5. Proposed Schedule

Comments and reply comments shall be filed and served on the schedule stated below. Comments shall state any objections to the preliminary scoping memo regarding the issues, category, need for hearing, or schedule. (Rule 6.2.) Comments shall also address any matter a party believes should be considered now for the purpose of scoping this rulemaking, and anything else necessary for the efficient, effective and equitable conduct of this proceeding.

In particular, each party should clearly state and describe the issues it recommends be considered by the Commission in this proceeding, the priority for taking up these issues, and the party's preferred schedule for addressing the issues over 18 months. Active parties should coordinate with other active parties to determine whether or not there is agreement on the issues, priorities, schedule and any other matters to be considered in this proceeding. If so, parties should file one joint comment statement reflecting consensus on issues, priorities, schedule and related matters, along with separate comments on other matters to the extent necessary.

Proposed Schedule

Notice of Intent to Claim Intervenor Compensation	Filed according to Section 12, herein.
Opening Comments on preliminary Scoping Memo	30 days from the issuance of the rulemaking
Reply Comments on Preliminary Scoping Memo	45 days from the issuance of the rulemaking

No further schedule is set here. Rather, the assigned Commissioner will issue a scoping memo after considering comments and reply comments on the rulemaking, including parties' views on issues, identified priorities, and recommendations on the schedule for addressing the substance of issues. Consistent with § 1701.5, we anticipate this rulemaking will be resolved within 18 months from the issuance of the scoping memo. The assigned Commissioner or Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) may modify the schedules set forth in this rulemaking.

Many of the distribution-level interconnection issues subject to this rulemaking have been considered in various past and ongoing Commission proceedings, including R.08-08-009 and its successor proceeding, Rulemaking (R.) 11-05-005, R.10-05-004, R.08-06-024, Application (A.) 08-03-015, A.09-02-019, and A.08-07-017. Distribution-level interconnection issues are present in the context of various advice letter filings by utilities, such as SDG&E Advice Letter 2262-E, PG&E Advice Letter 3864-E, SCE Advice Letter 2593-E, and PG&E Advice Letter 3674-E.

Recognizing that these issues require timely action to ensure the success of the Commission's procurement programs, the Commission recently initiated a settlement effort to address matters related to Rule 21. These settlement efforts have been noticed in the Commission's Daily Calendar. In addition, notice of the commencement of this settlement effort was sent to the service lists of several on-going Commission proceedings. A copy of this notice can be found at Attachment D. Also, the assigned ALJ issued a ruling on September 2, 2011 in R.11-05-005 providing notice to parties in that proceeding that the settlement efforts may address issues, including issues related to § 399.20(e), raised in that proceeding.

The Commission encourages the active participation of interested parties in these settlement efforts, which are intended to result in timely, non-discriminatory, cost-effective, and transparent interconnection rules for the distribution system - similar to the goals of this rulemaking. Potential parties are put on notice that to the extent a settlement is reached which addresses some or all of the issues in this rulemaking, the settlement may be considered by the Commission in this proceeding.