(a) Each privately owned and publicly owned public utility operating a nuclear powerplant with a generating capacity of 50 megawatts or more shall install an automated alert system that will activate alarms in the California State Warning Center of the Office of Emergency Services in a manner to be determined by the office in consultation with the department and the appropriate county emergency services agency. This automated alert system shall duplicate the following alarms in the control rooms of each nuclear powerplant:

(1) Safety injection actuation (operation of the emergency core cooling system).

(2) High radiation alarm of the radioactive gas effluent stack monitor.

(b) The automated alert system shall be operative within 12 months of the effective date of this chapter.

(c) In no event shall the capital costs of complying with this section exceed two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) per nuclear powerplant. The operator of each nuclear powerplant shall be responsible for any maintenance or recurring charges. The funds expended by privately owned utilities under this section shall be allowed for ratemaking purposes by the Public Utilities Commission. Publicly owned public utilities shall include funds expended under this section in their rates.

(d) The automated alert system shall be operational whenever corresponding alarms in the control rooms of each nuclear powerplant are required to be operational under the terms of the operating license issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, except for periods of time required for maintenance, repair, calibration, or testing.

(e) Nothing in this section shall require plant modifications or the conduct of operations that may be in conflict with conditions of a license to operate issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or other activities authorized by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

(f) The Office of Emergency Services shall make provision for immediate notification of appropriate local officials upon activation of the automated alert system pursuant to this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 352, Sec. 392. (AB 1317) Effective September 26, 2013. Operative July 1, 2013, by Sec. 543 of Ch. 352.)