II. INTRODUCTION
The Public Utilities Commission's General Orders (GO) 95 and 128 specify minimum requirements for overhead and underground electric line construction in California. GO165 specifies the inspection cycles for electric distribution facilities. In addition, Public Utilities Code sections 451 and 702, mandate the Commission to ensure that utilities have safe and reliable distribution facilities.
In the past three years (1998-2000), the Consumer Services Division (CSD) staff investigated thirty-seven (37) electric accidents involving Southern California Edison (SCE) violations of GO95, GO128, and/or GO1652. In addition, during routine inspections, the CSD staff discovered 4,044 alleged SCE violations of GO95 requirements on poles in SCE's service territory and 677 alleged violations of GO128 requirements in SCE owned underground and pad-mounted structures. Further, the CSD staff conducted an audit of SCE's maintenance program and found that SCE's program is not in compliance with GO165 requirements.
2 During the same period, the CSD has investigated numerous other SCE accidents where violations were found, but were not directly related to the accidents, or there was not sufficient evidence available to the CSD staff to establish a violation.
