Electrical corporations: significant voltage-related incidents: studies.

The document changed from an official chaptered legislative format (with page numbers, 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA AUTHENTICATED ELECTRONIC LEGAL MATERIAL' header, and traditional layout) to a web page rendering that includes website navigation elements such as skip-to-content links, FAQ, feedback, sitemap, login, quick search fields, and bill tracking options. The underlying statutory text is unchanged.

Removed Section 9530 (Part 3 of Division 4.8), which required governing boards of local publicly owned electric utilities to adopt policies protecting customers from voltage changes by January 1, 2027 and to post those policies on their websites.

Changed the commission's role from mandating consumer protection adjustments to publishing hyperlinks on its website to utility-conducted studies and reporting on those studies to the Legislature by July 1, 2027.

Changed legislative findings from requiring the commission to ensure existing consumer protections are adequate to requiring it to publish public disclosures and information on the adequacy of large electrical corporations' consumer protections.

Removed Section 2774.8, which required the commission to mandate that each electrical corporation adjust its consumer protections to better protect customers from significant voltage changes by January 1, 2027, including evaluating claims processes, notification procedures, outreach in relevant languages, cause identification, and appeal rights.

Added requirement that the commission, by January 1, 2027, require each large electrical corporation to commence a study evaluating significant voltage-related incidents across residential, commercial, and industrial customers that resulted in $5,000 or more in damage to customer-owned equipment, appliances, or property.

Added definition of 'large electrical corporation' (same meaning as Section 3280) and 'significant voltage-related incident' (a voltage deviation outside plus or minus 5 percent of nominal voltage that results in damage to customer-owned equipment, appliances, or property).

Added specific data collection date range of January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2026 for the commission's study of voltage-related incidents and their causes.

Removed the state-mandated local program finding related to duties imposed on local publicly owned electric utilities, since those requirements were eliminated.

The bill was renumbered as Chapter 420 and reformatted into the standard California authenticated electronic legal material layout, including a new header, updated page numbers (93 instead of 94), and the governor's approval date of October 6, 2025.

New Section 913.14 requires the CPUC to conduct a study by July 1, 2026, evaluating voltage-related service incidents and consumer protections across public utility service territories. The study must cover 11 areas including frequency/causes of voltage changes, customer impacts by class, damage estimates, complaint trends, claim procedure effectiveness, awareness among vulnerable populations, utility accountability, reporting adequacy, and outreach to underserved communities. A report with findings and recommendations is due to the Legislature by July 1, 2027. The section self-repeals on January 1, 2031.

Section 2774.8(b) changed from 'determining whether to adjust' to 'determining when to adjust,' implying the commission must make adjustments but retains discretion over timing rather than having discretion over whether to act at all.

Terminology changed from 'power surges' to 'voltage changes' throughout the bill, broadening scope to include sags, brownouts, and other voltage deviations beyond just surges. In Section 911(c), 'significant voltage events' was changed to 'voltage-related service incidents,' further broadening what must be reported.

Legislative findings in Section 1 were restructured and strengthened: the CPUC's role changed from an expression of legislative 'intent' to a statement of 'responsibility,' and the reference shifted from 'electrical corporation's claim procedures' to 'public utility's claim process,' broadening applicability language.

The no-reimbursement provision (now Section 4) was narrowed. The prior version justified no reimbursement on two grounds: local authority to levy service charges OR crime-related costs. The new version removes the service-charge authority justification, retaining only the crime/infraction-related cost basis.

The entire Chapter 8 (Sections 8395 through 8395.8) on power surge notifications was deleted. This chapter would have required all utilities (including community choice aggregators, electrical corporations, and local publicly owned utilities) to develop real-time notification systems for power surges, install detection equipment, submit quarterly reports, compensate ratepayers for damages caused by utility negligence, offer rebates for whole-house surge protection, and fully implement within 18 months.

The urgency clause requiring the bill to take effect immediately was removed. The vote requirement changed from two-thirds majority to simple majority as a result.

The deadline for the commission to require electrical corporations to adjust their consumer protections was extended from July 1, 2026 to January 1, 2027, giving utilities an additional six months to comply.

Throughout the bill, the term 'power surges' was replaced with 'voltage changes,' which is a broader term encompassing any significant change in voltage rather than only transient increases (surges).

Section 911(a) now requires that safety incident reports include claims of property damage totaling $5,000 or more, establishing a specific dollar threshold for reportable incidents.

Section 911(b) now requires that for any investigation that remains open for 12 or more months after a claim was filed, the annual report must include an explanation of why the investigation remains open.

Section 910.9, which required the commission to submit an annual report to the Legislature evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of power surge notifications, was removed along with the chapter it referenced.

New Section 2774.8 requires the Public Utilities Commission to require each electrical corporation to adjust its consumer protections to better protect customers from significant voltage changes by July 1, 2026, if the commission determines adjustments are necessary. The commission must evaluate factors including the claims process, notification procedures, outreach in relevant languages, cause identification process, customer appeal rights, and reporting requirements.

New Part 3 (Section 9530) of Division 4.8 requires governing boards of local publicly owned electric utilities to adopt policies protecting customers from voltage changes that damage equipment and appliances by January 1, 2027, and to post those policies including claims processes on their websites.

New subdivision (c) added to Section 911 requires the commission's annual report to include the number of significant voltage events that damaged customer equipment and appliances, the number of claims submitted, and the number and total dollar amount of resolved claims.

The bill's scope expanded from solely 'power surges: ratepayer notice' to also cover 'voltage changes: consumer protection,' broadening applicability from a notification mandate to a comprehensive consumer protection framework covering both investor-owned utilities and local publicly owned utilities.

Section 1 legislative findings expanded with new subdivision (b) stating the Legislature's intent that the PUC ensure existing consumer protections for power surges are adequate, including requiring electrical corporations to outreach to affected customers in relevant languages with adequate information to navigate claims procedures.