General Order Number 165 (Prescribed by the CPUC)

General Order

Number 165

Prescribed by the Public Utilities Commission of the State Of California

 

California Public Utilities Commission 505 Van Ness Avenue

San Francisco, Ca 94102

.

Appendix A

Public Utilities Commission of the State of California

Inspection Cycles for Electric Distribution Facilities

 

Adopted March 31, 1997 Effective March 1, 1997

(D.97-03-070 in 1.95-02-015 and R-9611-004)

 

 

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 performance 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.

 

Dated March 31, 1997, at San Francisco, California.

 

/s/ Weslev M. Franklin

Wesley M. Franklin

Executive Director

 

 

Appendix A

Electric Company System Inspection Cycles (Maximum Intervals in Years)

 

	Patrol		Detailed		Intrusive
	Urban	Rural	Urban	Rural	Urban	Rural
Transformers Overhead Underground Pad mounted
	1	2	5	5	-	-
	1	2	3	3	-	-
	1	2	5	5	-	-
Switching/Protected Devices Overhead Underground Pad mounted
	1	2	5	5	-	-
	1	2	3	3	-	-
	1	2	5	5	-	-
Regulators/Capacitors Overhead Underground Pad mounted
	1	2	5	5	-	-
	1	2	3	3	-	-
	1	2	5	5	-	-
Overhead Conductors and Cables	1	2	5	5	-	-
Street lighting	1	2	×	×	-	-
Wood Pole under 15 years	1	2	×	×	×	×
Wood Pole over 15 years witch have not been subject to intrusive inspection	1	2	×	×	10	10
Wood Poles which passed intrusive inspection	-	-	-	-	20	20