AB 1026

AB1026:v93#DOCUMENT

Bill Start

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1026

An act to add Section 934.5 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1026, Wilson. Public utilities: electrical corporations: energization.

The Powering Up Californians Act requires the Public Utilities Commission, on or before September 30, 2024, to establish reasonable average and maximum target energization time periods, as defined, and a procedure for customers to report energization delays to the commission, as provided. The act requires the commission to require electrical corporations to take remedial actions necessary to achieve those target energization time periods and to require certain reports to be publicly available.

This bill would require the commission, in a new or existing proceeding, to require each large electrical corporation to compile a list of information needed to approve or deny an energization application, to post an example of a complete, approved energization application and an example of a complete energization application for a housing development project, and to make those items available on its internet website by a date specified by the commission. The bill would also require the commission to require each large electrical corporation to determine if an energization application is complete and provide notice or otherwise provide certain information under a specified procedure. The bill would require the commission to require each large electrical corporation, upon approval of an energization application, to immediately transmit that determination to the applicant by electronic mail and, if applicable, by posting the response on its internet website, as specified.

Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.

Because the above provisions would be part of the Public Utilities Act and a violation of a commission action implementing this bill’s requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Digest Key

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

Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

Section 934.5 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

934.5.

(a) The commission, in a new or existing proceeding, shall do all of the following:

(1) Require each large electrical corporation, as defined in Section 3280, to do all of the following:

(A) Compile one or more lists that specify in detail the information that will be required from an applicant for energization. The commission shall authorize large electrical corporation to revise the lists of information required from the applicant.

(B) Post an example of a complete, approved energization application and an example of a complete energization application for a housing development project, as defined in Section 65905.5 of the Government Code.

(C) Make the items required by subparagraphs (A) and (B) available on its internet website by a date specified by the commission.

(2) (A) Require each large electrical corporation to provide written notice to the applicant if the application for energization is complete within the specified time periods after the electrical corporation received the application, as adopted in commission Decision 24-09-020 (September 12, 2024), Decision Establishing Target Energization Time Periods and Procedures for Customers to Report Energization Delays, or a subsequent commission decision adjusting these time periods.

(B) (i) Require, if the large electrical corporation determines an application is incomplete, the large electrical corporation to provide the applicant with a notice and an opportunity to cure and address items that are deemed to be incomplete by the large electrical corporation. The notice shall include a list of incomplete items and a description of how the application can be made complete. The notice shall be provided within the time periods specified in subparagraph (A).

(ii) In the review of an applicant’s attempt to cure an incomplete application, prohibit the large electrical corporation from requiring the applicant to address an item that was not included in the list required by clause (i).

(iii) If an applicant attempts to cure an incomplete application, require the large electrical corporation to determine whether the attempt has remedied all incomplete items listed in the notice issued pursuant to clause (i), subject to the time periods and requirements specified in this paragraph as determined by the commission.

(3) Upon approval of the application, require the large electrical corporation to immediately transmit that determination to the applicant by electronic mail and, if applicable, by posting the response on its internet website after the large electrical corporation determines that an application for energization is complete pursuant to paragraph (2) within the time periods determined by the commission.

(4) If an application for energization is determined to be incomplete under subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2), require the large electrical corporation to provide a process for the applicant to appeal that decision.

(b) The commission shall not place limitations on the amount of feedback that an electrical corporation may provide or revisions that an electrical corporation may request of an applicant.

(c) The commission shall not preclude an applicant and an electrical corporation from mutually agreeing to an extension of any time limit provided by this section. However, an electrical corporation shall not require an agreement as a condition of accepting the application for, or processing of, an application for energization unless the agreement is obtained for the purpose of permitting concurrent processing of related approvals.

SEC. 2.

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.