201 S. Anaheim Blvd.
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Anaheim, CA 92805
Tel: (714) 765-5173
www.anaheim.net
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT
DATE: JULY 14, 2026
FROM: PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF ANAHEIM PUBLIC UTILITIES 2026 PHYSICAL
SECURITY PLAN TO PROTECT THE ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEM
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM # 03
GOVERNMENT CODE § 84308 APPLIES: NO
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council, by Motion:
1. Approve the Anaheim Public Utilities 2026 Physical Security Plan, reviewed by Anaheim Police Department, to protect the electric distribution system;
2. Authorize the Public Utilities General Manager or designee, on behalf of Anaheim, to take necessary actions related to or in furtherance of the Plan and its implementation, including executing or certifying documents, notices, and any related regulatory submittals.
DISCUSSION:
The Public Utilities Board recommended that the City Council approve the Anaheim Public Utilities 2026 Physical Security Plan to protect the electric distribution system on June 24, 2026.
Following a major attack on a high voltage substation in San Jose, CA, Senate Bill 699 was adopted in 2014 and amended Public Utilities Code Section 364 to ensure the security and resilience of qualifying electric distribution grid assets with regional implications. The corresponding California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Physical Security Decision 19-01-018 serves as the regulation applicable to both investor-owned and publicly-owned utilities and requires qualifying utilities to submit physical security plans with updates every five years.
In 2021, Anaheim Public Utilities (APU) submitted its Physical Security Plan and has prepared its 2026 Physical Security Plan (2026 Plan) for review and approval prior to state submission. APU is considered a qualifying utility due to the 911 emergency dispatch through the Metro Net Fire Dispatch supporting multiple cities that met the screening criteria as a high priority facility in APU’s service territory. Due to the sensitive nature of the 2026 Plan, details provided have been made generic to protect critical infrastructure information.
A qualified third-party conducted an independent review and validation of APU’s 2026 Plan, consistent with state regulations. APU retained NV5 from pre-qualified consulting firms based on their expertise in the electric industry in reviewing similar plans. NV5 Approval of Anaheim Public Utilities 2026 Physical Security Plan to Protect the Electric Distribution System July 14, 2026
completed the comprehensive review of the 2026 Plan, including a review of the risk assessment principles and mitigation strategies, and found the Plan generally meets the regulatory requirements. A summary of NV5’s qualifications and evaluation is included in the 2026 Plan (Attachment 1). NV5 provided three (3) recommendations that were responded to in the 2026 Plan, including:
One of APU’s substations is not classified as a distribution substation, and should include the applicable regulatory authority; however, APU acknowledged there is no regulatory requirement for this substation, which was included for completeness;
Changes from the 2021 to the 2026 Plan should be identified, which were subsequently incorporated in the Executive Summary and include improving chain link fencing with solid walls at three (3) electric facilities, improvement of communications at substations, and ongoing implementation of upgraded security cameras and related systems at substations; and,
There are nine (9) security measures with brief descriptions that are recommended to include additional details; however, APU’s response is that details may pose additional security risks are therefore not recommended for public disclosure, such as emergency feeder identification, layout of security devices at substations, locations of where emergency response may come from, and validation of criminal incidents with a statistical reporting tool.
In 2021, the Anaheim Police Department (APD) provided an additional level of review due to their expertise in local and regional security matters. Reviews by local safety departments is a practice utilized by other municipal utilities based on ongoing collaboration on emergency incidents and common safety goals to protect the public. APU again sought APD’s assistance with reviewing the 2026 Plan, and based on their review, APD found the 2026 Plan to be adequate (Attachment 2).
The 2026 Physical Security Plan supports the Citywide Strategic Plan, Goal E – Support Public Safety, Strategy 5 – Assess the City’s emergency preparedness capabilities, resources, and tools, and implement changes as needed to ensure the City is properly positioned to respond to disasters.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
There is no budgetary impact to approve and submit the 2026 Plan. Funds for future procurement or capital projects will be subject to City Council approval.
Respectfully submitted,
Dukku Lee
Public Utilities General Manager
Attachments:
1. Anaheim Public Utilities 2026 Physical Security Plan with Third-Party Independent Review recommendations
2. Anaheim Police Department Review Letter