I. INTRODUCTION

This Order denies the joint application for rehearing of Decision
(D.) 11-05-047 filed by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison Company (SCE), and Kern County Taxpayers Association (Kern Taxpayers).¹ By Application (A.) 10-03-014 PG&E had proposed, among other things, to charge all
of its customers in the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program
a fixed customer charge of $2.40 for all CARE schedules (except EL-8); in addition, it proposed a $3.00 charge for all non-CARE residential schedule (except E-8). The record established that under PG&E's proposed increases, over 99.7% of low income customers on Schedule EL-1 would be charged increased rates, and an estimated 86.5% would receive increases of 10% or greater per year and 5.6% would receive increases of 20% or greater. D.11-05-047 determined that the proposed fixed customer charges were not lawful under the relevant legislation. D.11-05-047 denied PG&E's proposal fixed customer charges.

¹ Citations to Commission decisions in this order follow the form for non-published decisions and will, hereinafter, informally refer to the Commission's decision number as found in the pdf version on the Commission's website at: http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/cyberdocs/Libraries/WEBPUB/Common?decSearchDsp.asp.