How California's Public Utilities Commission Is Using Mobile to Bolster its Workforce (Video)
CPUC, tasked with regulating public utilities in the state, is looking toward mobile as a means of extending its reach and effectiveness, said CIO Reza Yazdi.
Limited funding and resources isn’t stopping the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) from looking to technology to close the gap between public need and its services.
Following an industry briefing hosted by Techwire on Tuesday, CPUC CIO Reza Yazdi discussed some of the potential he sees in magnifying his workforce through mobile technology.
In the larger public safety sense, Yazdi said the smartphone, coupled with a CPUC reporting app, could be the difference between addressing utility issues quickly and experiencing a public safety emergency.
“Mobile reporting, as you know, everybody has a mobile device these days and we would like to make sure that these mobile devices can help us to provide the type of service that the public is expecting … to receive,” the CIO explained. “Basically, then, it expands our workforce to millions of people.
As it stands, Yazdi said, the mobile project could put the power to spot problems throughout the expansive public utility network in the hands of potentially millions of Californians.
Though almost every state agency could make the argument for more resources, the CIO said utilities, like electricity and gas, could potentially pose a public safety risk if not addressed quickly.
Rather than relying solely on the occasional phone-based report — which are limited by residents knowing or taking the time to find the correct number — Yazdi said a mobile solution could allow for instant reporting, coupled with other useful tools like geolocation and photos.
“We have a limitation in terms of the number of investigators or people working for CPUC," Yazdi said. "Adding a mobile device, it will expand our hands from hundreds to millions of people. Then we can collect all of the information and try, based on the information we receive, [to] offer better services, especially in the public safety area.”
This story was originally published by Government Technology.
