2. Summary of SDG&E's Application

In Application (A.) 08-12-021, SDG&E asks the Commission to review its Emergency Power Shut-Off Plan (referred to hereafter as "the Power Shut-Off Plan").¹ Under its Power Shut-Off Plan, SDG&E will turn off electricity to certain regions during periods of high fire danger in order to prevent its overhead power lines from igniting potentially catastrophic wildfires. SDG&E intends to implement its Power Shut-Off Plan in time for the 2009 autumn fire season in Southern California.

SDG&E anticipates that providers of essential services, such as police departments and hospitals, may need to increase their use of electricity in the hours leading up to an announced power shut-off event in order to prepare for the event. SDG&E requests that electric usage by these customers during the period immediately preceding a shut-off event be exempted from (1) the determination of peak demand changes, (2) critical peak pricing, and (3) the demand response program.

Finally, SDG&E requests authority to revise Electric Tariff Rule 14. The existing Tariff Rule 14 states that SDG&E is not liable to its customers for an interruption in service "caused by inevitable accident, act of God, fire, strikes, riots, war or any other cause not within its control." SDG&E seeks to revise Tariff Rule 14 to explicitly state that SDG&E will not be liable for any costs or adverse impacts that customers experience due to the Power Shut-Off Plan.

¹ We interpret SDG&E's request for Commission review of its Power Shut-Off Plan as a request for Commission authorization to implement the Power Shut-Off Plan.