AB 2856, as introduced, Burke. Intrastate transmission line: safety valves.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including gas corporations, as defined. The Public Utilities Act authorizes the commission to ascertain and fix just and reasonable standards, classifications, regulations, practices, measurements, or services to be furnished, imposed, observed, and followed by specified public utilities, including gas corporations.
Existing law requires the installation of automatic shutoff or remote controlled sectionalized block valves on certain intrastate transmission lines that are located in a high consequence area, as defined, or that traverse an active seismic earthquake fault. Existing law requires the owner or operator of a commission-regulated gas pipeline facility that is an intrastate transmission line to provide the commission with a valve location plan, along with any recommendations for valve locations, and authorizes the commission to make modifications to the valve location plan.
This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to this provision.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 957 of the Public Utilities Code is
2amended to read:
(a) (1) Unless the commission determines that it is
4prohibited from doing so by subdivision (c) of Section 60104 of
5Title 49 of the United States Code, the commission shall require
6the installation of automatic shutoff or remote controlled
7sectionalized block valves on both of the following facilities, if it
8determines those valves are necessary for the protection of the
9public:
10(A) Intrastate transmission lines that are located in a high
11consequence area.
12(B) Intrastate transmission lines that traverse an active seismic
13earthquake fault.
14(2) Each owner or operator of a commission-regulated gas
15pipeline facility that
is an intrastate transmission line shall provide
16the commission with a valve locationbegin delete plan, along withend deletebegin insert
plan andend insert
17 any recommendations for valve locations. The commission may
18make modifications to the valve location plan or provide for
19variations from any location requirements adopted by the
20commission pursuant to this section that it deems necessary or
21appropriate and consistent with protection of the public.
22(3) The commission shall additionally establish action timelines,
23adopt standards for how to prioritize installation of automatic
24shutoff or remote controlled sectionalized block valves pursuant
25to paragraph (1), ensure that remote and automatic shutoff valves
26are installed as quickly as is reasonably possible, and establish
27ongoing procedures for monitoring progress in achieving the
28requirements of this section.
29(b) The commission shall authorize recovery in rates for all
30reasonably incurred costs incurred for implementation of the
31
requirements of this section.
32(c) The commission, in consultation with the Pipeline and
33Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the United States
34Department of Transportation, shall adopt and enforce compatible
35safety standards for commission-regulated gas pipeline facilities
P3 1that the commission determines should be adopted to implement
2the requirements of this section.
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