of transmission facilities, including timelines for removing abandoned infrastructure and implementing interim safety measures.

To strengthen emergency response capabilities, the bill establishes new coordination protocols between utilities and emergency services. Electrical corporations and local publicly owned utilities must assign liaison representatives to local operations centers, with representatives completing standardized emergency management training. The Public Utilities Commission must update its general order by January 2027 to enforce the removal of permanently abandoned facilities while preserving utilities' existing easement rights.