15. Procurement Diversity

PG&E's SmartMeter Program, including the Upgrade approved herein, is a substantial project that will involve significant procurement of goods and services. Accordingly, we remind PG&E that "it is the declared policy of the state to aid the interests of women, minority, and disabled veteran business enterprises in order to preserve reasonable and just prices and a free competitive enterprise, to ensure that a fair proportion of the total purchases and contracts or subcontracts for commodities, supplies, technology, property, and services for regulated public utilities are awarded to women, minority, and disabled veteran business enterprises, and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of the state."¹¹⁶ Furthermore, General Order 156 requires certain utilities, including PG&E, "to submit annual detailed and verifiable plans for increasing women, minority and disabled veteran business enterprises' (WMDVBE) procurement in all categories."¹¹⁷ We expect PG&E to comply with the spirit as well as the letter of General Order 156 in the course of carrying out the activities related to the Upgrade approved herein.

¹¹⁶ Public Utilities Code Section 8281(a)

¹¹⁷ General Order 156, "Rules Governing the Development of Programs to Increase Participation of Women, Minority and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises in Procurement of Contracts from Utilities as Required by Public Utilities Code Sections 8281-8286", current as of August 24, 2006, Rule 1.1.1.