CA SB256

Requires the Public Utilities Commission by January 1, 2027 to update General Order No. 95 mandating electrical corporations remove all permanently abandoned facilities to prevent public nuisances or hazards to life or property

Electrical corporations rebuilding distribution infrastructure in wildfire-affected areas must consider undergrounding if determined cost effective compared to other wildfire mitigation strategies

Wildfire mitigation plans must now include consideration of wildland-urban interface risks, coordination procedures with local fire and emergency officials, and accounting of all transmission facilities including plans for removing abandoned facilities

Electrical corporations must enable non-account-holder household residents to subscribe to deenergization notifications and coordinate communications with public safety partners for broader community messaging during events

Electrical corporations and local publicly owned utilities with service areas overlapping local operations centers must assign liaison representatives to those centers and complete Standardized Emergency Management System and National Incident Management System training