COM/MP1/rg1/acb* DRAFT Alternate Agenda ID # 3820

Quasi-Legislative

Agenda Item # 68a 8/19/04

R_______________

BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Order Instituting Rulemaking to update the Commission's policies and procedures related to electromagnetic fields emanating from regulated utility facilities

FILED PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION July 30, 2004 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA RULEMAKING 04-07-

ORDER INSTITUTING RULEMAKING

I. Summary

We open this rulemaking to determine if there are improvements that should be made to the Commission's existing rules and regulations concerning electromagnetic fields (EMFs) associated with electric transmission lines or other utility electric facilities. In a number of electric transmission and substation projects recently approved by the Commission there is consistently strong public interest in EMF issues. To address the public concern regarding exposure to EMFs, the Commission has required that the electric utilities develop an EMF Management Plan for each project that implements the Commission's adopted 1993 EMF policy. Generally, the Commission sanctions a "Prudent Avoidance" or "low-cost/no-cost" policy towards mitigating EMF impacts resulting from approved electric facilities. Given the public interest that has been sparked by the research findings recently submitted to the Commission by the California Department of Health Services (DHS) and that the Commission's interim EMF policy has not been updated in over ten years, it is now appropriate to determine if the Commission should improve its existing policy and/or improve implementation of the policy.