CPUC Ignores Law To Get Wildfire Reports From SC Edison
Written by 991KBU on December 18, 2018
Newspapers across the state are writing articles about the failure of Southern California Edison to have followed the law in terms of preparing for wildfires.
And the problem sits at the California Public Utilities Commission … which has ignored for two years a law that requires power companies to publicly file their plans to reduce the risk …
In 2016 … the state legislature required electric companies to draft plans to prevent wildfires.
The state was also required to publicly review the plans and examine them for compliance with state safety laws.
It never happened.
The CPUC failed to write guidelines for fire safety compliance.
Southern California Edison and PG and E failed to file any plans.
Edison tells the Los Angeles Times that it did not file a wildfire plan because the CPUC did not set forth specific requirements for the report.
Edison says it has several widlfire plans and policies.
But the state law required public review of thos plans … and polices …. soemthing that has never happened.
That didn’t stop San Diego Gas and Electric … which complied with the law …
but the San Diego plan was never reviewed by anyone.
The San Francsico Bay Area state senator who write the law says the CPUC simply sat on their hands…. while the fire danger got worse and worse.
Last summer … the legislature enacted a new law …. Senate Bill 901 … which also requires wildfire planning.
And Senate Bill 901 requires that wildfire plans be submitted by February. …
Big deal.
Even the CPUC says it “does not expect to achieve perfection in the short time that will be available for initial review and implementation of the first wildfire mitigation plans.
