Biomethane procurement targets.

Assembly Member Ávila Farías proposes amending the Public Utilities Code to modernize stakeholder engagement requirements while removing an expired study mandate that previously governed the Public Utilities Commission's (PUC) outreach activities.

The legislation eliminates a provision that required the PUC's Policy and Planning Division to conduct studies of outreach efforts by other utility regulatory bodies - a requirement that expired in January 2020. In its place, the bill codifies a framework for stakeholder participation in PUC proceedings. Under the amended code, the commission must proactively seek input from parties likely to be affected by or benefit from decisions, except in adjudication cases. The commission would document these engagement efforts in each proceeding's initial scoping memo.

This procedural update maintains the PUC's core functions while removing outdated study requirements and establishing clear expectations for stakeholder involvement in regulatory processes. The changes require no state appropriation and have no direct fiscal impact on state or local programs.