Legislation |
06/03 |
Proposal To Make CPUC an Elected Board
(SCA 6).
Senate's Constitutional Amendments Committee voted to change CPUC to
seven-member commission elected by district and subject to term
limits of two 4-year stints. Currently CPUC has five
governor-appointed members serving 6-year staggered terms.
Appointments must be approved by the State
Senate. (In 2004, the proposal was left in committee without further action.) |
|
10/02 |
Legislation Requiring Energy Policy Report
Every 2 Years (Senate Bill
1389). The Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act requires the California Energy Commission to present an
Integrated Energy Policy Report to the Governor and Legislature
every 2 years based on its assessment of trends in energy
markets. |
|
10/99 |
Legislation Mandating Bundled Service by
Utilities (Assembly Bill
1421, Public Utilities Code). Supersedes prior law that prohibited PUC action on
restructuring before 1/1/2000. Mandates that LDCs provide bundled
service and be the only providers of billing and metering services.
However, it exempts existing core aggregation programs and includes
a provision that consumers can choose to purchase gas from another
supplier. |
|
08/98 |
Legislation Allowing PUC to Investigate
Restructuring but Limiting Action (Senate Bill
1602 enacted 8/28/98, creating Section 328 of Public Utility Code).
Legislation allows PUC to investigate restructuring but prohibits
any action until 1/1/2000 and disallows any restructuring decisions
made after 7/1/98 affecting core
customers. |
Regulatory
Action |
02/06 |
PUC Submits Natural Gas Study to State Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee. The study responds to questions regarding market structure, ownership, market power, and price and describes the natural gas market, especially as it relates to California. The study is a collaborative effort of the PUC and the Energy Commission. |
|
09/03 |
Switching Policy Clarified for Large
Industrials. PUC reaffirmed that industrial electricity
customers cannot switch from non-core to core status unless supplier
goes out of business. |
|
05/03 |
Energy Action Plan Approved.
Joint plan with the Consumer Power and
Conservation Financing Authority (CPA) and the Energy Resources
Conservation and Development Commission (CEC). Goal is to implement
a unified State energy policy. Proposes six sets of actions,
including ensuring reliable supply of reasonably priced natural gas,
optimizing energy conservation and resource efficiency, and
upgrading and expanding the electricity transmission and
distribution infrastructure. Includes increasing storage capacity
and continual monitoring of natural gas prices and trends for signs
of market manipulation. |
|
01/03 |
PG&E Applies to Extend Gas Accord
Through 2004. Company filed
proposal with PUC that would increase reliability standards and
refine some operational procedures. |
|
01/03 |
2003 Work Plan. PUC prepared
2003 work plan for legislature. Includes three primary objectives:
(1) reasonable gas rates, (2) matching capacity to needs, and (3)
maximizing participation in energy efficiency and low-income
programs. |
|
08/02 |
PG&E Gas Accord II Settlement
Agreement Approved. PUC approved
extension of Gas Accord market structure through 2003, at 2002
rates. |
|
05/02 |
PG&E Requests Approval of Settlement
Agreement. PG&E requested a 1-year extension of the
Gas Accord, which would allow the utility to extend existing
contracts for firm gas transportation and storage services. It would
also fix rates for gas transmission and storage services at existing
2002 levels. |
|
12/01 |
PUC Adopts Modifed Comprehensive
Settlement for SoCal (see 10/01
below, 99-07-003). Decision (3-2) allows for tradable storage rights
and transmission capacity on Socal and San Diego Gas & Electric
Co.'s intrastate systems. These lines transport gas to smaller
distribution systems within the State. The decision reduces the core
aggregation transportation (CAT) program minimum size to 120,000
therms to provide statewide consistency (conforms to PG&E
threshold) and removes the cap on core aggregation. Also recommends
that the legislature act on consumer protection measures for those
using CTAs and ESPs (providing both electricity and gas) in order to
eliminate obstacles to competition. Eliminates core subscription
program, so that "all noncore eligible customers must either choose
a competitive provider for gas commodity service or take service
from SoCal at core rates. Allows a billing credit when core
aggregators include the utility's billing to their customers.
Schedules upcoming proceeding re gas industry structure in post-2002
period. Requires a "market assessment report" 2 years after
effective date of the tariff |
|
11/01 |
Alternate Proposed Final Opinion re
Restructuring Options (99-07-003)
(Commissioner Carl Wood). Approves a modified interim settlement
(IS) rather than the comprehensive settlement (CS) recommended by
ALJ John Wong. Provisions would : (1) establish Hector Road as a
formal receipt point on SoCalGas' system at which nominations may be
made; (2) provide for the establishment of "pools" of gas on the
SoCalGas transmission system to increase the liquidity of trading of
gas supplies; (3) allow trading of imbalances to some extent. Would
not unbundle core interstate transportation from rates at this time.
Would eliminate core contribution to noncore interstate transition
cost surcharges (ITCS) and the core subscription option as well as
the caps and thresholds for core aggregation programs following PUC
implementation of consumer protections. Would reduce the core
aggregation program threshold and offer billing options to core
aggregators. |
|
10/01 |
Proposed Final Opinion re Restructuring
Options (99-07-003).
Approves a modified "comprehensive settlement" - one of three
contested settlement proposals addressing options raised in
D99-07-015 as applied to the SoCal and San Diego Gas & Electric
Co. gas systems. The decision would reduce the CAT program minimum
size to 120,000 therms and remove the cap on core aggregation. Would
eliminate core subscription program, so that "all noncore eligible
customers must either choose a competitive provider for gas
commodity service or take service from SoCal at core
rates." |
|
07/99 |
New Docket for Considering Costs and
Benefits of Various Promising Restructuring
Options (99-07-003). The
PUC opened a new docket to address the benefits and service costs of
various "promising" restructuring options, including effects on
labor, safety, consumers, and environment. The order sets a 60-day
period for parties to reach consensus on a new market structure that
would also allow LDCs to continue offering full service to its core
customers. If no consensus is reached, testimony and hearings are
scheduled for Sept - Dec 1999. At the end of hearings, the PUC
intends to report its findings to the
legislature. |
|
07/99 |
PUC Identification of Most Promising
Restructuring Options (Decision
99-07-015). The PUC identified the "most promising" options to
consider for restructuring the CA gas industry and closed the Order
Instituting Investigation (OIR) R.98-01-011. These options include:
creation of firm, tradable intrastate transmission and storage
rights; establishment of secondary markets; making utilities "at
risk" for unused transmission and storage resources; cost and rate
separation for balancing services; separation of utility hub
services from supply purchases; unbundling supply and distribution
costs for core customers; elimination of core subscription service;
elimination of core aggregation transportation thresholds (after
consumer protection measures are in place); competitive metering
technologies and competitive billing options (like electric
industry); equal access to customer-specific information,
transaction details, and pipeline operator demand forecasts by
customer class; and establishment of a utility electronic bulletin
board for secondary market transactions.
|
|
10/98 |
New Inquiry Schedule and
Postponement. The PUC issued
D.98-10-028 establishing a new schedule for its inquiry hearings and
testimony and postponing any decisions until after 1/1/2000. As per
8/98 legislation, eliminates requirement of 8/6/98 order (see "Goals
of PUC Inquiry") that LDCs file unbundled tariffs by
2/26/99. |
|
08/98 |
Goals of PUC Inquiry.
Interim Order, D.98-08-30. The PUC set goals
of inquiry and short-term steps to aid in assessing possible market
reform. Stated goals are to: complement benefits of electric
restructuring, eliminate unnecessary cross-subsidies, remove
unnecessary market barriers, enhance competition by unbundling
supply and distribution services, ensure service reliability and
safety, provide sufficient consumer protection, and ensure rates
reflect cost of service. As first steps in assessing possible
restructuring: LDCs are to categorize costs of each service by
function in unbundling tariff filings by 2/26/99; those LDCs with
"core aggregation programs" are to remove threshold limits and file
tariffs accordingly; and the Energy Division is charged with
developing consumer protection rules. |
|
01/98 |
Investigation into Restructuring Natural
Gas Markets. The PUC opened
Order Instituting Rulemaking (OIR) R.98-01-011 on 1/21/98 to assess
existing regulatory and market structures and possible reforms that
would lead to more competitive markets and energy
convergence. |