(a) The commission shall continue to enforce the rules governing the extension of service by gas and electrical corporations to new residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial customers in effect on January 1, 1982, except that the commission shall amend the existing rules to permit applicants for service to install extensions in accordance with subdivision (f). Except for periodic review provisions of existing rules, and amendments to permit installations by an applicant’s contractor, the commission shall not investigate amending these rules or issue any orders or decisions that amend these rules, unless the investigation or proceeding for the issuance of the order or decision is conducted pursuant to subdivision (b).
(b) Whenever the commission institutes an investigation into the terms and conditions for the extension of services provided by gas and electrical corporations to new or existing customers, or considers issuing an order or decision amending those terms or conditions, the commission shall make written findings on all of the following issues:
(1) The economic effect of the line and service extension terms and conditions upon agriculture, residential housing, mobilehome parks, rural customers, urban customers, employment, and commercial and industrial building and development.
(2) The effect of requiring new or existing customers applying for an extension to an electrical or gas corporation to provide transmission or distribution facilities for other customers who will apply to receive line and service extensions in the future.
(3) The effect of requiring a new or existing customer applying for an extension to an electrical or gas corporation to be responsible for the distribution of, reinforcements of, relocations of, or additions to that gas or electrical corporation.
(4) The economic effect of the terms and conditions upon projects, including redevelopment projects, funded or sponsored by cities, counties, or districts.
(5) The effect of the line and service extension regulations, and any modifications to them, on existing ratepayers.
(6) The effect of the line and service extension regulations, and any modifications to them, on the consumption and conservation of energy.
(7) The extent to which there is cost-justification for a special line and service extension allowance for agriculture.
(c) The commission shall request the assistance of appropriate state agencies and departments in conducting any investigation or proceeding pursuant to subdivision (b), including, but not limited to, the Transportation Agency, the Department of Food and Agriculture, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Bureau of Real Estate, and the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(d) Any new order or decision issued pursuant to an investigation or proceeding conducted pursuant to subdivision (b) shall become effective on July 1 of the year that follows the year when the new order or decision is adopted by the commission, so as to ensure that the public has at least six months to consider the new order or decision.
(e) The commission shall conduct any investigation or proceeding pursuant to subdivision (b) within the commission’s existing budget, and any state agency or department that is requested by the commission to provide assistance pursuant to subdivision (c) shall also provide the assistance within the agency’s or department’s existing budget.
(f) An electrical or gas corporation shall permit a new or existing customer who applies for an extension of service from that corporation to install a gas or electric extension in accordance with the regulations of the commission and applicable specifications of that electrical or gas corporation consistent with subdivision (g).
(g) (1) Only those construction and design specifications, standards, terms, and conditions that are applicable to a new extension-of-service project by an electrical or gas corporation on the date the application is approved for the extension of service apply to the new project for the 18 months following the approval date of the application.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), an electrical or gas corporation may adopt modifications to construction and design specifications, standards, terms, and conditions applicable to a new extension-of-service project in accordance with any of the following:
(A) An order or decision of the commission or any other state or federal agency with jurisdiction.
(B) A work order issued by the electrical or gas corporation to implement construction or design changes necessitated by a customer-driven scope of work modification.
(C) A material-related design change identified by the electrical or gas corporation to remedy a construction material defect that could pose a risk to public safety.
(h) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “The date the application is approved” means the earlier of either the effective date of the contract for the extension of gas or electric service or the date when the utility first invoices the customer for the extension of gas or electric service.
(2) “Customer-driven scope of work modification” means those modifications required to accommodate the construction and design needs of a new extension-of-service project for a specific customer.
(3) “Invoice” means when an electrical or gas corporation presents an offer to the customer for the extension of gas or electric service in response to an application for an extension of service submitted pursuant to subdivision (f).
(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 370, Sec. 252. (SB 1371) Effective January 1, 2021.)