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- Certificate (Formerly Safety Certifications)
Certificate (Foremerly Safety Certifications)
Energy Safety reviews electrical corporations’ requests for a Certificate and issues them if all statutory requirements are met.
On July 12, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1054 (Holden). AB 1054 was enacted to reduce utility-ignited wildfires through investments in electrical grid resiliency and mandated utility safety reforms, and to protect electricity customers from rate increases through creation of the California Wildfire Fund (Fund). The Fund operates as an insurance fund for California’s three largest investor-owned electric corporations, reimbursing them after they pay damage claims of victims of utility-caused wildfires.
To encourage electrical corporations to invest in safety and make changes to limit wildfire risks and reduce costs, the statute also provides for electrical corporations to seek a “Certificate.” Having a certificate affects the amount, if any, the electrical corporation must repay the Fund for costs and expenses associated with a covered wildfire. Electrical corporations that are found to have acted reasonably by the CPUC do not have to repay the Fund. In general, the electrical corporation must prove that its conduct was “reasonable.”
However, an electrical corporation that received a certificate for the period in which the covered wildfire ignited is presumed to have acted reasonably unless demonstrated otherwise (Pub. Util. Code § 451.1[c]). A certificate also may limit the amount the electrical corporation will be required to repay the fund if it is found to have acted unreasonably (Pub. Util. Code § 3292[h]).
To obtain a certificate, the electrical corporation must demonstrate that it satisfies the conditions of Public Utilities Code Section 8389 (e)(1-7).
2025
Energy Safety Documents and Docket Log
- Safety Certification Guidelines Version 1.0 Adoption Meeting Recording and Slides – 4/28/25
- Safety Certification Guidelines Version 1.0 – 4/28/25
- Proposed Final Safety Certification Guidelines Version 1.0 – 4/25/25
- Draft Safety Certification Guidelines Version 1.0 – 3/21/25
- Energy Safety Policy Division Process Guidelines – 2/24/25
Utility Requests and Safety Certifications
Comments on the 2025 Safety Certification Guidelines and Safety Certification Requests
2024
Energy Safety Documents and Docket Log
- 2024 Safety Certification Guidelines – 8/7/24
- Energy Safety’s Draft Safety Certification Guidelines – 6/19/24
- 2024 Safety Certifications Docket Log (Guidelines-SCs)
Utility Requests and Safety Certifications
- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
- San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E)
- Issuance of San Diego Gas and Electric Safety Certification – 12/11/24
- Safety Certification Request – 10/8/24
- Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Bear Valley Electric Service (BVES)
Comments on the 2024 Safety Certification Guidelines and Safety Certification Requests
Comments on the Guidelines
Comments on Safety Certification Requests
2023
Energy Safety Documents and Docket Log
- 2023 Safety Certification Guidelines – 6/28/23
- Schedule for 2023 Safety Certification Requests – 6/27/23
- 2023 Safety Certification Guidelines Redlined Draft
- Energy Safety’s Draft 2023 Safety Certification Guidelines – 5/3/23
- 2023 Safety Certifications Docket Log (2023-SCs)
Utility Requests and Safety Certifications
- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
- San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)
- Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Bear Valley Electric Service (BVES)
Comments on the 2023 Safety Certification Guidelines and Safety Certification Requests
Comments on the Guidelines
- SCE Comments on the Draft 2023 Safety Certification Guidelines – 5/23/23
- SDG&E Comments on the Draft 2023 Safety Certification Guidelines – 5/23/23
Comments on Safety Certification Requests
2022
- 2022 Safety Certification Guidelines – 8/25/22
- 2022 Safety Certification Guidelines Redline – 8/24/22
- 2022 Energy Safety Draft Safety Certification Guidance – 7/19/22
- 2022 Safety Certification Docket Log (2022-SCs)
Utility Requests and Safety Certifications
- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
- San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)
- Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Issuance of Southern California Edison Safety Certification – 12/13/22
- Safety Certification Request – 9/14/22
- Bear Valley Electric Service (BVES)
Comments on the 2022 Safety Certification Guidelines and Safety Certification Requests
Comments on the Guidelines
- Public Advocates Office Comments on Draft 2022 Safety Certification Guidelines – 9/8/22
- Reply Comments of SCE, PG&E, and SDG&E on Draft 2022 Safety Certification Guidelines – 8/18/22
Comments on Safety Certification Requests
- Reply Comments of SCE on the 2022 Safety Certification Request – 10/14/22
- Reply Comments of SDG&E on the 2022 Safety Certification Requests of BVES, PG&E, and SCE – 10/14/22
- Reply Comments of PG&E to Request for 2022 Safety Certification – 10/14/22
- Public Advocates Office Comments on Electric Utilities’ Safety Certification Requests – 10/4/22
2021
- Energy Safety Letter on Submission of Safety Certification Request and Supporting Documents – 9/8/21
- Energy Safety’s Final 2021 Safety Certification Guidance – 7/26/21
- 2021 Safety Certification Docket Log (2021-SCs)
Utility Requests and Safety Certifications
- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
- San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)
- Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Issuance of Southern California Edison Safety Certification – 12/10/21
- Safety Certification Request – 9/13/21
- Bear Valley Electric Service (BVES)
Comments on the 2021 Safety Certification Guidelines and Safety Certification Requests
Comments on the Guidelines
Comments on Safety Certification Requests
- PG&E’s Reply Comments to Request for 2021 Safety Certification – 12/23/21
- Comments of the Public Advocates Office on the Safety Certification Request of PG&E – 12/13/21
- Coalition of California Utility Employees (CUE) Reply Comments on the Safety Certification Request of SCE – 10/25/21
- SCE’s Reply Comments Regarding SCE’s 2021 Safety Certification Request (October 25, 2021) – 10/25/21
- Coalition of California Utility Employees (CUE) Reply Comments on the Safety Certification Request of SDG&E – 10/18/21
- SDG&E’s Reply Comments on Parties Comments to SDG&E’s Safety Certification Request – 10/18/21
- Comments of the Public Advocates Office on the Safety Certification Request of SCE -10/13/21
- Comments of the Public Advocates Office on the Safety Certification Request of SDG&E – 10/7/21
- Request for Review by the Utility Reform Network (TURN) of the WSD Determination to Approve a Safety Certification for PG&E – 1/25/21
2020
- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
- Safety Certification – 1/14/21
- Request for Safety Certification – 7/29/20
- Safety Certification Guidance – 5/6/20
- San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)
- Safety Certification – 9/14/20
- Request for Safety Certification – 6/16/20
- Safety Certification Guidance – 5/6/20
- Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Safety Certification – 9/17/20
- Request for Safety Certification – 6/19/20
- Safety Certification Guidance – 5/6/20
- Bear Valley Electric Service (BVES)
- Safety Certification – 8/18/20
- Safety Certification – 2/4/20
- Request for Safety Certification – 6/5/20
- Safety Certification Supplements – 6/10/19
Comments on the 2020 Safety Certification Requests
- PG&E’s Response to Comments – 8/19/20
- Public Advocates Office | Safety Certification – 8/12/20
- TURN – 8/12/20
- SCE’s Response to Comments – 7/16/20
- SDG&E’s Response to Comments – 7/16/20
- Protect Our Communities Foundation – 7/9/20
- Public Advocates Office – 7/9/20
- TURN – 7/9/20
2019
- Safety Certification – 8/13/19
- Request for Safety Certification – 8/12/19
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)
- Safety Certification – 7/26/19
- Safety Certification Supplements – 7/24/19
- Request for Safety Certification – 7/18/19
Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Safety Certification – 7/25/19
- Request for Safety Certification 7/19/19