ALJ/JSW/hkr DRAFT CA-4

2/7/2002

Decision DRAFT DECISION OF ALJ WONG (Mailed 1/7/2002)

BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Application of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (U 39 G) for an Order Pursuant to Section 1005.5(b) of the Public Utilities Code to Increase the Maximum Cost Specified in PG&E's Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to Construct the California Portion of the Expansion of its Natural Gas Pipeline.

Application 92-12-043 (Filed December 21, 1992)

And Related Matters.

Application 93-03-038 Application 94-05-035 Application 94-06-034 Application 94-09-056 Application 94-06-044 Application 96-08-043 Rulemaking 90-02-008 Rulemaking 88-08-018 Rulemaking 92-12-016 Investigation 92-12-017 Application 92-07-049 Application 95-02-008 Application 95-02-010 Application 94-11-015 Application 93-04-011 Application 94-04-002 Application 95-04-002 Application 96-04-001 Application 94-12-039

OPINION REGARDING THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA GENERATION COALITION EMERGENCY PETITION TO
MODIFY DECISION 97-08-055 AND RESOLUTION G-3288

I. Summary

On January 26, 2001, the Northern California Generation Coalition (NCGC)¹ filed an emergency petition to modify Decision (D.) 97-08-055² and Resolution G-3288. D.97-08-055 approved the Gas Accord settlement for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), and Resolution G-3288 implemented the tariffs associated with the Gas Accord.

NCGC's petition requests that the decision and the resolution be modified to give electric generators a higher priority than other noncore customers, for the duration of the current electricity crisis, in the event of a diversion or curtailment of natural gas supplies in PG&E's service territory.

Given the background as to how the priority of service rules were created, the ramifications that such a change could have on other noncore customers, and our findings in D.01-12-019, NCGC's request to modify the decision and the resolution is denied.

¹ According to the petition, the members of NCGC are the City of Redding, the Modesto Irrigation District, the Northern California Power Agency, the Turlock Irrigation District, and Silicon Valley Power.

² This decision is found in 73 CPUC2d 754.