BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2584
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 2, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2584 (Bradford) - As Amended: April 23, 2012
Policy Committee:
UtilitiesVote:13-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires electrical corporations and gas corporations
regulated by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to:
1)Cooperate fully with the PUC in an investigation into a major
accident or any reportable incident.
2)Provide to the PUC, upon request, immediate access to
specified information and any factual evidence related to an
accident or incident.
3)Preserve all documents related to an incident, collected as
part of the corporation's investigation, for at least five
years.
FISCAL EFFECT
No fiscal impact, as the bill codifies an existing PUC order.
COMMENTS
1)Background . On September 8, 2011, more than 4 million people
lost power after a 500 kV transmission line was tripped,
triggering a massive blackout in Mexico, Southern California
and Arizona. According to San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E),
1.4 million of its customers were affected. On November 30,
2012 and December 1, 2012, a windstorm with gusts of 60-80 mph
hit the Los Angeles area, knocking out power to more than
250,000 residents. A number of residents were without service
for 7 days.
AB 2584
Page 2
At a Joint Hearing of the Assembly Utilities & Commerce
Committee and the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency
Management, the PUC reported that materials and equipment that
would have been useful for determining the cause such
incidents may have been destroyed.
2)Purpose . The PUC's General Order No. 95, pertaining to the
Rules for Overhead Electric Line Construction, includes Rule
19, which prescribes, for each regulated utility with electric
lines, its duties for preserving evidence related to
accidents. AB 2584 codifies Rule 19 as applicable to all
accidents and incidents involving the regulated utilities.
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081