(

a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), each utility shall, on or before March 1, 2026, automatically enroll its customers in alerts for service outages and updates. (b)

(1) A local publicly owned electric utility that does not have the necessary system to implement the requirements of subdivision (

a) shall, on or before March 1, 2026, develop appropriate and feasible procedures to maximize the automatic enrollment of its customers in alerts for electrical service outages and updates. (2) (

A) A local publicly owned electric utility that does not have the necessary system to implement the requirements of subdivision (

a) shall, on or before March 1, 2028, develop a plan to update its system to automatically enroll its customers in alerts for electrical service outages and updates. (

B) If the governing board of the local publicly owned electric utility determines the plan developed pursuant to subparagraph (

A) is cost effective, the local publicly owned electric utility shall implement the plan during the next significant, planned upgrade of its system or by March 1, 2030, whichever is sooner. (

c) Customers shall be provided with the opportunity to opt-out of alerts for service outages and updates that the customer does not wish to receive, except for required or essential notifications. (

d) Each utility shall annually provide information on a customer’s bill on how to update the customer’s preferred contact method and shall allow a customer to update the customer’s contact information on the utility’s internet website or, if feasible, by telephone. (

e) For purposes of this section, “utility” means an electrical corporation, as defined in

Section 218, a local publicly owned electric utility, as defined in

Section 224.3, a gas corporation, as defined in

Section 222, or a water corporation, as defined in

Section 241.