SB 332: Investor-Owned Utilities Accountability Act.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Existing law vests the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) with various responsibilities for developing and implementing the state’s energy policies.

This bill would require the Energy Commission to select a research institute, as defined, to conduct a comparative analysis of the benefits and challenges of transitioning the electrical corporations to a public entity, nonprofit public benefit corporation, or mutual benefit corporation in order to identify a recommended model, as provided. The bill would require the research institute to complete the analysis on or before January 1, 2029, and, upon completion, to submit the analysis to the Legislature and the Energy Commission. The bill would require the Energy Commission to make a draft of the analysis available to the public for comment before submitting the final draft to the Legislature, and would limit the cost of conducting the analysis to $5,000,000.

This bill would require the research institute to conduct the first phase of the comparative analysis and to submit an interim report, on or before December 31, 2026, to the Energy Commission on threshold legal issues, as provided. The bill would require the Energy Commission to convene a group of state attorneys from the legal departments of state agencies that regulate electrical corporations to advise the research institute on the first phase of the comparative analysis, as specified.

This bill would, upon completion of the analysis by the research institute, require the Energy Commission to present the analysis at a publicly noticed business meeting on or before September 30, 2029.

(2)Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, while local publicly owned utilities are under the direction of their governing boards. Existing law prohibits an electrical corporation, gas corporation, or water corporation from terminating a customer’s residential service for nonpayment of a delinquent account in certain circumstances, including, among other circumstances, unless the corporation first gives notice to the customer of the delinquency and impending termination, during the pendency of an investigation by the corporation of the customer’s dispute or complaint, or when the customer has been granted an extension of the period for payment of a bill.

This bill would require each electrical corporation and gas corporation, on or before March 1, 2026, and each local publically owned electric utility, on or before March 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, to post specified information concerning terminations of service due to nonpayment on their respective internet websites, as provided.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 4

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. August 29, 2025August 29 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
2. August 20, 2025August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
3. July 14, 2025Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
4. July 10, 2025From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 5.) (July 9).
5. June 30, 2025From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.
6. June 9, 2025Referred to Com. on U. & E.
7. June 3, 2025In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
8. June 2, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 25. Noes 10. Page 1408.) Ordered to the Assembly.
9. May 28, 2025Read second time and amended. Ordered to third reading.
10. May 27, 2025From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1196.) (May 23).
11. May 16, 2025Set for hearing May 23.
12. May 5, 2025May 5 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.