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 Bill Text - AB-1228 Electricity: expedited utility distribution infrastructure undergrounding program.

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 |Add To My Favorites |Track Bill | Version: 02/21/25 - Introduced

 AB-1228 Electricity: expedited utility distribution infrastructure undergrounding program.(2025-2026)

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 Date Published: 02/21/2025 09:00 PM

AB1228:v99#DOCUMENTBill Start

 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

 Assembly Bill

No. 1228

Introduced by Assembly Member Essayli
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Alanis, Castillo, Davies, DeMaio, Flora, Gallagher, Sanchez, and Wallis)

February 21, 2025

 An act to amend Section 8388.5 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity. 

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1228, as introduced, Essayli.
 Electricity: expedited utility distribution infrastructure undergrounding program.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires the commission to establish an expedited utility distribution infrastructure undergrounding program for large electrical corporations. In order to participate in the program, existing law requires a large electrical corporation to submit to the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety a distribution infrastructure undergrounding plan, as provided. Upon approval of the plan by the office, existing law requires the large electrical corporation to submit to the commission an application requesting review and conditional approval of the plan’s costs and other specified information.

This bill would specify that the approval of a distribution infrastructure undergrounding plan is not a project for
 purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act, as specified.

Digest Key

 Vote:
 MAJORITY 
 Appropriation:
 NO 
 Fiscal Committee:
 YES 
 Local Program:
 NO 

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 8388.5 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:

8388.5.

 (a) The commission shall establish an expedited utility distribution infrastructure undergrounding program consistent with this section.

(b) Only a large electrical corporation may participate in the program.

(c) In order to participate in the program, a large electrical corporation shall submit to the office a distribution infrastructure undergrounding plan that shall address or include, at minimum, all of the following components:

(1) A 10-year plan for undergrounding distribution infrastructure.

(2) Identification of the undergrounding projects that will be constructed
 as part of the program, including a means of prioritizing undergrounding projects based on wildfire risk reduction, public safety, cost efficiency, and reliability benefits. Only undergrounding projects located in tier 2 or 3 high fire-threat districts or rebuild areas may be considered and constructed as part of the program.

(3) Timelines for the completion of identified and prioritized undergrounding projects, and unit cost targets and mileage completion targets for each year covered by the plan.

(4) A comparison of undergrounding versus aboveground hardening of electrical infrastructure and wildfire mitigation for achieving comparable risk reduction, or any other alternative mitigation strategy, such as covered conductor and rapid earth fault current limiter devices, for those prioritized undergrounding projects, evaluating the scope, cost, extent, and risk reduction of each
 activity, separately and collectively, over the duration of the plan. The comparison shall emphasize risk reduction and include an analysis of the cost of each activity for reducing wildfire risk, separately and collectively, over the duration of the plan.

(5) A plan for utility and contractor workforce development.

(6) An evaluation of project costs, projected economic benefits over the life of the assets, and any cost containment assumptions, including the economies of scale necessary to reduce wildfire risk and mitigation costs and establish a sustainable supply chain.

(d) Upon a large electrical corporation submitting a plan to the office, the office shall do both of the following:

(1) Publish the plan for public comment.

(2) Within nine months, review and approve or deny the plan. The office may only approve the plan if the large electrical corporation has shown that the plan will substantially increase electr