Senate energy committee advances bill to require removal plans for abandoned transmission lines after Eaton Fire

At a hearing of the California State Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications, members advanced SB 742, the Wildfire and Emergency Management Act, which would require investor‑owned utilities to inventory permanently abandoned transmission facilities, produce removal plans and timelines, and participate in emergency operations centers.

Senator Perez, the bill’s author, tied the measure to the Eaton Fire anniversary and said the bill updates General Order 95 to target abandoned transmission overhead lines. "We need the investor owned utilities to create a plan, assess how long these lines have been sitting, de‑energized, unused, and create a timeline for removing them," she said. Perez urged the committee for an "I vote."

Adria Tinnen, director of race, equity and legislative policy at TURN, testified in support and said the current wildfire planning process "does not account for abandoned facilities." Tinnen said SB 742 ‘‘effectively requiring IOUs to provide an inventory of their abandoned facilities and a plan for how to remove them and eliminate the fire threat,’’ and added, "We cannot afford another Eaton."

Senators on the committee pressed on implementation details. Senator Archuleta asked whether removal entails cutting lines, removing poles, or leaving other infrastructure in place and asked what assurances would remain to prevent future ignition. Perez said each scenario may differ and emphasized the bill would require utilities and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to partner on prioritizing high‑risk removals.

Committee members also discussed cost and affordability. Senator Stern and others said wildfire damages and subsequent litigation are major drivers of rate increases and noted that SB 254’s framework will be used to weigh cost against risk reduction. Perez and other supporters argued that preventing disasters reduces long‑term costs passed to ratepayers.

Clerk’s amendments read into the record changed the deadline by which the CPUC must update the general order to 01/01/2028, added "emergency" to local emergency operation center references, and clarified that "abandoned facilities" targets transmission overhead lines. The motion to pass SB 742 as amended to the Senate Appropriations Committee was made by Senator Archuleta.

The committee took a roll call and the clerk first announced a 9‑0 result and said the bill would be held open on call; later roll activity in the hearing record shows the measure reported to have passed on the final roll. The committee chair said staff and members will continue to monitor parallel investigations by the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety and the CPUC as the bill proceeds.

Next steps: SB 742 was moved out of the committee as amended and sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration. The committee record notes continued engagement with the CPUC on timelines and prioritization for removals.