Business Manager Bob Dean and Senior Assistant Business Manager Al Fortier spoke to 1245 members before the CPUC hearing.
Sacramento, CA — Nearly 100 IBEW 1245 members packed the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) hearing last week as commissioners prepared to vote on Resolution SPD-37 — a proposal that would slow undergrounding and take California backward on wildfire prevention.
Our members showed up to tell the CPUC to stop the vote and explained to them that a piecemeal, project-by-project review would delay critical work and put communities at risk. Before the hearing, members held an informational picket outside the building, passing out flyers and holding signs calling for a comprehensive statewide plan. Then they poured into the hearing room, filling the space and making their presence impossible to ignore.
The IBEW Local 1245 attends the CPUC meeting to oppose SPD-37 in Sacramento, Calif. on October 30, 2025.
In the end, we were successful in the day’s mission: the CPUC put the vote on hold.
“Thank you to everyone that came out,” said Business Manager Bob Dean. “When 1245 shows up, people notice. Your presence and your voices made a real difference, and you reminded the Commission who’s out there doing the work to keep Californians safe.”
Why IBEW 1245 Showed Up
The IBEW Local 1245 attends the CPUC meeting to oppose SPD-37 in Sacramento, Calif. on October 30, 2025.
Undergrounding is one of the most effective wildfire-prevention measures we have. It eliminates ignition sources, reduces Public Safety Power Shutoffs, and strengthens reliability.
In 2022, lawmakers passed SB 884, requiring utilities to submit 10-year undergrounding plans to move beyond reactive fixes and toward long-term wildfire prevention. IBEW 1245 supported SB 884 because it meant fewer fires and stable, long-term work for skilled union members.
The CPUC initially aligned with that vision through SPD-15, which supported coordinated planning. But Resolution SPD-37 threatens to undo that progress. Instead of allowing utilities to submit one comprehensive plan, SPD-37 would require approval of each segment individually — adding layers of red tape and delay that would slow down critical wildfire-mitigation work.
Inside the Hearing
The IBEW Local 1245 attends the CPUC meeting to oppose SPD-37 in Sacramento, Calif. on October 30, 2025.
Once inside, members spoke directly to the Commission about what IBEW 1245 members have witnessed on the ground. They’ve stood in the ashes after the Camp Fire, Tubbs Fire, Dixie Fire, and many others. They’ve restored power in neighborhoods where every mailbox represented a family that had lost everything.
Their message was simple: Undergrounding works, delays cost lives and California can’t afford to go backward.
What’s Next
After the hearing, members gathered outside as Dean thanked them for their turnout and reminded everyone that while the day’s mission was a success, the fight isn’t over. The CPUC has not yet made a final decision on SPD-37, and IBEW 1245 will continue pushing for a comprehensive statewide plan — and opposing any proposal that slows undergrounding.
“This is what union power looks like,” added Dean. “When we show up together, and for each other, we win.”