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Media Contact: PUC Press Office - 415.703.1366 - news@cpuc.ca.gov

PUC ANNOUNCES PUBLIC MEETINGS AND HEARINGS
ON PG&E GENERAL RATE CASE AND
PROPOSED BANKRUPTCY SETTLEMENT

SAN FRANCISCO, August 1, 2003 - The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will hold a series of meetings throughout the service area of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to discuss the utility's General Rate Case (GRC) and proposed bankruptcy settlement.

In the General Rate Case, the Commission is reviewing PG&E's overall quality of service, including the costs for providing gas and electric service for 2003, 2004, and 2005. Once the Commission determines PG&E's reasonable level of costs, the PUC will set rates sufficient to allow PG&E to recover its costs.

There will be five Informational/Comment Meetings on the GRC issue and five formal Public Participation Hearings (PPH). Four of these PPHs will serve a dual purpose as PPHs for the proposed bankruptcy settlement agreement proposed by PG&E and PUC staff.

For the GRC, the Commission is introducing a new type of public meeting format (Informational/Comment Meetings) that will give the public information about the proceeding with the hope of encouraging more public input. The Informational/Comment Meetings will be used to explain aspects of the GRC application. At these meetings, customers will be encouraged to make specific written comments on any or all of the major aspects of the GRC to be reviewed by the Commissioners, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and PUC staff. The PUC welcomes public opinion and participation on these proceedings and representatives from PG&E and the PUC will be at the meetings to answer questions.

The bankruptcy settlement will be heard at the PPHs in San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Fresno, and San Luis Obispo (for additional information on location and time, please see below). These four locations will feature the informational presentation for the GRC, and will give the public an opportunity to tell Commission decision-makers what they think about the GRC and proposed bankruptcy settlement.

Comments from all public meetings will be considered equally by the PUC and included in the formal files for the cases.

Informational/Written Comment Meetings:
(NOTE: All Informational/Written Comment Meetings are about the GRC only)

4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Salinas Community Center

940 North Main St.

Salinas, CA 93906

4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Department of General Services Auditorium

100 Paseo de San Antonio, Room 106

San Jose, CA 95113

7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Red Lion Hotel

1929 Fourth St.

Eureka, CA 95501

4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Woodland Public Library

Leake Community Room

250 First St.

Woodland, CA 95695

2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Department of General Services

2550 Mariposa Mall, Room 1036

Fresno, CA 93721

Formal Public Participation Hearings:

4000 South El Camino Real

San Mateo, CA 94430

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.: GRC issues

8 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Bankruptcy issues

Southeast Community Commission Facility

Alex Pitcher Room

1800 Oakdale Ave.

San Francisco, CA 94124

Steel Lane Community Center

415 Steele Lane

Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Department of General Services

2550 Mariposa Mall, Room 1036

Fresno, CA 93721

Conference Room, Sands Suite and Motel

1930 Monterey St.

San Luis Obispo, CA 93721

For more information on how to participate at these public meetings or to submit written comments about the GRC application (Proceeding #: A.02-11-017) or the proposed bankruptcy settlement (Proceeding #: I.02-04-026), please call or write (include the proceeding number) to:

Public Advisor

California Public Utilities Commission

505 Van Ness Ave., Room 2103

San Francisco, CA 94102

415-703-2074

1-866-849-8390 (toll free)

TTY 415-703-5382

TTY 1-866-836-7825 (toll free)

Or via email: public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov

All meeting locations are wheelchair-accessible. If an interpreter is needed for language or for the hard of hearing, please contact the Public Advisor's Office at the above address at least five working days in advance of the meeting date.

For more information on the PUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.

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