In the last month, RCRC has joined two new proceedings at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). First, RCRC joined an energy proceeding dedicated to electrical safety, reliability and resiliency. RCRC continues to advocate for greater oversight of utility fast-trip programs, emphasizing the scale and consequences of persistent power outages on communities and county operations. Counties are encouraged to weigh in, see a template here. Second, RCRC joined a proceeding that would consider potential changes to Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) rules governing universal access to essential telecommunications service—i.e. basic telephone service—to any resident or business customer upon request, and at affordable prices.
Additionally, RCRC submitted comments to the CPUC’s Staff Proposal on General Order 131 which seeks to balance the need for expediting essential utility projects with safeguarding public safety and local authority. Lastly, RCRC also provided input on a comprehensive staff proposal in the High DER Proceeding that identifies current distribution planning and execution processes and provides recommendations on how to improve interconnection capacity analysis and data portal improvements.
A full list of RCRC’s involvement in active CPUC Proceedings, along with RCRC staff contacts, is available here.