Plain English Breakdown
The phrase 'except as provided' appears twice in the official summary, indicating there may be exceptions not detailed in this text.
Utility Service Outage Alerts
Starting March 1, 2026, electric, gas, and water utilities must automatically sign up customers for outage alerts but allow them to stop receiving messages they do not want.
What This Bill Does
- Requires electrical corporations, gas corporations, water corporations, and local publicly owned electric utilities to automatically enroll customers in service outage and update alerts by March 1, 2026.
- Gives customers the chance to opt out of any alerts they do not wish to receive.
- Requires utilities to print information on customer bills each year explaining how to change contact methods for these alerts.
- Allows customers to update their phone numbers or email addresses online, and by telephone if it is feasible.
Who It Names or Affects
- Electrical corporations
- Gas corporations
- Water corporations
- Local publicly owned electric utilities
Terms To Know
- Public Utilities Commission
- The state agency with regulatory authority over public utilities.
- Opt-out
- A choice to stop receiving a service or message after being signed up automatically.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill states that automatic enrollment and opt-outs apply 'except as provided,' but does not list those exceptions in the summary.
- Utilities may update contact information by phone only if it is feasible for them to do so.
- The law says no state reimbursement is required for specified reasons, but does not explain what those specific reasons are.