(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, gas, heat, or electrical corporations and their subsidiaries that are regulated as public utilities by the Public Utilities Commission shall not conduct work for which a contractor’s license is required, except under any one or more of the following conditions:

1. (1) The work is performed upon the gas, heat, or electrical corporation’s properties.
2. (2) The work is performed through a contract with a contractor or contractors licensed pursuant to this chapter or the work is performed for low-income citizens pursuant to a program authorized by order of the Public Utilities Commission.
3. (3) The work is undertaken by the gas, heat, or electrical corporation in furtherance of the generation, transmission, or distribution of electricity, gas, or steam, whether within or without the service area of the corporation, if any work performed within a structure and beyond a customer’s utility meter is necessary to protect the public safety or to avoid interruption of service.
4. (4) The work is otherwise exempt from the provisions of this chapter.
5. (5) The work is performed to comply with programs or procedures ordered or authorized by the Public Utilities Commission not inconsistent with the objectives expressed in Chapter 984 of the Statutes of 1983.

(b) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

1. (1) “Gas, heat, or electrical corporation properties” means properties which a gas, heat, or electrical corporation owns or leases, or over which it has been granted an easement for utility purposes, or facilities which a gas, heat, or electrical corporation owns or operates for utility purposes.
2. (2) “Subsidiaries” means subsidiaries of a gas, heat, or electrical corporation regulated as public utilities by the Public Utilities Commission which carry out activities solely for utility purposes.