Energization

Order Instituting Rulemaking to Establish Energization Timelines

In January 2024, the Commission opened a rulemaking proceeding (R.24-01-018) to implement provisions of Assembly Bill (AB) 50 (Wood, 2023), and Senate Bill (SB) 410 (Becker, 2023)related to the Commission’s development of average and maximum target energization timelines, and a procedure for customers to report energization delays to the Commission.

The proceeding focuses on completing the following actions that the Commission must take by September 30, 2024:

  • Establish reasonable average and maximum target energization time periods (P.U. Code Section 934(a)(1))
  • Establish a procedure for customers to report energization delays to the Commission (P.U. Code Section 934(a)(2))

Additionally, the proceeding will address actions directed by AB 50 and SB 410 for the Commission to take that include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Determining the criteria for timely service for electric customers to be energized (Section 933.5(a), and for upgraded electric customer service (Section 933.5(d).
  • Establishing annual reporting requirements on customer energization for the electrical corporations to be used to evaluate the electrical corporations’ fulfillment of timely electric service (Section 933.5(a)(2)(A)).
  • Annually convening a public workshop for the electrical corporations to discuss their reports with interested parties and experts in customer energization (Section 933.5(a)(3)).
  • Providing a forum for docketing of electrical corporation reports on energization and consideration of actions to take in light of those reports (Sections 933.5(b), 933.5(d), and 934(d)).

On February 2, 2024, Energy Division staff hosted a workshop to discuss issues pertaining to the development of reasonable average and maximum energization timing targets and the process for customers to report energization delays to the Commission. On February 6, 2024, ALJ Sisto and ALJ Van Dyken issued a ruling incorporating the questions presented in the February 2 workshop and the recording of the workshop into the proceeding record.

A link to the February 6 ruling, with instruction on how to access the workshop recording can be found here.

A link to the PowerPoint presentations can be found here.