ALJ/MD2/gd2 Date of Issuance 1/19/2012

Decision 12-01-031 January 12, 2012

BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Order Instituting Rulemaking for the Purpose of Reviewing and Potentially Amending General Order 156 and to Consider Other Measures to Promote Economic Efficiencies of an Expanded Supplier Base and to Examine the Composition of the Utilities' Workforce.

Rulemaking 09-07-027 (Filed July 30, 2009)

DECISION GRANTING INTERVENOR COMPENSATION TO
THE CALIFORNIA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR
SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO DECISION 11-05-019

This decision awards The California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce $133,904.17 for its substantial contributions to Decision (D.) 11-05-019. This represents a decrease of $24,685.99 or 16% from the amount requested due to adjusted hourly rates, duplication of effort, excessive hours, lack of substantial contribution, disallowance of clerical work and the disallowance of non-compensable travel and related costs. Today's award will be paid from the intervenor compensation fund, pursuant to D.00-01-020.

1. Background

General Order (GO) 156 was adopted by the California Public Utilities Commission (Commission or CPUC) in 1986 to promote greater competition among utility suppliers by expanding the available supplier base and to encourage greater economic opportunity for women, minority, and disabled veteran owned businesses historically left out of utility procurement. The six largest reporting companies covered by GO 156 have vibrant outreach programs to increase participation by small and diverse businesses, and have exceeded GO 156's initial target goals. Other companies have had much less success.

The Order Instituting Rulemaking (R.) 09-07-027 (OIR) issued on July 30, 2009, sought to review the impact of GO 156 and its success in encouraging Commission regulated utilities to seek the full and fair participation of women, minority, and disabled-veteran-owned business enterprises (WMDVBEs) in their private procurement programs. The rulemaking undertook an assessment of current utility supplier diversity programs, including community-based views of their successes and failures, with the goal of recommending actions by the parties and amendments to GO 156 that would improve results.

Decision (D.) 11-05-019 (Decision) made several amendments to GO 156, some as a result of the proceeding and some to implement Assembly Bill (AB) 2758. The decision sets forth findings, recommendations, and best practices regarding utility supplier diversity programs, the role of community based organizations (CBOs), and the Supplier Clearing House.