On Tuesday, November 8th, representatives from RCRC, CSAC, Cal Cities, and Lake County will join other interested parties in a CPUC workshop on the future of the Rule 20 undergrounding program.
The Rule 20A program provides ratepayer funding for electrical undergrounding projects for aesthetic or access purposes. The CPUC has suspended annual work credit allocations to jurisdictions and is considering whether the program should be expanded to fund undergrounding related to wildfire risk reduction. The CPUC is also contemplating how to improve equitable distribution of Rule 20A funds to rural, disadvantaged, and tribal communities.
At the workshop:
- Utilities will present on their non-Rule 20 undergrounding efforts;
- CPUC staff will discuss Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings as an alternative to undergrounding and the new expedited undergrounding permitting process created by SB 884 (McGuire);
- The Public Advocates Office will speak about potential sunsetting of the work credit system;
- RCRC will present on potential expansion of the Rule 20 program to include wildfire risk reduction projects; and
- CSAC will talk about changes to Rule 20 eligibility criteria and underserved communities.
Lake County Supervisors Jessica Pyska and Eddie Crandell will participate in a round-table discussion on how to enhance coordination between local communities and utilities conducting undergrounding projects and how to increase participation within Tribal communities.
The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. and the agenda can be found here. To register for the web-based meeting, click here. Alternatively, a call-in number is available at 415-655-0002 (Passcode 2485 839 5545, Meeting Password: Underground1 (863374768631 from phones)).
RCRC’s recent comments to the CPUC on the future of the Rule 20 program can be found here.
For more information contact RCRC Policy Advocate, John Kennedy.