CPUC workshop weighs updating general orders to require climate adaptation for electric utilities

The California Public Utilities Commission’s Safety Policy Division (SPD) and the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety (Energy Safety) held a workshop to discuss whether and how the commission should update multiple general orders to incorporate climate adaptation measures for electric utilities.

SPD senior regulatory analyst Jeanette Ramon opened the session, noting that “AB 111 was passed in 02/2019 meant that mandated review as necessary safety and regulatory requirements for electric facilities along with recommendations related to climate change,” and that the workshop addresses phase 2, task 6 of rulemaking R.18-04-019.

SPD said its three-round analysis of the CPUC’s 94 general orders narrowed the list to six that staff judged both relevant to climate adaptation priorities and feasible to modify: General Orders 95, 128, 165, 166, 167B and 174. Maria Jaya, a senior public utilities regulatory analyst in SPD, described nine thematic areas that cross those general orders, including site selection, construction, equipment tolerance, repetitive loss, inspections, reporting, system-failure response, reconstruction and interagency processes.

The Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety proposed a set of practical changes for the commission to consider. Colin Lang, environmental policy supervisor at Energy Safety, said a starting point is asset inventories: “It is Energy Safety’s belief that, if the utilities don't know where and what their equipment is, they cannot plan for future climate scenarios adequately.” He recommended the commission consider requiring digital, geospatial asset inventories with standard attributes and nomenclature.

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