06-26-2023 BPU RPT 10 - Laserfiche WebLink

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W A T E R E N E R G Y L I F E RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES Board Memorandum P U B L I C U T I L I T I E S BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DATE: JUNE 26, 2023 SUBJECT: RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES 2023 WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES CODE SECTION 8387 FOR SUBMITTAL TO THE WILDFIRE SAFETY ADVISORY BOARD ISSUE: Consider the Riverside Public Utilities 2023 Wildfire Mitigation Plan for submittal to the Wildfire Safety Advisory Board in accordance with California Public Utilities Code Section 8387. RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Public Utilities recommend that City Council approve the Riverside Public Utilities 2023 Wildfire Mitigation Plan for submittal to the Wildfire Safety Advisory Board in accordance with California Public Utilities Code Section 8387. BACKGROUND: The Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP or Plan) is prepared to meet the standards set forth in Section 8387 of the Public Utilities Code. Senate Bill (SB) 901 amended Section 8387 of the Public Utilities Code when it passed in September 2018. The new code section tasked all private and publicly owned utilities and corporations, among other actions, to construct, maintain, and operate their electrical system in a manner that minimizes the risk of wildfire. To ensure that each utility addressed the risk of their electric systems causing a wildfire, several requirements were put in place and are summarized here: 1. All utilities, public and private, are required to prepare a WMP and update the plan annually. 2. A prescriptive list of required elements for the WMP is identified and must be addressed by each utility. 3. The utility must have their WMP reviewed and assessed for comprehensiveness by an independent evaluator with experience in assessing the safe operation of electrical infrastructure. 4. Both the WMP and the report issued by the independent evaluator must be presented at a public meeting of the utility's governing board. 5. The WMP and the independent evaluator report must be posted on the utility's website. On July 12, 2019, Assembly Bill (AB) 1054 and AB 111 were passed. Neither bill changed the required content of the WMP established by SB 901, but they did change procedure. AB 111 required state agencies to form a new Wildfire Safety Division and establish a Wildfire Safety Advisory Board (Wildfire Board) in 2020. Per the legislation, the new Division and the Wildfire