Utilities: service outages and updates: alerts.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify what happens if a utility fails to comply with the requirements.

Utilities Must Send Outage Alerts to Customers

The law requires electricity, gas, and water companies in California to automatically sign up their customers for alerts about service outages and updates by March 1, 2026. Customers can opt-out if they do not want these messages.

What This Bill Does

• Requires electricity, gas, and water companies in California to enroll all customers in outage alert services by March 1, 2026.
• Allows customers to opt-out of receiving alerts if they do not wish to receive them.
• Requires utilities to provide yearly information on customer bills about how to update contact methods.
• Permits customers to change their preferred contact details online or over the phone.

Who It Names or Affects

• Electricity, gas, and water companies in California.
• Customers of electricity, gas, and water services.

Terms To Know

Public Utilities Commission

A government agency that regulates public utilities to ensure fair practices and safety for customers.

State-mandated local program

A state requirement that imposes duties on local governments or agencies, which may include financial responsibilities.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify the consequences if a utility fails to comply with the new requirements.
• It is unclear how utilities will handle customer preferences for different types of alerts.

Official Summary Text

AB 1410, Garcia.
Utilities: service outages and updates: alerts.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, gas corporations, and water corporations, while local publicly owned electric utilities are under the direction of their governing boards. If the commission finds after a hearing that the rules, practices, equipment, appliances, facilities, or service of any public utility, or the methods of manufacture, distribution, transmission, storage, or supply employed by the public utility, are unjust, unreasonable, unsafe, improper, inadequate, or insufficient, the Public Utilities Act requires the commission to determine and, by order or rule, fix the rules, practices, equipment, appliances, facilities, service, or methods to be observed, furnished, constructed, enforced, or employed.
This bill would
require, except as provided, each electrical corporation, gas corporation, water corporation, or local publicly owned electric utility, on or before March 1, 2026, to automatically enroll its customers in alerts for service outages and updates. The bill would require customers to be provided with the opportunity to opt-out of any alerts they do not wish to receive, except as provided. The bill would require each of those utilities to annually provide information on customers’ bills on how to update their preferred contact methods and to allow customers to update their contact information on the utility’s internet website or, if feasible, by telephone.
Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or
requirement of the commission is a crime.
Because a violation of a commission action implementing this bill’s requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Additionally, by imposing new duties on local publicly owned electric utilities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF