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Measure SB 797
Authors Choi  
Subject Electric utility distribution and transmission system facilities: undergrounding and insulation.
Relating To relating to electricity.
Title An act to add and repeal Section 279 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.
Last Action Dt 2025-05-06
State Amended Senate
Status In Committee Process
Active? Y
Vote Required Majority
Appropriation No
Fiscal Committee Yes
Local Program No
Substantive Changes None
Urgency No
Tax Levy No
Leginfo Link Bill
Actions
2025-05-23     May 23 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
2025-05-20     Set for hearing May 23.
2025-05-19     May 19 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-05-09     Set for hearing May 19.
2025-05-06     Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-05-05     From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 1. Page 935.) (April 29).
2025-04-23     From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E., U & C. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 867.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on E., U & C.
2025-04-22     Set for hearing April 29 in E., U & C. pending receipt.
2025-04-09     From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
2025-04-04     Set for hearing April 23.
2025-04-02     Re-referred to Coms. on E.Q. and E., U & C.
2025-03-26     From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
2025-03-12     Referred to Com. on RLS.
2025-02-24     From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 24.
2025-02-24     Read first time.
2025-02-21     Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
Keywords
Tags
Versions
Amended Senate     2025-05-06
Amended Senate     2025-04-09
Amended Senate     2025-03-26
Introduced     2025-02-21
Last Version Text
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		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator Choi</ns0:AuthorText>
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		<ns0:Title>An act to add and repeal Section 279 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.</ns0:Title>
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			<html:p>Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Under existing law, it is the policy of the state that each electrical corporation continue to operate its electric distribution grid in its service territory and to do so in a safe, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective manner.</html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would require the commission, until January 1, 2031, to form a working group to study the cost of undergrounding and
			 insulating overhead electric utility distribution system facilities or transmission system facilities, compile wildfire mitigation reports of electric utilities, and provide the Legislature, on or before July 1, 2027, with a plan on how to most effectively invest in undergrounding and insulating those facilities or how to otherwise support electrical corporations, as provided.</html:p>
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				Section 279 is added to the 
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				, to read:
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								(a)
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								The commission shall form a working group to study the cost of undergrounding and insulating electric utility distribution system facilities or transmission system facilities, compile wildfire mitigation reports of electrical utilities, and provide the Legislature, on or before July 1, 2027, with a plan on how to most effectively invest in undergrounding and insulating those facilities or how to provide support to electrical corporations in order to prevent fires in lands classified as very high fire hazard severity zones, as defined in Section 51177 of the Government Code, in lands designated as Wildland Urban Interface Fire Areas, as described in Section 13108.5.1 of the Health and Safety Code, and in state forests, as
						defined in Section 4643 of the Public Resources Code.
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								(b)
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								(1)
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								The plan to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
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								Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section is repealed on January 1, 2031.
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Last Version Text Digest Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Under existing law, it is the policy of the state that each electrical corporation continue to operate its electric distribution grid in its service territory and to do so in a safe, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective manner. This bill would require the commission, until January 1, 2031, to form a working group to study the cost of undergrounding and insulating overhead electric utility distribution system facilities or transmission system facilities, compile wildfire mitigation reports of electric utilities, and provide the Legislature, on or before July 1, 2027, with a plan on how to most effectively invest in undergrounding and insulating those facilities or how to otherwise support electrical corporations, as provided.