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General Order No. 166

PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Standards for Operation, Reliability, and Safety

During Emergencies and Disasters

Adopted July 23, 1998. Effective July 23, 1998.

(D.98-07-097 in R.96-11-004)

Revised May 4, 2000 Effective May 4, 2000

(D.00-05-022 in R.96-11-004)

Revised January 12, 2012 Effective by January 12, 2012

(D.12-01-032 in R.08-11-005)

Applicability: This General Order applies to all electric utilities subject to the jurisdiction of the CPUC with regard to matters relating to electric service reliability and/or safety.

Purpose: The purpose of these standards is to insure that jurisdictional electric utilities are prepared for emergencies and disasters in order to minimize damage and inconvenience to the public which may occur as a result of electric system failures, major outages, or hazards posed by damage to electric distribution facilities. The standards will facilitate the Commission's investigations into the reasonableness of the utility's response to emergencies and major outages. Such investigations will be conducted following every major outage, pursuant to and consistent with Public Utilities Code Section 364(c) and Commission policy.

Summary: The following rules require each jurisdictional electric utility to:

· Prepare an emergency response plan and update the plan annually. Standard 1.

· Enter into mutual assistance agreements with other utilities. Standard 2.

· Conduct annual emergency training and exercises using the utilities emergency response plan. Standard 3.

· Develop a strategy for informing the public and relevant agencies of a major outage. Standard 4.

· Coordinate internal activities during a major outage in a timely manner. Standard 5.

· Notify relevant individuals and agencies of an emergency or major outage in a timely manner. Standard 6.

· Evaluate the need for mutual assistance during a major outage. Standard 7.

· Inform the public and relevant public safety agencies of the estimated time for restoring power during a major outage. Standard 8.

· Train additional personnel to assist with emergency activities. Standard 9.

· Coordinate emergency plans with state and local public safety agencies. Standard 10.

· File an annual report describing compliance with these standards. Standard 11.

· Be subject to a restoration performance benchmark for major outages. Standard 12.

· Be subject to a call center performance benchmark for major outages. Standard 13.

Definitions

Accessible: A condition which permits safe and legal access.

Appropriate Regulatory Authority: The agency or governmental body responsible for regulation or governance of the utility.

Critical Customers: Customers requiring electric service for life sustaining equipment.

Emergency or Disaster: An event which is the proximate cause of a major outage, including but not limited to storms, lightning strikes, fires, floods, hurricanes, volcanic activity, landslides, earthquakes, windstorms, tidal waves, terrorist attacks, riots, civil disobedience, wars, chemical spills, explosions, and airplane or train wrecks.

Essential Customers: Customers requiring electric service to provide essential public health and safety services.

Major Outage: Consistent with Public Utilities Code Section 364, a major outage occurs when 10 percent of the electric utility's serviceable customers experience a simultaneous, non-momentary interruption of service. For utilities with less than 150,000 customers within California, a major outage occurs when 50 percent of the electric utility's serviceable customers experience a simultaneous, non-momentary interruption of service.

Measured Event: A Measured Event is a Major Outage (as defined herein), resulting from non-earthquake, weather-related causes, affecting between 10% (simultaneous) and 40% (cumulative) of a utility's electric customer base. A Measured Event is deemed to begin at 12:00 a.m. on the day when more than one percent (simultaneous) of the utility's electric customers experience sustained interruptions. A Measured Event is deemed to end when fewer than one percent (simultaneous) of the utility's customers experience sustained interruptions in two consecutive 24-hour periods (12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.); and the end of the Measured Event in 11:59 p.m. of that 48-hour period.

Safety Standby: Interim activities undertaken to mitigate immediate public safety hazards.

Serviceable Customer: A customer prepared and properly equipped to receive service where both the customer's electrical service facilities and those facilities of the utility necessary to serve the customer can be legally and physically accessed in a safe manner.

Transmission Facilities: Transmission facilities are those facilities subject to control by the Independent System Operator pursuant to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission orders.

Standard 1. Emergency Response Plan

The utility shall prepare an emergency response plan ("plan") setting forth anticipated responses to emergencies and major outages. The plan will help assure the utility is best able to protect life and property during an emergency or major outage and communicate the scope and expected duration of an outage. The plan shall include the following elements:

Standard 2. Mutual Assistance Agreement(s)

The utility shall enter into mutual assistance agreement(s), such as those facilitated by the California Utilities Emergency Association, to the extent that such agreements are practical and would improve emergency response. The utility shall submit the agreements annually to CPUC designated staff as part of the report required by Standard 11. The agreements shall include the following elements:

Standard 3. Emergency Training and Exercises

Standard 4. Communications Strategy

The utility shall develop and maintain a written strategy for how it will communicate with the public before, during and immediately following major outages and emergencies as follows:

Standard 5. Activation Standard

Within one hour of the identification of a major outage, the utility shall begin coordinating its internal resources as set forth in its emergency plan.

Standard 6. Initial Notification Standard

Within one hour of the identification of a major outage or other newsworthy event, the utility shall notify the Commission and Warning Center at the Office of Emergency Services of the location, possible cause and expected duration of the outage. The Warning Center at the OES is expected to notify other state and local agencies of the outage. Subsequent contacts between state and local agencies and the utility shall be conducted between personnel identified in advance, as set forth in Standard 4.B. From time to time the Commission staff may issue instructions or guidelines regarding reporting.

Standard 7. Mutual Assistance Evaluation Standard

No later than 4 hours after the onset of a major outage, the utility shall begin the process of evaluating and documenting the need for mutual assistance. The utility is not required to seek assistance if it would not substantially expedite restoration of electric service or promote public safety. The utility should reevaluate the need for assistance throughout the period of the outage.

Standard 8. Major Outage and Restoration Estimate Communication Standard

Standard 9. Personnel Redeployment Planning Standard

The utility shall maintain a training and redeployment plan for performing safety standby activities and assessing damage during a major outage. The utility should plan to have personnel available to augment the number of employees whose duties include safety standby and damage assessment activities. The utility shall identify and train additional employees to perform safety standby activities and assess damage during emergencies requiring such activities and major outages, and in lieu of their normal duties.

Standard 10. Annual Pre-Event Coordination Standard

The utility shall annually coordinate emergency preparations with appropriate state, county and local agencies and the ISO/TO. As part of such activities, the utility shall establish and confirm contacts and communication channels, plan the exchange of emergency planning and response information, and participate in emergency exercises or training.

Standard 11. Annual Report

Standard 12. Restoration Performance Benchmark For A Measured Event

Standard 13. Call Center Benchmark For A Measured Event

The Commission shall perform a review of utility performance following every Major Outage. This standard sets a benchmark for the Commission to use in reviewing utility call center performance only during Measured Events.

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