Public Utilities Code, 1951

Electric, gas, heat, and water corporations may not terminate residential service for nonpayment unless they give prior notice, and they must not terminate in certain dispute, extension, or medical emergency situations.

Utilities must give residential customers notice and time before shutting off service for nonpayment, and they must restore service without charge if it was wrongfully terminated.

Certain utilities may not cut off residential service just because the customer owes someone else money; some telephone and utility billing arrangements are exempt, and the commission must require notice, review, and appeal procedures in the relevant tariffs.

A gas or electrical corporation must not disconnect residential service for nonpayment when the customer has a medical baseline allowance, cannot pay in the normal period, agrees to an amortization plan, and meets one of the listed medical conditions.

The commission must adopt rules requiring the four largest California energy utilities to show they are working with the medical community to increase marketing and outreach to people eligible for the medical baseline allowance.

A utility corporation may require a new residential applicant to post a deposit only if that decision is based solely on the applicant’s credit worthiness.

An electrical or gas corporation must restore service to certain residential customers after they enter an approved payment plan.

The commission must decide by July 1, 2025 whether to direct electrical and gas corporations to consider a customer’s ability to pay before certain service terminations and reconnections.

Electrical, gas, heat, or water corporations may not cut off service for nonpayment on Saturdays, Sundays, legal holidays, or when their business offices are closed to the public.

The commission must require covered residential units to be individually metered for electrical and gas service, with listed exceptions for some housing types and for separate gas metering in certain cases.

Street railroads are subject to Chapter 1 where it applies, unless they are specially excepted.

If a natural person constructs, owns, or operates a street railroad, this chapter applies to that person the same way it applies to corporations.

A street railroad or street railway corporation may dispose of all or substantially all of its property and assets, including franchises, if its board authorizes the deal and shareholders with a majority of the voting power approve the key terms and consideration for a sale to a municipal corporation or other political subdivision in the State.

A city or city and county’s governing body may grant permission to lay railroad tracks in streets and public highways for up to 50 years, and may set conditions and a license tax.

When a city governing body grants a right of way to a street railroad corporation, it must require compliance with specified construction conditions, unless the railway is prismoidal or another elevated railway.

A city or city and county legislative body may allow two or more street railways to share the same street or tracks, but sharing beyond five consecutive blocks needs the occupant’s consent and payment of an equal share of construction costs.

A street railway under different management may build its tracks over the same ground as existing tracks if the construction will not interfere beyond necessary construction-related interference and Section 7806 is followed.

A city or city and county may own and operate street railways, and may use existing street railway streets or tracks within its limits if it pays the owner an equal share of the estimated construction cost for the jointly used tracks or appurtenances.

A proposed railroad track may cross an existing track if the crossing follows Chapter 1 requirements, and track laying must not block more than one block at a time or for longer than 10 working days.

Water corporations covered by this section must install meters in specified circumstances and, once metered, bill potable water based on metered volume; the commission also oversees approval of related costs and charges.

The commission may order certain water users or a water corporation to install a water meter at a service connection if, after a public hearing, it finds the metering is cost-effective, reduces water use, or avoids an unreasonable customer burden tied to maintaining an adequate water supply.

Street railway cars must be built to the most approved standard for passenger comfort and convenience, and have brakes to stop them when required.

Cities where street railroads run may make additional regulations for their government if needed to fully enjoy the franchise and enforce the stated conditions.

When street railroads are granted, the city keeps the right to improve streets or highways, and street work should be done to interfere with the railroad as little as possible.

A city, city and county, or county governing body may authorize a grading track for up to three years, and may also allow steam or other motive power if public convenience or utility requires it.

A corporation, or its agent or employee, may not charge more than the lawful street-railroad fare.

Street railroad corporations must provide passenger tickets or checks on request, unless they charge only five cents fare.

In a trial for forfeitures under Sections 7814 or 7815, proof that a fare or ticket payment was taken by someone working in the corporation’s office or vehicle is prima facie evidence that the person was authorized to receive the money and issue the ticket or check.

Street railroad corporations using certain passenger cars must equip each car and dummy with a proper brake and a suitable fender or similar appliance, or they commit a misdemeanor.

A person driving or operating a street car must not be intoxicated while doing so.

The commission may stop an electrical corporation from curtailing electricity from a geothermal powerplant if a geothermal energy producer complains and the commission finds the curtailment is not in the public interest.

The commission must keep enforcing existing utility extension rules, and gas or electric corporations must let qualifying customers install extensions under specified conditions.

The commission must start a proceeding, identify disadvantaged communities, assess certain energy options, decide whether they would improve affordable energy cost-effectively, and take appropriate action and funding steps.

The commission must adopt pipeline access rules for each gas corporation, and those rules must ensure nondiscriminatory open access to the gas pipeline system.

The California Council on Science and Technology may undertake a biomethane study, and if it does, it must finish within nine months; the commission must then make gas corporations help pay, and later reevaluate related pipeline standards.

The commission must open a proceeding by the stated deadline to consider options for furthering Section 399.24, including possible rate recovery for certain investment costs.

The commission must encourage increased gas production and, after a hearing, require gas corporations to buy qualifying in-state gas, unless doing so would raise overall gas costs or harm gas customers.

The commission must require gas corporations to revise gas transportation tariffs and service conditions to remove certain interstate transmission charges, and it must consider and approve consistent tariffs by October 1, 1994.

The commission must investigate obstacles to in-state natural gas production and storage in gas corporation rate proceedings, and may adopt tariffs to encourage that activity unless it finds the tariff would likely harm gas customers.

The commission must require gas corporations to use purchasing and procurement practices that aim for the lowest customer rates consistent with security of supply. It may also set and update supplier-priority guidelines.

Gas corporations cannot charge more for transporting California-produced gas than other gas, and they cannot force producers or customers to use the corporation’s services for delivery or processing.

Telephone corporations must give residential subscribers specified service and billing information, and the commission sets compliance methods.

Public utilities or their contractors may backfill permitted road or highway excavations with native spoil if the spoil is competent, compaction meets local requirements, and there is no hazardous-waste contamination concern.

A local-exchange telephone corporation must give each residential subscriber a commission-approved notice, starting by March 1, 1992 and then annually.

This section names the article the Water Utility Infrastructure Improvement Act of 1995 and allows it to be cited by that name.

Water corporations may sell real property no longer needed for water utility service, and the net proceeds should be invested in useful water utility infrastructure, plant, facilities, and properties.

A water corporation that sells unused real property must invest the net proceeds in qualifying water infrastructure and keep records; after 8 years, any uninvested balance goes to ratepayers.

In pending proceedings after January 1, 1996, the commission must apply this article to certain pre-1996 sales of water corporation real property. If the sale proceeds were not already invested in utility assets, the water corporation may choose to invest them during the period described in Section 790(c).

Telegraph or telephone corporations may build lines and supporting structures along public roads, highways, waters, or lands in the state, so long as they do not interfere with public use or navigation.

Municipalities may exercise reasonable control over when, where, and how roads, highways, and waterways are accessed.

Telegraph or telephone office agents, operators, and employees must not use private message information for their own benefit.

Telegraph and telephone office staff must not willfully refuse, delay, or fail to send or deliver messages they receive; doing so is a misdemeanor.

The Public Utilities Commission must issue regulations requiring telephone corporations under its jurisdiction to keep complete records of certain device-discovery and reporting incidents.

The Public Utilities Commission must regularly inquire into whether telephone corporations under its jurisdiction are taking adequate steps to protect the privacy of communications on their telephone systems.

Each public utility must have a county office in this state and keep required books and records there; it may not remove those materials from the state unless the commission prescribes conditions.

Telephone corporations, certain state franchise holders, and video providers must do background checks for employment applicants and related contractors, while contractors must certify and share those checks on request.

A public utility with more than 750 total employees must file an annual report with the commission.

The commission may set accounting systems and recordkeeping forms for public utilities under its jurisdiction.