(a)For purposes of this section, both of the following definitions apply:
(1)“Large electrical corporation” has the same meaning as defined in Section 3280.
(2)“Significant voltage-related incident” means a deviation in electrical service voltage delivered by an electrical corporation to a customer that falls outside the standard electrical service voltage range of plus or minus 5
percent of nominal voltage and that results in damage to customer-owned equipment, appliances, or property.
(b)
(1)On or before January 1, 2027, the commission shall require each large electrical corporation to commence a study to evaluate significant voltage-related incidents across its residential, commercial, and industrial customers that resulted in damage to customer-owned equipment, appliances, or
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(a)
For purposes of this section, both of the following definitions apply:
(1)
“Large electrical corporation” has the same meaning as defined in Section 3280.
(2)
“Significant voltage-related incident” means a deviation in electrical service voltage delivered by an electrical corporation to a customer that falls outside the standard electrical service voltage range of plus or minus 5
percent of nominal voltage and that results in damage to customer-owned equipment, appliances, or property.
(b)
(1)
On or before January 1, 2027, the commission shall require each large electrical corporation to commence a study to evaluate significant voltage-related incidents across its residential, commercial, and industrial customers that resulted in damage to customer-owned equipment, appliances, or property totaling five thousand dollars ($5,000) or more.
(2)
Each study shall, at a minimum, do all of the following:
(A)
Evaluate associated consumer protections within the service territory of the large electrical corporation.
(B)
Quantify the frequency and causes of significant
voltage-related incidents that resulted in property damage,
including, but not limited to, the number and geographic distribution of significant voltage-related incidents reported
from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2026, inclusive.
(C)
Identify the causes of significant voltage-related incidents, including electrical grid instability, system failures, or natural disasters such as wildfires and
storms, reported from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2026, inclusive.
(D)
Evaluate the impacts of, and damage caused by, significant voltage-related incidents on
the large electrical corporation’s operations and service reliability and customer-owned equipment, appliances, or property, including, but not limited to, the frequency of high- and low-voltage changes by voltage class across different customer classes, including residential, commercial, and industrial customer
classes.
(E)
Quantify the extent of reported property damage, including total monetary claims filed, approved, and denied, to different customer classes, including residential, commercial, and industrial customer classes, resulting from significant
voltage-related incidents.
(F)
Evaluate any trends in customer complaints related to significant voltage-related incidents.
(G)
Examine response times and management and resolution of complaints or claims related to significant voltage-related incidents that resulted in
damage to customer-owned equipment, appliances, or property.
(H)
Describe consumer protections from significant voltage-related incidents in the large electrical corporation’s service territory.
(I)
Evaluate the adequacy of the consumer protections related to reporting and public disclosure of significant voltage-related incidents that resulted in damage to customer-owned equipment, appliances, or property.
(J)
Identify current outreach and support related to significant voltage-related incidents, including, but not limited to, whether current practices adequately serve low-income, rural, and limited English proficiency customers seeking reimbursement for damage to customer-owned equipment, appliances, or property.
(c)
On or before July 1, 2027, the commission shall publish hyperlinks on its internet website to the studies conducted by the large electrical corporations, and report on the studies to the Legislature.
(d)
Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section is repealed on January 1, 2031.