[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6314816,"mediaKeyId","2382523-5ff1655726e1e57d11c5acd1b1d26ade","parentId",2382523,"title","Cal Advocates urges CPUC to build customer‑level event records for outages","audioSeconds",2303,"startMs",14436790,"endMs",16740000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2382523-5ff1655726e1e57d11c5acd1b1d26ade&start=14436&end=16740","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2382523-5ff1655726e1e57d11c5acd1b1d26ade/thumbnail_14436790.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6314816/California/Cal-Advocates-urges-CPUC-to-build-customerlevel-event-records-for-outages","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6314816-995494ea3f17d703ccedb150a8fa5686/orig.mp4?Expires=1773655322&Signature=dASuqDD0VvMmRZ6KCa9J1gIbczY6GAvjrOBSVjwa~XRxSLIPW7MSnTtc6u4fjwf13KRsfvCvIk8i8tX9rRzE7nCeRwW9xpLZCgrfBFA1Bbw5TgjYHYRw25kIiVyR7lUksxHMwRDuUYN1sR5~ynAe~nayb5bbBYY0dwZNAgTK7oHkZS9mzyeRws8VpDH2OD02NBhG38N-GjK2i4P63LC2J8~6-oVX1Vkm5ZKkiudRqdQKM4vj2BBrk6MlcapR5U7xS4zLgdglTjZpUNV8LqtPQ9gS-K0vmpAUKrBsOwvIOgM9GmNgQVGVWn1gqTehrDTMs6jaoxoy1y~gS2T~PdgQEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","California Public Utilities Commission","date","2025-02-24T21:51:30Z","article","Cal Advocates’ safety analysis team urged the CPUC to shift from assembling disparate reports into a single customer‑level data framework that records business events (notifications, de‑energizations, restorations and related operational decisions) against a customer or asset identifier.

Ian Fisher, supervisor of the Safety Analysis Section in Cal Advocates, told the workshop that customer‑level records — keyed to a meter or other distribution asset rather than a person’s private data — would let analysts compute traditional metrics while also exposing extremes, repeat impacts and equity concerns. “Record business decisions and actions at the customer level,” Fisher said, summarizing the office’s December comments to the proceeding.

Why it matters: several participants said current reports obscure individuals who experience repeated outages and make it hard to monitor equity. Cal Advocates displayed PSPS data the office assembled for Southern California Edison that used point‑in‑time customer locations to map every de‑energization from 2020–2023, then highlighted the most‑impacted 10 percent of customers and, separately, the most‑impacted medical‑baseline customers. Those charts showed customers with many de‑energizations and long cumulative outage durations that are not visible in aggregated SADI/SAIFI summaries.

What Cal Advocates proposed: Fisher recommended three principles — make the customer the center of reporting; collect identical, compatible fields for planned and unplanned outages; and decouple data collection (recording business events) from reporting and aggregation layers. He also urged that event timestamps and asset linkage (meter ID or transformer ID) be recorded to allow cross‑validation with maintenance and spatial datasets. That architecture, he said, would allow the CPUC and stakeholders to run both standard reliability metrics and new slices such as “customers experiencing multiple interruptions” or “top 10 percent worst‑affected residences.”

Examples and privacy: Fisher and other presenters emphasized that privacy concerns can be managed by storing event records keyed to an asset and exposing aggregated or anonymized reports publicly while preserving a detailed audit trail for authorized reviewers. Participants noted that utilities already keep meter‑level outage records in outage management systems; Cal Advocates argued the key is a common customer event record format and QA/QC procedures.

Next steps and reactions: advocates, local governments and some utility presenters supported piloting a customer‑level record for a single business process (for example, PSPS or EPSS) to validate formats and governance. Fisher recommended bite‑sized pilots rather than a single big‑bang change.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","R.24-05-023: Workshop on Data Definitions, Data Reporting, and Reliability Thresholds","oneSentenceSummary","Cal Advocates proposed the CPUC require utilities to record outage notifications, de‑energizations and restorations against individual meter or asset identifiers so regulators and local governments can measure repeat impacts and prioritize mitigation.","taxTitle","California Public Utilities Commission, Boards and Commissions, Executive, California","taxId",77657,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6314820,"CPUC workshop lays groundwork to standardize outage data and shape staff proposal",725,4881,730000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2382523-5ff1655726e1e57d11c5acd1b1d26ade&start=4&end=730","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2382523-5ff1655726e1e57d11c5acd1b1d26ade/thumbnail_4881.jpg","/articles/6314820/California/CPUC-workshop-lays-groundwork-to-standardize-outage-data-and-shape-staff-proposal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6314820-06701cdaf8f49dedd34f30b08d532c85/orig.mp4?Expires=1773655322&Signature=bN1dvHEu0zLbNaSdNTiwRsJ7W6VeLkQrcC-ytx2gIA0gADoLx2wwp92tQ-KuotHZHk1S5QZ4XQqdoHxmJB016BTLajHnc8zQ78PWoZEzbPUmpb615nVkMBpNc3u1UuUlMkvPF7qD9602fzSkspvNTiYI3MDTMjFfSClMNTYRGCqJ4UHRYSc7AFd0XWkNaSbeLkVUavvwkZ8DLBj7kqUXFtutkJrpfMeTUr1bvzpBrKvwI3jUXgWhQOOw~dubMyZmbLiBbt59hZe2JC5kLt-HVzqTdmQfSsaIYR6glUR~DNtslIsGFqps8geigW2akf5nuoU2wQeuuNgqezjPvPlm~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","State regulators, utilities and stakeholders spent a day at a virtual California Public Utilities Commission workshop (proceeding R24‑05‑023) focused on harmonizing how investor‑owned utilities collect, report and disclose electric distribution reliability and outage data.

The workshop, led by CPUC staff and opened by Commissioner Matt Baker, centered on three short‑term topics: data definitions, data reporting and liability thresholds. “Data is only as good as our ability to act on it,” Commissioner Baker said, urging debate that will inform a staff proposal and later phases of the rulemaking.

Why it matters: multiple presenters from CPUC’s Safety Policy Division described fragmentation across six major reporting streams — wildfire mitigation plan quarterly data reports (WMP QDR), annual electric reliability reports (AERR), PSPS post‑event reports, enhanced power‑line safety setting (EPSS) reports, General Order 166 (GO 166) event reporting and ad hoc data requests. Speakers argued those sources vary in format, frequency and content, which creates data silos, slows analysis and hides local customer impacts.

CPUC staff researchers and analysts said the gap is not only technical. Presentations explained that tabular WMP QDR files are summaries of confidential geospatial submissions; PSPS post‑event reports include polygon maps of de‑energized areas; the AERR requires circuit‑level worst‑performing lists; and EPSS reports (for PG&E) provide monthly detail about customers impacted. But the different schemas, timing and public availability limit cross‑analysis.

Staff outlined immediate next steps. Richard Keogh of the Safety Policy Division said workshop results will inform a staff proposal on harmonized outage definitions and reporting formats; the proposal will be circulated for comment at a later workshop. Audrey Williams of the Safety Policy Division described the proceeding as an open process and encouraged participants to keep submitting specifics the staff should include.

What participants asked for: multiple stakeholders urged that any new framework prioritize (1) consistent, machine‑readable data formats; (2) common time and location keys so datasets can be linked; (3) customer‑level event records (anonymized or asset‑keyed) to show who experienced outages and when; and (4) clarity on thresholds such as major event day definitions. Local governments and advocates also asked that reporting be usable at city or ZIP‑code scale so emergency response and equity impacts can be assessed.

Staff next steps: CPUC staff said they will draft a staff proposal that consolidates the workshop inputs into recommended data definitions, reporting templates and threshold options. That proposal will be presented in a future workshop for public comment.

Ending: Participants described the workshop as the opening phase of a multi‑track proceeding that will next propose specific data templates and reporting cadence; later phases will examine performance thresholds and potential rules to require the new reports.","At a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) virtual workshop on rulemaking R24-05-023, staff, utilities, advocates and local governments discussed gaps in outage and reliability data and asked the CPUC to craft a staff proposal to standardize definitions, reporting formats and thresholds to improve transparency and actionability.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6314807,"CPUC staff and experts review major‑event‑day math and discuss thresholds for catastrophic outages",20976,1734000,22710000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2382523-5ff1655726e1e57d11c5acd1b1d26ade&start=1734&end=22710","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2382523-5ff1655726e1e57d11c5acd1b1d26ade/thumbnail_1734000.jpg","/articles/6314807/California/CPUC-staff-and-experts-review-majoreventday-math-and-discuss-thresholds-for-catastrophic-outages","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6314807-6bf9ef3ec5cb503498cb4e816a97c518/orig.mp4?Expires=1773655322&Signature=CfRanB~177fjGT7EeAp3TJaAyKp1YteHhqg8G~LRsOVR~DG6~khxu6cyB3DiMqhiH8n-2ciiYYtlPfFk2pD7Hef7CN5fdmRJoMYv-ZeamTJ0JeQyO~~G6tYwTLSQuaghB9QKICQt5q6zm4Jnj9xTBqccGZmjT1OZtbVdWmlc02ZgzXXasJ6btfvYGDADBfibpqT3rOR4XUk3eBronCe9dia~jUrniElGhoaphu1tYKJqAZMyqy2ya~qlS1VfnZmWik5cCRhsor-GfTNgrVdMseV2BdfXYpR~bb8FcLRTr6ymFXN7nBkZlOBnznfObzRM6Wrn0Xzgeg1Zq0N6Q5M~nQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A technical session on reliability thresholds examined how the CPUC and utilities currently treat extreme outage days and whether additional thresholds would make reporting more useful.

Julian Ennis of CPUC Energy Division explained that California utilities report system reliability indices (SAIDI, SAIFI, CAIDI and MAIFI) both with and without \"major event days\" (MEDs). Under IEEE Standard 1366, a MED is a day when the daily SAIDI exceeds a statistical threshold derived from the prior five years’ daily SAIDI values using a 2.5‑beta log‑normal method. Ennis noted the method identifies very high‑impact, low‑frequency days but does not encode causality: a PSPS, storm or other disruption becomes a MED only if it exceeds the statistical threshold.

Ennis and other speakers showed that territory‑wide MED thresholds have increased in recent years (PG&E’s territory was used as an example), which can raise the bar for what gets excluded from “normal” reliability metrics. That, they warned, risks masking persistent localized problems when large, infrequent events inflate the reference distribution.

The IEEE distribution reliability working group considered adding a separate “catastrophic event day” threshold (the 4.15‑beta method was discussed in the standard’s technical work), but the working group did not adopt a universal catastrophic definition because no single objective method reliably distinguished catastrophic events across utilities and geographies. The working group recommended regulators and utilities determine local approaches when needed.

GO 166 and MEDs: Safety Policy Division staff explained GO 166’s “measured event” reporting and its links to KD (customer average interruption duration index) benchmarks used during declared emergencies. Staff noted timing issues; GO 166 event reports can have a long lag (annual report windows), and SED/SBD sometimes must issue ad hoc requests to assemble winter storm event details quickly for follow‑up analysis.

What participants asked for: proposals ranged from keeping the IEEE MED calculation but adding geographically segmented thresholds (for divisions or fire‑zone subsets) to exploring multivariate or clustering methods that identify events by pattern rather than a single statistical cutoff. Several presenters urged the commission to consider a process for refining thresholds as new data streams (customer event records, spatial outage polygons) become available.

Ending: Staff said the workshop inputs would feed a staff proposal that will outline candidate threshold definitions, reporting windows and recommended QA/QC methods for the commission to consider.","Engineers and staff reviewed how major event days are computed under IEEE standards and discussed whether additional catastrophic thresholds are needed; presenters said the major‑event approach relies on territory‑wide, log‑normal statistics and warned that rising thresholds can hide large, localized problems.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6314811,"Local governments press CPUC for timely, geographic and customer‑specific outage information",0,12197000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2382523-5ff1655726e1e57d11c5acd1b1d26ade&start=12197&end=12197","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2382523-5ff1655726e1e57d11c5acd1b1d26ade/thumbnail_12197000.jpg","/articles/6314811/California/Local-governments-press-CPUC-for-timely-geographic-and-customerspecific-outage-information","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6314811-9c1b7e081cc056ab8dbbad644de0ed7b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773655322&Signature=AnG8cDw329KXJZoW-bXlSXR~NPD~lDVubZ45HfRmem4tZvaYVTRaRtAQQvQpt606eJZoMeIRZr4N3Dhh4~Mb8w9-n7LlImX91F1WlGjQKaUDDZlgjuCyYuUIxG0oRsG0KycSMUohStr218oI0q0c-ENz0XUJiylb8EcbKITq8mDMm~0ESu3vYT074IOyTLAznoQgadX7Fk7w9diYo-uKBZTlv-3drwT9IDLhWhTzQtFLhHEVbI~xv26UVq9rNeDA8UzCsEp8OxbT6KzbzrYdZ9Z4gDpdm4FFJCv-z3Bdg9xae6OK3cKOI0aZPhwHM4PZQf31fSg6qvBVZ~bHiOO1EQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County and city officials from Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties, the City and County of San Francisco, and the Rural County Representatives of California urged the CPUC to require more transparent, actionable information from investor‑owned utilities.

Why local governments want change: local emergency managers and elected officials said they operate on the front lines of outage response and must manage sheltering, medical transport and continuity for hospitals, 9‑1‑1 centers and multifamily housing. Jeanne Mangone of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission described multiple instances where PG&E work or storm outages produced unclear or inaccurate communications: a pole replacement that led to an unannounced outage at a 9‑1‑1 dispatch center; a prolonged storm outage that affected San Francisco General Hospital and produced little information from the IOU; and a downtown underground vault fire whose reporting showed the affected multifamily complex as a single master account rather than the 1,254 subaccounts the building contained.

Local governments’ asks: the jurisdictions proposed several near‑term and longer‑term improvements: (1) make EPSS/fast‑trip monthly reports available in the CPUC public‑safety partner web portals so emergency managers can access them without searching disparate dockets; (2) publish consolidated lists of “high‑impact” circuits (the frequent‑outage circuits) and historical outage counts for each piece of equipment; (3) require IOUs to provide timelines and planned remedies for high‑impact circuits, and to note whether the fix is near, medium or long term (for example, replacement, covered conductor, or undergrounding); and (4) verify and maintain up‑to‑date lists of critical and medically dependent customers in coordination with local governments.

Equity and vulnerable populations: presenters said aggregated system metrics hide concentrated harms. RCRC and other county representatives asked that reporting show impacts to environmental‑justice communities, rural and hard‑to‑reach populations, and the medically dependent. Melissa Kacznitz of the Center for Accessible Technology emphasized the need for reporting and outreach that recognizes cumulative harms to individuals who lose power repeatedly and face immediate health risks.

How utilities reacted: IOU representatives described existing public dashboards and reporting feeds — the WMP QDR, PSPS dashboards and AERR filings — and noted that some customer‑level meter/outage records already exist in outage management systems, but they flagged data standardization, privacy and operational constraints as implementation issues.

Ending: Local officials asked the CPUC to prioritize near‑term transparency fixes (portal access, consolidated high‑impact circuit lists and PSPS/EPSS report accessibility) while the commission and staff design longer‑term customer‑level reporting and remediation requirements.","Representatives from Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties, San Francisco and rural county coalitions told the CPUC they need faster, more granular outage reporting and clearer utility plans for fixing frequently failing circuits so local emergency managers can protect medically vulnerable residents, maintain critical facilities and target public aid.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Cal Advocates urges CPUC to build customer‑level event records for outages

CPUC workshop lays groundwork to standardize outage data and shape staff proposal

CPUC staff and experts review major‑event‑day math and discuss thresholds for catastrophic outages

Local governments press CPUC for timely, geographic and customer‑specific outage information