reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 765.5.

765.5. (a) The purpose of this section is to provide that the commission takes all appropriate action necessary to ensure the safe operation of railroads in this state.
(b) The commission shall dedicate sufficient resources necessary to adequately carry out the State Participation Program for the regulation of rail transportation of hazardous materials as authorized by the Hazardous Material Transportation Uniform Safety Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-615).
(c) On or before July 1, 1992, the commission shall hire a minimum of six additional rail inspectors who are or shall become federally certified, consisting of three additional motive power and equipment inspectors, two signal inspectors, and one operating practices inspector, for the purpose of enforcing compliance by railroads operating in this state with state and federal safety regulations.
(d) On or before July 1, 1992, the commission shall establish, by regulation, a minimum inspection standard to ensure, at the time of inspection, that railroad locomotives, equipment, and facilities located in class I railroad yards in California will be inspected not less frequently than every 120 days, and inspection of all branch and main line track not less frequently than every 12 months.
(e) Commencing July 1, 2008, in addition to the minimum inspections undertaken pursuant to subdivision (d), the commission shall conduct focused inspections of railroad yards and track, either in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration, or as the commission determines to be necessary. The focused inspection program shall target railroad yards and track that pose the greatest safety risk, based on inspection data, accident history, and rail traffic density.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 885, Sec. 1. Effective September 30, 2006.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 765.9.

765.9. Federal funds available to the commission for rail safety inspection and enforcement purposes shall be allocated to eligible passenger and freight rail activities on a proportionate basis.
(Added by Stats. 1991, Ch. 767, Sec. 7.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 766.

766. Whenever the commission, after a hearing finds that a physical connection can reasonably be made between the lines of two or more telephone corporations or two or more telegraph corporations whose lines can be made to form a continuous line of communication, by the construction and maintenance of suitable connections for the transfer of messages or conversations, and that public convenience and necessity will be served thereby, or finds that two or more telegraph or telephone corporations have failed to establish joint rates, tolls, or charges for service by or over their lines, and that joint rates, tolls, or charges ought to be established, the commission may, by its order, require that such connection be made on the payment of such compensation, if any, as it finds to be just and reasonable, except where the purpose of the connection is primarily to secure the transmission of local messages or conversations between points within the same city, or city and county. The commission may, by order, require that conversations be transmitted and messages transferred over such connection under such rules as it may establish, and may prescribe through lines and joint rates, tolls, and charges. If such telephone or telegraph corporations do not agree upon the division between them of the cost of such physical connection or connections or the division of such joint rates, tolls, or charges established by the commission over such through lines, the commission may after further hearing, establish such division by supplemental order.
(Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 766.5.

766.5. The commission shall investigate the practices of every telephone corporation in billing its subscribers for telephone calls, including, but not limited to, whether a corporation is unable to determine whether any telephone call was not completed and as a consequence may charge the subscriber for that uncompleted call. If the commission finds that any corporation does not have the capability of determining in every instance whether a call placed by a subscriber was completed, the commission shall require the corporation to furnish written notice, in a form and manner approved by the commission, to its subscribers of its billing practices, including, but not limited to, its practice of charging for calls placed but not completed.
(Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 712, Sec. 1.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 767.

767. Whenever the commission, after a hearing had upon its own motion or upon complaint of a public utility affected, finds that public convenience and necessity require the use by one public utility of all or any part of the conduits, subways, tracks, wires, poles, pipes, or other equipment, on, over, or under any street or highway, and belonging to another public utility, and that such use will not result in irreparable injury to the owner or other users of such property or equipment or in any substantial detriment to the service, and that such public utilities have failed to agree upon such use or the terms and conditions or compensation therefor, the commission may by order direct that such use be permitted, and prescribe a reasonable compensation and reasonable terms and conditions for the joint use. If such use is directed, the public utility to whom the use is permitted shall be liable to the owner or other users for such damage as may result therefrom to the property of the owner or other users thereof, and the commission may ascertain and direct the payment, prior to such use, of fair and just compensation for damage suffered, if any.
(Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 767.7.

767.7. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) The Legislature has encouraged, and continues to encourage, the rapid and economic development of telecommunications services to all Californians.
(2) Pursuant to Section 767.5, public utilities have dedicated a portion of their support structures to cable television corporations which have been increasingly attaching fiber optic cable that is capable of a variety of telecommunications uses. Other utilities not under the jurisdiction of the commission have also made the same dedication.
(3) Public utility and publicly owned utility support structures are also used by entities, other than cable television corporations, with the acquiescence of the public utility and voluntary permission of the publicly owned utility, for the purpose of installing fiber optic cable in order to provide various telecommunications services.
(4) Electric public utilities are currently installing fiber optic cables on their systems to enhance their operations and better serve their customers. Fiber optic cables installed by telephone, cable, and other telecommunications corporations may be accessed by electric public utilities and publicly owned utilities to enhance their operations and better serve their customers. The access may be accomplished by contract or through the purchase of tariffed services.
(b) It is therefore the intent of the Legislature that public utilities and publicly owned utilities be fairly and adequately compensated for the use of their rights-of-way and easements for the installation of fiber optic cable, and that electric public utilities and publicly owned utilities have the ability, if they so desire, to negotiate a purchase, lease, or rent of access to those fiber optic cables for their own use.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to change existing law with respect to Section 767.5.
(Added by Stats. 1994, Ch. 623, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1995.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 768.

768. The commission may, after a hearing, require every public utility to construct, maintain, and operate its line, plant, system, equipment, apparatus, tracks, and premises in a manner so as to promote and safeguard the health and safety of its employees, passengers, customers, and the public. The commission may prescribe, among other things, the installation, use, maintenance, and operation of appropriate safety or other devices or appliances, including interlocking and other protective devices at grade crossings or junctions and block or other systems of signaling. The commission may establish uniform or other standards of construction and equipment, and require the performance of any other act which the health or safety of its employees, passengers, customers, or the public may demand. The Department of the California Highway Patrol shall have the primary responsibility for the regulation of the safety of operation of passenger stage corporations. The commission shall cooperate with the Department of the California Highway Patrol to ensure safe operation of these carriers.
(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1042, Sec. 21. Effective September 29, 1996.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 768.5.

768.5. The commission may, after a hearing, by general or special orders, rules, or otherwise, require every cable television corporation to construct, maintain, and operate its plant, system, equipment, apparatus, and premises in such manner as to promote and safeguard the health and safety of its employees, customers, and the public, and may prescribe, among other things, the installation, use, maintenance, and operation of appropriate safety or other devices or appliances, establish uniform or other standards of construction and equipment, and require the performance of any other act which the health or safety of its employees, customers, or the public may demand.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to either grant or deny a cable antenna television corporation the right to use the easement of a public utility.
(Added by Stats. 1968, Ch. 1240.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 769.

769. (a) For purposes of this section, “distributed resources” means distributed renewable generation resources, energy efficiency, energy storage, electric vehicles, and demand response technologies.
(b) Not later than July 1, 2015, each electrical corporation shall submit to the commission a distribution resources plan proposal to identify optimal locations for the deployment of distributed resources. Each proposal shall do all of the following:
(1) Evaluate locational benefits and costs of distributed resources located on the distribution system. This evaluation shall be based on reductions or increases in local generation capacity needs, avoided or increased investments in distribution infrastructure, safety benefits, reliability benefits, and any other savings the distributed resources provide to the electrical grid or costs to ratepayers of the electrical corporation.
(2) Propose or identify standard tariffs, contracts, or other mechanisms for the deployment of cost-effective distributed resources that satisfy distribution planning objectives.
(3) Propose cost-effective methods of effectively coordinating existing commission-approved programs, incentives, and tariffs to maximize the locational benefits and minimize the incremental costs of distributed resources.
(4) Identify any additional utility spending necessary to integrate cost-effective distributed resources into distribution planning consistent with the goal of yielding net benefits to ratepayers.
(5) Identify barriers to the deployment of distributed resources, including, but not limited to, safety standards related to technology or operation of the distribution circuit in a manner that ensures reliable service.
(c) The commission shall review each distribution resources plan proposal submitted by an electrical corporation and approve, or modify and approve, a distribution resources plan for the corporation. The commission may modify any plan as appropriate to minimize overall system costs and maximize ratepayer benefit from investments in distributed resources.
(d) Any electrical corporation spending on distribution infrastructure necessary to accomplish the distribution resources plan shall be proposed and considered as part of the next general rate case for the corporation. The commission may approve proposed spending if it concludes that ratepayers would realize net benefits and the associated costs are just and reasonable. The commission may also adopt criteria, benchmarks, and accountability mechanisms to evaluate the success of any investment authorized pursuant to a distribution resources plan.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 71, Sec. 151. (SB 1304) Effective January 1, 2015.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 770.

770. The commission may after hearing:
(a) Ascertain and fix just and reasonable standards, classifications, regulations, practices, measurements, or service to be furnished, imposed, observed, and followed by all electrical, gas, water, and heat corporations.
(b) Ascertain and fix adequate and serviceable standards for the measurement of quantity, quality, pressure, or other condition pertaining to the supply of the product, commodity, or service furnished or rendered by any such public utility. No standard of the commission applicable to any water corporation shall be inconsistent with the regulations and standards of the State Department of Health pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 116275) of Part 12 of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code.
(c) Prescribe reasonable regulations for the examination and testing of the product, commodity, or service and for the measurement thereof.
(d) Establish reasonable rules, specifications, and standards to secure the accuracy of all meters and appliances for measurements. The commission shall require a public utility that estimates meter readings to so indicate on its billings, and shall require any estimate that is incorrect to be corrected by the next billing period, except that for reasons beyond its control due to weather, or in cases of unusual conditions, corrections for any overestimate or underestimate shall be reflected on the first regularly scheduled bill and based on an actual reading following the period of inaccessibility.
(e) Provide for the examination and testing of any and all appliances used for the measurement of any product, commodity, or service of any such public utility.
(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1023, Sec. 410. Effective September 29, 1996.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 771.

771. The commissioners and their officers and employees may enter upon any premises occupied by any public utility, for the purpose of making the examinations and tests and exercising any of the other powers provided for in this part, and may set up and use on such premises any apparatus and appliances necessary therefor. The agents and employees of the public utility may be present at the making of such examinations and tests.
(Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 772.

772. Any consumer or user of any product, commodity, or service of a public utility may have any appliance used in the measurement thereof tested upon paying the fees fixed by the commission. The commission shall establish and fix reasonable fees to be paid for testing such appliances on the request of the consumer or user. The fee shall be paid by the consumer or user at the time of his request, but if the appliance is found defective or incorrect to the disadvantage of the consumer or user, the fee shall be paid by the public utility and repaid to the consumer or user under such rules as the commission prescribes.
(Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 773.

773. Section 4200 of the Government Code shall not apply to a public utility under the jurisdiction of the Public Utilities Commission of the State of California.
(Added by Stats. 1961, Ch. 2128.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 774.

774. No water corporation which has undertaken to provide fire protection service, nor any employee of such corporation acting in the course and scope of his employment, shall be liable for any death or injury to a person or damage to or loss of property resulting from a failure to provide or maintain an adequate water supply or pressure, or any equipment or other fire protection facility or service; provided, that such immunity from liability shall not exceed that of a public agency or any of its employees, as the case may be, under similar circumstances. Nothing in this section shall preclude the enforcement of any rule, regulation, or order of the commission.
(Added by Stats. 1972, Ch. 663.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 775.

775. Whenever an electric or gas corporation sells fuel oil which is, or is reasonably expected to be, useful in the performance of its public utility function, at a price higher than the electric or gas corporation’s purchase cost, the commission shall, in any rate proceeding, require that the amount higher than the purchase cost be credited with interest against the expense claimed by the electric or gas corporation.
(Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1360.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 776.

776. (a) The commission shall, upon making the determination pursuant to subdivision (c), develop and implement performance reliability standards for all backup power systems installed on the property of residential and small commercial customers by a facilities-based provider of telephony services. Those standards shall do all the following:
(1) Establish minimum operating life.
(2) Establish minimum periods of time during which a telephone system with a charged backup power system will provide the customer with sufficient electricity for emergency usage.
(3) Establish means to warn a customer when the backup power system’s charge is low or when the system can no longer hold a charge.
(b) The commission, in developing and implementing any standards in accordance with subdivision (a), shall consider current best practices and technical feasibility for establishing battery backup requirements.
(c) The commission shall not implement standards in accordance with this section unless it determines that the benefits of the standards exceed the costs.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 425, Sec. 4. (SB 385) Effective January 1, 2018.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 776.2.

776.2. (a) For purposes of this section, “telecommunications service” has the same meaning as defined in Section 2892.1, but does not include voice communication provided by a provider of satellite telephone service.
(b) As part of a new or existing proceeding, the commission, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, shall develop and implement backup electricity rules to require providers of telecommunications service to submit resiliency plans to maintain backup electricity for their telecommunications infrastructure sufficient to maintain telecommunications service for at least 72 hours, except as provided in subdivision (c).
(c) In developing and implementing backup electricity rules pursuant to subdivision (b), the commission shall consider best practices, the feasibility of the rules, and stakeholder input. In considering best practices and feasibility, the commission may authorize, in appropriate circumstances, providers of telecommunications service to maintain backup electricity for their telecommunications infrastructure sufficient to maintain telecommunications service for less than 72 hours.
(d) This section does not require the commission to modify the communications resiliency requirements adopted in commission Decision 20-07-011 (July 16, 2020), Decision Adopting Wireless Provider Resiliency Strategies, or Decision 21-02-029 (February 11, 2021), Decision Adopting Wireline Provider Resiliency Strategies.
(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 425, Sec. 2. (SB 341) Effective January 1, 2022.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 776.5.

776.5. (a) In preparation for receiving notifications regarding the deenergization of electrical lines pursuant to Section 8386 or 8387, a facilities-based mobile telephony services provider shall do all of the following:
(1) Designate contact points or persons within the company to receive notifications from an electrical corporation, local publicly owned electric utility, or electrical cooperative, as defined in Section 2776, for expected deenergization events and outages.
(2) Develop uniform protocols prior to a deenergization event to respond appropriately to an outage.
(b) Upon receipt of a notification regarding the deenergization of electrical lines pursuant to Section 8386 or 8387, a facilities-based mobile telephony services provider shall communicate relevant situational information relative to communications capabilities during the projected outage to electrical corporations, local publicly owned electric utilities, electrical cooperatives, and appropriate public safety stakeholders, including, but not limited to, public safety offices and emergency response offices, for the affected area.
(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 410, Sec. 1. (SB 560) Effective January 1, 2020.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 778.

778. The commission shall adopt rules and regulations, which shall become effective on July 1, 1977, relating to safety appliances and procedures for rail transit services operated at grade and in vehicular traffic. The rules and regulations shall include, but not be limited to, provisions on grade crossing protection devices, headways, and maximum operating speeds with respect to the speed and volume of vehicular traffic within which the transit service is operated.
The commission shall submit the proposed rules and regulations to the Legislature not later than April 1, 1977.
(Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 924.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 779.

779. (a) No electrical, gas, heat, or water corporation may terminate residential service for nonpayment of a delinquent account unless the corporation first gives notice of the delinquency and impending termination, as provided in Section 779.1.
(b) No electrical, gas, heat, or water corporation may terminate residential service for nonpayment in any of the following situations:
(1) During the pendency of an investigation by the corporation of a customer or subscriber dispute or complaint.
(2) When a customer has been granted an extension of the period for payment of a bill.
(3) On the certification of a licensed physician and surgeon that to do so will be life threatening to the customer and the customer is financially unable to pay for service within the normal payment period and is willing to enter into an amortization agreement with the corporation pursuant to subdivision (e) with respect to all charges that the customer is unable to pay prior to delinquency.
(c) Any residential customer who has initiated a complaint or requested an investigation within five days of receiving the disputed bill, or who has, before termination of service, made a request for extension of the payment period of a bill asserted to be beyond the means of the customer to pay in full within the normal period for payment, shall be given an opportunity for review of the complaint, investigation, or request by a review manager of the corporation. The review shall include consideration of whether the customer shall be permitted to amortize any unpaid balance of the delinquent account over a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 12 months. No termination of service shall be effected for any customer complying with an amortization agreement, if the customer also keeps the account current as charges accrue in each subsequent billing period.
(d) Any customer whose complaint or request for an investigation pursuant to subdivision (c) has resulted in an adverse determination by the corporation may appeal the determination to the commission. Any subsequent appeal of the dispute or complaint to the commission is not subject to this section.
(e) Any customer meeting the requirements of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) shall, upon request, be permitted to amortize, over a period not to exceed 12 months, the unpaid balance of any bill asserted to be beyond the means of the customer to pay within the normal period for payment.
(Amended by Stats. 1985, Ch. 888, Sec. 3.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 779.2.

779.2. (a) No electrical, gas, heat, telephone, or water corporation may terminate residential service for nonpayment of any delinquent account or other indebtedness owed by the customer or subscriber to any other person or corporation or when the obligation represented by the delinquent account or other indebtedness was incurred with a person or corporation other than the electrical, gas, heat, telephone, or water corporation demanding payment therefor.
(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to a telephone corporation operating within service areas which furnishes billing services to the subscribers of a telephone corporation operating between service areas pursuant to tariffs on file with the commission providing for the furnishing of those billing services. The commission shall require that these tariffs also provide for adequate subscriber notice, review, and appeal procedures prior to any termination of service for nonpayment of a delinquent account.
(c) Subdivision (a) does not apply to any privately owned or publicly owned public utility which collects sanitation or sewerage charges for a public agency pursuant to agreement under Section 54346.2 of the Government Code or Section 5472.5 of the Health and Safety Code.
(Added by renumbering Section 779.1 (as added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 796) by Stats. 1986, Ch. 248, Sec. 211.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 779.3.

779.3. (a) A gas or electrical corporation shall not disconnect service for nonpayment by a residential customer receiving a medical baseline allowance pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 739 who is financially unable to pay for service within the normal payment period, who is willing to enter into an amortization agreement with the corporation pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 779 with respect to all charges that the customer is unable to pay, and who meets any of the following criteria:
(1) The customer or a member of the customer’s household is under hospice care at home.
(2) The customer or a member of the customer’s household depends upon life-support equipment, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 739.
(3) The customer or a member of the customer’s household has a life-threatening condition or illness, and a licensed physician, a person licensed pursuant to the Osteopathic Initiative Act, a physician assistant practicing within his or her scope of practice in compliance with the Physician Assistant Practice Act (Chapter 7.7 (commencing with Section 3500) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code), or a nurse practitioner certifies that gas or electric service is medically necessary to sustain the life of the person or prevent deterioration of the person’s medical condition.
(b) The commission may identify strategies for reasonable cost recovery by a gas or electrical corporation for costs incurred in providing gas or electric service to customers whom the gas or electrical corporation was unable to disconnect due to compliance with this section.
(c) A gas or electrical corporation may institute a verification process to implement this section.
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 518, Sec. 2. (SB 1338) Effective January 1, 2019.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 779.4.

779.4. (a) For purposes of this section, “energy utility” means an electrical corporation, a gas corporation, or an entity that is both an electrical corporation and a gas corporation.
(b) The commission shall develop rules requiring each of the four energy utilities that have the greatest number of customers in California to demonstrate that they are working with the medical community to increase marketing and outreach to persons eligible for the medical baseline allowance pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 739.
(c) The commission shall consider policies to increase marketing and outreach programs to customers eligible for the medical baseline allowance pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 739, in coordination with county public health departments.
(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 518, Sec. 3. (SB 1338) Effective January 1, 2019.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 779.5.

779.5. The decision of an electrical, gas, heat, telephone, or water corporation to require a new residential applicant to deposit a sum of money with the corporation prior to establishing an account and furnishing service shall be based solely upon the credit worthiness of the applicant as determined by the corporation.
(Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1066, Sec. 3.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 780.

780. No electrical, gas, heat, or water corporation shall, by reason of delinquency in the payment of its charges, terminate service on any Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or at any time during which the business offices of the corporation are not open to the public.
(Amended by Stats. 1985, Ch. 888, Sec. 5.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 780.5.

780.5. The commission shall require every residential unit in an apartment house or similar multiunit residential structure, condominium, and mobilehome park for which a building permit has been obtained on or after July 1, 1982, other than a dormitory or other housing accommodation provided by any postsecondary educational institution for its students or employees and other than farmworker housing, to be individually metered for electrical and gas service, except that separate metering for gas service is not required for residential units which are not equipped with gas appliances requiring venting or are equipped with only vented decorative appliances or which receive the majority of energy used for water or space heating from a solar energy system or through cogeneration technology.
(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 694, Sec. 11. Effective January 1, 2005.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 781.5.

781.5. The commission may require a water corporation that furnishes potable water for residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional use through less than 500 service connections that is not subject to the requirements of Section 526, 527, or 528 of the Water Code, or a residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional customer of the corporation, to install a water meter at any water service connection between the water system of the corporation and the customer if after a public hearing held within the service area of the corporation, the commission finds, based upon the evidence presented at that hearing, that any of the following are true:
(a) Metering will be cost effective within the service area of the corporation.
(b) Metering will result in a reduction in water consumption within the service area of the corporation.
(c) The costs of metering will not impose an unreasonable financial burden on customers within the service area of the corporation unless it is found to be necessary to ensure continuation of an adequate water supply within the service area of the corporation.
(Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 495, Sec. 3. (AB 975) Effective January 1, 2010.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 782.

782. In order to encourage the development of geothermal resources in the State of California, the commission may, upon a complaint by a geothermal energy producer, prohibit any electrical corporation from curtailing the generation, production, or transmission of electricity from a geothermal powerplant operated by such corporation, if the commission deems that such curtailment is not in the public interest.
(Added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1271.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 783.5.

783.5. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Disadvantaged community” means a San Joaquin Valley community that meets all of the following criteria:
(A) At least 25 percent of residential households with electrical service are enrolled in the CARE program pursuant to Section 739.1.
(B) Has a population greater than 100 persons within its geographic boundaries as identified by the most recent United States Census or a community survey.
(C) Has geographic boundaries no farther than seven miles from the nearest natural gas pipeline operated by a gas corporation.
(2) “San Joaquin Valley” means the counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare.
(b) No later than March 31, 2015, the commission shall initiate a new proceeding to do all of the following:
(1) Identify disadvantaged communities based on the criteria specified in subdivision (a).
(2) Analyze the economic feasibility of the following options:
(A) Extending natural gas pipelines to those disadvantaged communities.
(B) Increasing subsidies for electricity for residential customers in those disadvantaged communities.
(C) Other alternatives that would increase access to affordable energy in those disadvantaged communities that the commission deems appropriate.
(c) The commission shall determine whether any of the options analyzed in the proceeding would increase access to affordable energy in a cost-effective manner. For these options, the commission shall take appropriate action and determine appropriate funding sources.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 616, Sec. 2. (AB 2672) Effective January 1, 2015.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 784.

784. For each gas corporation, the commission shall adopt pipeline access rules that ensure that each gas corporation provides nondiscriminatory open access to its gas pipeline system to any party for the purposes of physically interconnecting with the gas pipeline system and effectuating the delivery of gas.
(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 602, Sec. 6. (AB 1900) Effective January 1, 2013.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 784.2.

784.2. Before the exhaustion of the funds made available pursuant to the monetary incentive program for biomethane projects adopted in Decision 15-06-029 (June 11, 2015), Decision Regarding the Costs of Compliance with Decision 14-01-034 and Adoption of Biomethane Promotion Policies and Program, and no later than July 1, 2019, the commission shall open a proceeding to consider options to further the goals of Section 399.24, including consideration of whether to allow recovery in rates of the costs of investments to do each of the following:
(a) Ensure that prudent and reasonable investments for infrastructure pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) provide a direct benefit, such as safety, reliability, affordability, or reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, to all classes of ratepayers and are in the interests of all classes of ratepayers.
(b) Facilitate direct investment in the procurement and installation of utility infrastructure necessary to achieve interconnection between the natural gas transmission and distribution pipeline network and biomethane generation and collection equipment, and of gathering lines for a dairy cluster biomethane project.
(c) Provide for the installation of utility infrastructure to achieve interconnection with facilities that generate biomethane.
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 598, Sec. 1. (AB 3187) Effective January 1, 2019.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 785.

785. To the extent consistent with federal law and regulation and contractual obligations regarding other available gas, the commission shall, in consultation with the Division of Oil and Gas of the Department of Conservation and with the Energy Commission, encourage, as a first priority, the increased production of gas in this state, including gas produced from that area of the Pacific Ocean along the coast of California commonly known as the outer continental shelf, and shall require, after a hearing, every gas corporation to purchase that gas which is compatible with the corporation’s gas plant and which is produced in this state having an actual delivered cost, measured in equivalent heat units, equal to or less than other available gas, unless this requirement will result in higher overall costs of gas or other consequences adverse to the interests of gas customers.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 396, Sec. 28. (AB 1513) Effective January 1, 2020.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 785.1.

785.1. (a) The commission shall require, after a hearing, every gas corporation to revise its transportation tariffs and conditions of service to eliminate all components that assess shippers of gas produced in California for the costs of interstate transmission of gas produced outside of this state. These revisions shall eliminate direct or indirect charges for the interstate transportation of gas produced outside of this state, commonly referred to as “double demand” charges.
(b) The commission shall consider and approve tariffs consistent with subdivision (a) on or before October 1, 1994.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the commission from approving intrastate transmission tariffs which include interstate transition cost surcharges, as described in commission decisions 91-11-025 and 92-07-025, in an appropriate manner.
(Added by Stats. 1993, Ch. 732, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1994.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 785.2.

785.2. The commission shall investigate, as part of the rate proceeding for any gas corporation, impediments to the in-state production and storage of natural gas. The commission may adopt a tariff that encourages in-state production or storage of natural gas, including, but not limited to, reducing local transmission rates applicable to in-state gas blends, unless the commission finds that adopting the tariff will likely result in consequences adverse to the interests of gas customers.
(Added by Stats. 2001, Ch. 771, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2002.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 785.5.

785.5. (a) The commission shall require every gas corporation to adopt and pursue purchasing and procurement practices which assure its customers the lowest rates consistent with security of supply and with Section 785.
(b) Pursuant to subdivision (a), the commission may establish and periodically revise for each gas corporation guidelines for priorities among suppliers and sources of supply of gas to gas corporations, taking into consideration the requirements of Section 785. The establishment of these guidelines does not relieve a gas corporation of any requirement to make reasonable and prudent purchases of gas or diminish the authority of the commission to review the reasonableness of any purchase or procurement decision of the corporation.
(Added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1380, Sec. 3.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 3 - Equipment, Practices, and Facilities › Section 785.7.

785.7. (a) No gas corporation shall charge, directly or indirectly, a higher rate for the transportation of gas produced in this state than for the transportation of gas from any other source. No gas corporation shall require a producer of gas or a customer for whom any gas transportation service is performed to utilize the corporation’s services or facilities either to deliver gas from the producer’s facility to the corporation’s gas plant or to process the gas to render it compatible with the corporation’s gas plant.
(b) If a producer of gas or customer delivers to the gas corporation for transportation any gas requiring any processing service, including, but not limited to, dehydration, processing for extraction of liquids, or other purification, different from, or in addition to, that performed on other gas in the corporation’s gas plant, in order for that gas to be compatible with the gas plant, the gas corporation may impose a charge for any such service actually performed. If the gas corporation constructs new facilities at the request of the producer or customer exclusively to receive gas by the gas corporation’s gas plant, the gas corporation may impose a charge for the construction, operation, and maintenance of these facilities. The amount of the charge for the processing service or facilities authorized by this subdivision shall be established by the commission and shall be based on the actual expenses for the construction, operation, maintenance, labor, materials, and overhead involved in providing the specific service or facilities.
(c) For purposes of this section, “transportation” means the movement of gas from the point of receiving by the gas plant of a gas corporation to the point of delivery to the person or corporation for whom the transportation service is performed, including any related gathering or processing of the gas. The point of receiving by the gas plant is that point in the gas corporation’s existing plant which is nearest the source of the gas and which has receiving capacity, but does not include any new facility constructed by the gas corporation at the request of the producer or customer exclusively to receive that gas. The terms and conditions of receiving, for these purposes, shall be comparable to the gas corporation’s purchase contracts in the general area of the point of receiving.
(d) Subdivision (a) does not apply to exchanges of gas between a gas corporation and a producer of gas.
(e) The commission shall allow the gas corporation to fully recover all reasonable and prudent costs associated with ownership and operation of the gas plant used for transportation.
(Added by Stats. 1988, Ch. 733, Sec. 2.)