3. Interim Decisions

In our First Interim Decision, Decision (D.) 01-07-026 (July 12, 2001), we adopted revisions chiefly concerned with (1) use of the Internet to publish tariffs, and (2) representations made by a utility (in advertising or otherwise) regarding any tariffed service of that utility. These rules have been incorporated into the General Rules set forth in Appendix A to today's decision.

Our Second Interim Decision, D.02-01-038 (January 9, 2002), concerned the notice that a telecommunications utility must provide its affected customers when that utility proposes a rate increase, a withdrawal of service, or certain kinds of transfers. These rules are affected by the Uniform Regulatory Framework. Our revised Telecommunications Industry Rules, to be subsequently adopted, will include conforming changes.

In our Third Interim Decision, D.05-01-032 (January 13, 2005), we adopted comprehensive rules regarding advice letter contents and the review and disposition of advice letters. We also adopted certain requirements to facilitate advice letter review, such as maintenance of advice letter service lists and use of the Internet for the service of advice letters and related documents.

Attachment I is a table listing each rule in the current version of the General Rules with an indication of whether the rule originated in the 2001 Draft Decision or was adopted in the First, Second, or Third Interim Decisions. Attachment II is a table listing each rule originally set forth in the 2001 Draft Decision with an indication of (a) whether the rule was adopted in the First, Second, or Third Interim Decisions or is being adopted today; and (b) the current number for the rule. These attachments allow the reader to see how the General Rules, adopted upon four different occasions, now have been recodified into a comprehensive GO.

While today's decision integrates the General Rules previously adopted with the rest of the General Rules, it also creates Industry Rules where our practices differentiate between energy and water utilities. In doing so, we adopt a major innovation, namely, "tiers" of advice letters. This innovation will affect both the review process and effective dates, so we devote the bulk of our discussion to this innovation.