CA Senators stand alongside ratepayers in PSPS-prone zones 

SACRAMENTO - When firestorms swept through Southern California this January, millions of homes were left in the dark due to Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). Now, the California State Senate is stepping up with a legislative push to protect ratepayers and improve how outages are handled. A group of key bills has just cleared the Senate Energy and Communications Committee, signaling a strong commitment to enhancing reliability, equity, and communication during these increasingly common blackouts.

"Shutting off our power during windstorms can prevent catastrophic wildfires but it also puts vulnerable people and critical infrastructure at serious risk,” said Senator Stern (D-Los Angeles). “These bills will force utilities to coordinate more carefully with local first responders, restore power more quickly where it’s needed, give communities more funding to generate their own power with microgrids, solar and battery storage, and make sure people don’t get left in the dark when they most need to stay connected.”

These reforms reflect the Senate’s commitment to balancing public safety, climate resilience, and ratepayer protection as California adapts to increasingly severe wildfire risks and grid challenges:

SB 559 (Stern) – Utility Power Shut Off Accountability and Transparency: utilities will be required to provide to their customers more accurate outage maps with wind speeds and circuit data, and to coordinate restoration more closely with local governments and first responders.

SB 453 (Stern) – Empowering Vulnerable Communities and Critical Infrastructure to Self-Generate with Clean Power: expedites approximately $200 million in existing funds for microgrids and small scale solar-storage for vulnerable customers and critical facilities like fire stations, grocery stores, nursing homes, preschools, senior centers and water pumping systems.

SB 256 (Pérez) – Enhancing Infrastructure for Wildfire Mitigation Act: SB 256 will strengthen California’s wildfire response by increasing public safety through better communication.

"SB 256 will strengthen California’s wildfire response by increasing public safety through better communication. We see the critical need for better communication following the devastating Eaton and Palisades Fires. The bill would require utilities to work more closely with public safety partners in communicating Public Safety Power Shutoffs to affected communities in a timely and transparent manner,” said Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena).

SB 618 (Reyes) – Electricity: Deenergization Events: Reimbursement Credit: Would require investor-owned utilities to compensate ratepayers $30 for every 24 hours that they are without power. The bill would also require public utilities to identify ways to compensate customers who experience de-energization events in their wildfire mitigation plans.

“These shutoff events result in insignificant financial and health impacts to individuals, families, and businesses, particularly those in low-income communities,” said Senator Eloise Gomez-Reyes (D-Colton). “ Given the ever-increasing frequency and severity of climate emergencies, PSPS events have become standard practice for utilities. SB 618 provides a common-sense mechanism that will help people more quickly adapt to loss of wages, spoiled groceries, and health impacts caused by future energy disruptions.”

All four bills are in the Senate Appropriations Committee and awaiting a hearing date.