California regulators have moved to close a gap in consumer protections that left households vulnerable to power shutoffs during dangerously hot weather, ruling this week that the state’s largest utilities must adopt tougher standards than they had proposed.
The California Public Utilities Commission voted 4-0 on Thursday to lower the temperature threshold at which utilities are barred from cutting off power to customers behind on their bills, dropping it from 100 degrees to 90 degrees. The commission also directed utilities to develop a more tailored, region-by-region heat standard within six months, rejecting a utility-backed proposal that regulators said would have changed almost nothing for consumers.
The decision matters across the Inland Empire and Southern California, where triple-digit heat is common in desert and valley communities but can pose serious health risks even at lower temperatures in areas unaccustomed to sustained warmth. Losing electricity during a heat wave isn’t just an inconvenience — it can shut off air conditioning, refrigeration and, in some rural areas, even water service, turning a billing dispute into a genuine safety emergency.
The fight over how to define “extreme heat” dates back two years, to the record-breaking July of 2023 that state climatologists called the hottest month in California history. In the aftermath, The Utility Reform Network, a consumer advocacy group, petitioned the commission to revisit its heat rules, arguing that heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard Californians face. At the time, state rules prohibited electric utilities from shutting off residential service over unpaid bills only when forecasts called for temperatures above 100 degrees within a 72-hour window.
Advocates argued that a single statewide number failed to reflect how differently heat affects communities. Regulators agreed the rule needed updating and ordered utilities — including Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric — to craft an improved framework in consultation with consumer groups.
The utilities’ response, filed in December, leaned on a new state tool called CalHeatScore, which rates heat risk by ZIP code on a scale of zero to four using factors such as local health outcomes, availability of cooling centers, and the share of children and elderly residents nearby. But the utilities proposed setting the disconnection threshold at the tool’s higher Level 3 rating, and wanted to keep 100 degrees as a fallback whenever CalHeatScore data wasn’t available.
Consumer advocates said that approach didn’t go far enough and pushed for a lower Level 2 threshold paired with a 90-degree backup standard. Utilities said the delay was due to CalHeatScore’s data system, managed by the state’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, not being fully operational — an explanation advocates found unconvincing.
By May, with utilities missing the commission’s original deadline, The Utility Reform Network was joined by the San Diego-based Utility Consumers’ Action Network, the National Consumer Law Center and the Center for Accessible Technology in filing an emergency motion asking regulators to step in directly.
This week, the commission did just that, siding firmly with consumer advocates. In its written resolution, the commission noted that 41 of California’s 58 counties already use an extreme-heat threshold below 100 degrees, undercutting the utilities’ position. Regulators pointed out that a 90-degree day is unremarkable in inland communities like Bakersfield or Fresno, but can pose serious health risks in coastal or mountain towns where air conditioning is less common and residents are less acclimated to sustained heat.
As an example, the commission noted that San Francisco defines extreme heat as anything above 85 degrees, while in rural Del Norte County near the Oregon border, the threshold is just 76.8 degrees. “A single threshold temperature level needs to be more protective of residents in areas of the state that are not accustomed to high temperatures,” the commission wrote.
Despite having pushed back on the stricter rules for months — warning in earlier filings that a 90-degree standard was “overbroad” and would increase unpaid balances without a clear health benefit — all three major utilities said this week they intend to comply.
A PG&E spokesperson said the company treats disconnection as a last resort, used only after repeated attempts to reach customers with payment plans and assistance programs, and that it expects to roll out the new regional standard within the commission’s six-month window. Southern California Edison said the resolution strengthens safeguards during extreme heat and that it is prepared to update its disconnection policies accordingly. SDG&E likewise said it supports the additional protections and will implement whatever final requirements the commission adopts.
It’s worth noting that the new rules apply specifically to shutoffs tied to unpaid bills — they won’t stop outages caused by equipment failures, wildfire-prevention power shutoffs, or other emergencies.
Still, advocates say the change carries real weight for vulnerable households. “When electricity is shut off to a home, it can have a sort of a cascading effect of problems on tenants,” said Jason Zeller, an attorney with the Utility Consumers Action Network, noting that families without power can face eviction proceedings or, in some cases, child custody complications.
The commission’s independent Public Advocates Office had also pushed for the stronger standard throughout the review process, formally opposing the utilities’ original plan. Director Linda Serizawa said the vote ensures Californians get protection “that takes effect when they need it most.”
Original source: CalMatters
