Energy Safety adopts process guidelines for safety culture assessments and wildfire mitigation

The Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety in California held a public meeting on February 21, 2025, to discuss the adoption of the Energy Safety Policy Division (ESPD) process guidelines. The meeting was led by Deputy Director Antonio Marino, who emphasized the importance of these guidelines in ensuring the effective management of energy safety protocols.

During the meeting, Nathan, a senior public utilities regulatory analyst, provided an overview of the guidelines, which are designed to standardize processes across various work streams, including safety culture assessments and wildfire mitigation plans. The guidelines consist of eight sections covering topics such as public participation and submission requirements.

Zhenyang Xiao, another analyst, highlighted revisions made to the draft guidelines based on feedback received from stakeholders. Notably, the guidelines now clarify that stakeholders can request designations for entire cases, enhancing transparency and participation in the process.

Following the presentation, the meeting opened for public comments, allowing stakeholders to voice their opinions and concerns. After considering the feedback, the final version of the ESPD process guidelines was adopted, fulfilling the requirements set forth by government code.

Looking ahead, a clean version of the guidelines will be published on the Energy Safety website by February 24, 2025. Additionally, a public adoption meeting for the Wildfire Mitigation Plan guidelines is scheduled for later that same day. Participants were encouraged to subscribe to updates on ESPD work streams to stay informed about future developments. The meeting concluded with a reminder of the importance of public engagement in energy safety initiatives.