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Committee advances bill to require utilities to improve public information on power shutoffs, with amendments
Summary
SB 559 was advanced as amended; sponsors said the bill and amendments aim to require greater transparency and timely information during public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) while preserving utility discretion for safety and restoration operations. The committee vote was recorded as 13–0.
Senate Bill 559, a measure authored by Senator Stern to increase transparency and public information during public safety power shutoffs (PSPS), was advanced by the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications as amended.
Senator Stern described PSPS as a balance between preventing utility-ignited wildfires and avoiding prolonged outages that endanger vulnerable residents who rely on electrically powered medical devices. "When your power's off and you have nowhere to turn ... and you're in the dark, not just for 12 hours but for 6 days ... people call my office. Thousands and thousands of people do and I feel powerless," Stern said. He said committee amendments grant utilities discretion on restoration decisions while requiring more public-facing information about…
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