PROTESTS

In its Advice Letter PG&E requests the protest period be shortened to five days and the response to protest period be reduced to one day in order that the Commission could consider its request at its August 3, 2000 meeting. The Commission does not believe PG&E's request requires action at the August 3, 2000 meeting. Therefore, PG&E's request to shorten the protest period and response to protest period is denied.

On July 25, 2000, ORA filed comments and suggested changes to Advice Letter 2018-E. ORA does not object to any of the modifications proposed by PG&E except for item (5) and a clarification on item (4). In response to (5), ORA does not believe that being subject to hourly metering after the rate freeze will be a disincentive to potential participants. ORA also is concerned that the free meters offered by PG&E in (4), should not be charged to a regulatory account and that giving away meters might have anti-competitive impacts on the meter service market. ORA recommends that participants be given the choice of interval meter and meter installer and that PG&E's cost be limited to the prices offered in PG&E's tariff E-EUS.