Electricity: wildfire mitigation: deenergization events and reliability.

Senator Cervantes proposes new requirements for electrical utilities to support vulnerable populations during power shutoffs and enhance reliability reporting across California's electrical grid. The legislation mandates that electrical corporations develop support plans for individuals with access and functional needs during deenergization events, including those with disabilities, limited English proficiency, and transportation challenges.

The bill establishes detailed post-shutoff reporting requirements for electrical corporations. After each deenergization event, utilities must document the timing, location, and duration of the outage, along with the number and types of affected customers. Reports must specifically track impacts on residents receiving financial assistance through programs like CARE (California Alternate Rates for Energy) and those dependent on medical equipment. These reports will be provided to local government officials to inform emergency response planning.

By January 2027, the California Public Utilities Commission will determine whether to expand annual reliability reporting requirements for both investor-owned and publicly owned utilities. Potential additions include system-level performance metrics, census tract-level reliability data, and statistics for financially assisted customers. The legislation also requires local publicly owned utilities to prepare equivalent annual reliability reports focusing on their worst-performing circuits and major outage events.