California Code, Public Utilities Code - PUC § 823

(a) No public utility shall, without the consent of the commission, apply any part of the issue of any stock or stock certificate or other evidence of interest or ownership, or bond, note, or other evidence of indebtedness, or any proceeds thereof, to any purpose not specified in the commission's order, or to any purpose specified in the order in excess of the amount authorized for such purpose, or issue or dispose thereof on any terms less favorable than those specified in the order, or a modification thereof.

(b) A public utility may issue notes, for proper purposes and not in violation of any provision of law, payable at periods of not more than 12 months after the date of issuance of the notes without the consent of the commission.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (b), no public utility as defined in Section 201(e) of the Federal Power Act (49 Stat. 847, 16 U.S.C. 824)   1 shall, without the consent of the commission, issue notes payable at periods of not more than 12 months after the date of issuance of the notes if such notes and all other notes payable at periods of not more than 12 months after the date of issuance of such notes on which such public utility is primarily or secondarily liable would exceed in aggregate amount 5 percent of the par value of the other securities then outstanding.  In the case of securities having no par value, the par value for the purposes of this subsection shall be the fair market value as of the date of issue.

(d) No note payable at a period of not more than 12 months after the date of issuance of such note shall, in whole or in part, be refunded by any issue of stocks or stock certificates or other evidence of interest or ownership, or of bonds, notes of any term or character, or any other evidence of indebtedness, without the consent of the commission.