Inspection Cycles
for
Electric Distribution Facilities

 

I.    Purpose

The purpose of this General Order is to establish minimum requirements for electric distribution facilities, regarding inspection (including maximum allowable inspection cycle lengths), condition rating, scheduling and perfonnance of corrective action, record-keeping, and reporting, in order to ensure safe and high-quality electrical service, and to implement the provisions of Section 364 of Assembly Bill 1890, Chapter 854, Statutes of 1996.

II.    Applicability

 

As of March 31, 1997, this General Order applies to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, PacifiCorp, San Diego Gas and Electric Company, Sierra Pacific Power Company, and Southern California Edison Company.

The requirements of this order are in addition to the requirements imposed upon utilities under General Orders 95 and 128 to maintain a safe and reliable electric system. Nothing in this General Order relieves any utility from any requirements or obligations that it has under General Orders 95 and 128.

 

III.    Definitions

 

For the purpose of this General Order,
 

A    "Urban" shall be defined as those areas with a population of more than 1,000 persons per square mile as determined by the United States Bureau of the Census.

 

B    "Rural" shall be defined as those areas with a population of less than 1,000 persons per square mile as determined by the United States Bureau of the Census.

 

C    "Patrol" shall be defined as a simple visual inspection, of applicable utility equipment and structures, that is designed to identify obvious structural problems and hazards. Patrols may be carried out in the course of other company business.

 

D    "Detailed" inspection shall be defined as one where individual pieces of equipment and structures are carefully examined, visually and through use of routine diagnostic test, as appropriate, and (if practical and if useful information can be so gathered) opened, and the condition of each rated and recorded.

 

E    "Intrusive" inspection is defined as one involving movement of soil, taking samples for analysis, and/or using more sophisticated diagnostic tools beyond visual inspections or instrument reading.

 

F    "Corrective Action" shall be defined as maintenance, repair, or replacement of utility equipment and structures so that they function properly and safely.

IV.    Standards for Inspection, Record-keeping, and Reporting
 

Each utility subject to this General Order shall conduct inspections of its distribution facilities, as necessary, to assure reliable, high-quality, and safe operation, but in no case may the period between inspections (measured in years) exceed the time specified in the attached table.

Each utility subject to this General Order shall submit to the Commission by no later than July 1, 1997, compliance plans for the inspections and record-keeping required by this order. These compliance plans will include the proposed forms and formats for annual reports and source records, as well as the utility's plans for the types of inspections and equipment to be inspected during the coming year. For detailed and intrusive inspections, schedules should be detailed enough (in terms of the months of inspection and the circuit, area, or equipment / to be inspected) to allow staff to confirm that schedule inspections are proceeding as planned. For patrol inspections, companies should explain how all required facilities will be covered during the year. Energy Division or any successor staff divisions may prescribe changes relating to data, definitions, reporting and record-keeping formats and forms when and as necessary.

Each utility subject to this General Order shall submit an annual report detailing its compliance with this General Order under penalty of perjury. The first report required under this section shall be filed with the Commission by no later than July 1, 1998. Each utility shall file subsequent annual reports for every following year by no later than July 1. The report shall identify the number of facilities, by type which have been inspected during the previous period. It shall identify those facilities which were scheduled for inspection but which were not inspected according to schedule and shall explain why the inspections were not conducted, and a date certain by which the required inspection will occur. The report shall also present the total and percentage breakdown of equipment rated at each condition rating level, including that equipment determined to be in need of corrective action. Where corrective action was scheduled during the reporting period, the report will present the total and percentage of equipment which was and was not corrected during the reporting period. For the latter, an explanation will be provided, including a date certain by which required corrective action will occur. The report will also present totals and the percentage of equipment in need of corrective action, but with a scheduled date beyond the reporting period, classified by the amount of time remaining before the scheduled action. All of the above information shall be presented for each type of facility identified in the attached table and shall be aggregated by district.

The company shall maintain records of inspection activities which shall be made available to parties or pursuant to Commission rules upon 30 days notice. Commission staff shall be permitted to inspect such records consistent with Public Utilities Code Section 314 (a).

For all inspections, within a reasonable period, company records shall specify the circuit, area, or equipment inspected, the name of the inspector, the date of the inspection, and any problems identified during each inspection, as well as the scheduled date of corrective action. For detailed and intrusive inspections, companies shall also rate the condition of inspected equipment. Upon completion of corrective action, company records will show the nature of the work, the date, and the identity of persons performing the work.

 

Electric Company System Inspection Cycles (Maximum Intervals in Years)

 

 

(1) Patrol inspections in rural areas shall be increased to once per year in Extreme and Very High Fire Threat Zones in the following counties: Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego.  Extreme and Very High Fire Threat Zones are defined by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP) Fire Threat Map. The FRAP Fire Threat Map is to be used to establish approximate boundaries and Utilities should use their own expertise and judgment to determine if local conditions require them to adjust the boundaries of the map.

 

 

Type of Inspections (1)	Due (2)	Outstanding (3)
Patrols	xxx	xxx
OH Detailed	xxx	xxx
UG Detailed	xxx	xxx
Wood Pole Intrusive	xxx	xxx

 

Table 1

 

	Patrol		Detailed		Intrusive
	Urban	Rural	Urban	Rural	Urban	Rural
Transformers
Overhead	1	21	5	5	---	---
Underground	1	2	3	3	---	---
Padmounted	1	2	5	5	---	---
Switching/Protective Devices
Overhead	1	21	5	5	---	---
Underground	1	2	3	3	---	---
Padmounted	1	2	5	5	---	---
Regulators/Capacitors
Overhead	1	21	5	5	---	---
Underground	1	2	3	3	---	---
Padmounted	1	2	5	5	---	---
Overhead Conductor and Cables	1	21	5	5	---	---
Streetlighting	1	2	x	x	---	---
Wood Poles under 15 years	1	2	x	x	---	---
Wood Poles over 15 years which have not been subject to intrusive inspection	1	2	x	x	10	10
Wood poles which passed intrusive inspection	---	---	---	---	20	20

Inspection Requirements
for
Electric Distribution and Transmission Facilities>

I.    Purpose

The purpose of this General Order is to establish requirements for electric distribution and transmission facilities (excluding those facilities contained in a substation) regarding inspections in order to ensure safe and high-quality electrical service.

II.    Applicability

 

This General Order applies to all electric distribution and transmission facilities (excluding those facilities contained in a substation) that come within the jurisdiction of this Commission, located outside of buildings, including electric distribution and transmission facilities that belong to non-electric utilities.

The requirements of this order are in addition to the requirements imposed upon utilities under General Orders 95 and 128 to maintain a safe and reliable electric system. Nothing in this General Order relieves any utility from any requirements or obligations that it has under General Orders 95 and 128.

This General Order does not apply to facilities of communication infrastructure providers.

 

III.    Distribution Facilities

 

A.    Definitions

 

For the purpose of this General Order,
 

(1)    "Urban" shall be defined as those areas with a population of more than 1,000 persons per square mile as determined by the United States Bureau of the Census.

 

(2)    "Rural" shall be defined as those areas with a population of less than 1,000 persons per square mile as determined by the United States Bureau of the Census.

 

(3)    "Patrol inspections" shall be defined as a simple visual inspection, of applicable utility equipment and structures, that is designed to identify obvious structural problems and hazards.  Patrol inspections may be carried out in the course of other company business.

 

(4)    "Detailed" inspection shall be defined as one where individual pieces of equipment and structures are carefully examined, visually and through use of routine diagnostic test, as appropriate, and (if practical and if useful information can be so gathered) opened, and the condition of each rated and recorded.

 

(5)    "Intrusive" inspection is defined as one involving movement of soil, taking samples for analysis, and/or using more sophisticated diagnostic tools beyond visual inspections or instrument reading.

 

(6)    "Corrective Action" shall be defined as maintenance, repair, or replacement of utility equipment and structures so that they function properly and safely.

 

B.    Standards for Inspection
 

Each utility subject to this General Order shall conduct inspections of its distribution facilities, as necessary, to ensure reliable, high-quality, and safe operation, but in no case may the period between inspections (measured in years) exceed the time specified in Table 1. 

 

C.    Record-keeping

 

The utility shall maintain records for (1) at least ten (10) years of of patrol and detailed inspection activities , and (2) the life of the pole for intrusive inspection activities.  Such records shall be made available to parties or pursuant to Commission rules upon 30 days notice.  Commission staff shall be permitted to inspect such records consistent with Public Utilities Code Section 314 (a).

For all inspections records shall specify the circuit, area, facility or equipment inspected, the inspector, the date of the inspection, and any problems (or items requiring corrective action) identified during each inspection, as well as the scheduled date of corrective action.

 

D.    Reporting

 

By July 1st each utilitysubject to this General Order shall submit an annual report for the previous year under penalty of perjury.

The report shall list four categorical types of inspections:  Patrols, Overhead Detailed, Underground Detailed and Wood Pole Intrusive.  The report shall denote the total units of work by inspection type for the reporting period and the number of outstanding (not completed) inspections within the same reporting period for each of the four categories. 

 

Sample Report Template:

Notes:
1)  Each utility will define its reporting unit basis (e.g., circuit, grid, facility / equipment).
2)  Total inspections due in the reporting period. (Does not include outstanding inspections from prior years.)
3)  Total inspections required that were not completed in the reporting period. (Does not include outstanding inspections from prior years.)

 

IV.    Transmission Facilities

 

Each utility shall prepare and follow procedures for conducting inspections and maintenance activities for transmission lines.

 

Each utility shall maintain records of inspection and maintenance activities.  Commission staff shall be permitted to inspect records and procedures consistent with Public Utilities Code Section 314 (a).

Distribution Inspection Cycles (Maximum Intervals in Years)

 

 

(1)    Patrol inspections in rural areas shall be increased to once per year in Extreme and Very High Fire Threat Zones in the following counties: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura.  Extreme and Very High Fire Threat Zones are designated on the Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP) Map prepared by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Fire and Resource or the modified FRAP Map prepared by San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) and adopted by Decision 12-01-032 in Phase 2 of Rulemaking 08-11-005.The fire threat map is to be used to establish approximate boundaries and Utilities should use their own expertise and judgment to determine if local conditions require them to adjust the boundaries of the map.

 

Note:    This General Order does not apply to cathodic protection systems associated with natural gas facilities.

 

Note:    For the purpose of implementing the patrol and detailed inspection intervals in Table 1 above, the term “year” is defined as 12 consecutive calendar months starting the first full calendar month after an inspection is performed, plus or minus two full calendar months, not to exceed the end of the calendar year in which the next inspection is due.