4. Schedule and Procedural Issues

The assigned Commissioner and assigned ALJ will establish the scope and timing of the audits that we order today and will schedule any workshops. We confirm that this proceeding remains categorized as ratesetting and acknowledge that a hearing will be required, pursuant to § 961(b)(2). We defer to the assigned Commissioner and assigned ALJ to schedule evidentiary hearings, if required, or to convene a legislative-style hearing to consider recommendations for adopting each gas corporation's Gas Safety Plan by year-end 2012.

Consistent with Pub. Util. Code § 1701.5, we anticipate this amended rulemaking will be concluded within 24 months of the issuance of the assigned Commissioner's Amended Scoping Memo Ruling, at the earliest. The management and financial audits we order today must be thorough and we intend to allow sufficient time for such audits to be carried out to set the stage for further orders of the Commission. We plan to consider similar audits for the smaller and multi-jurisdictional gas utilities and the gas storage providers in the future. Ex parte communications in this rulemaking are subject to the reporting requirements set forth in Rule 8.4 and the restrictions set forth in Rule 8.3(c).