IX. Confidentiality

Documents relating to the financial condition of Applicant were filed under seal with a motion requesting confidential treatment. Pursuant to Section 583 of the Public Utilities Code³ and General Order No. 66-C,⁴ upon a showing of good cause therefore, the Commission may order confidential information submitted to it to be sealed and not open to public inspection. The application contains non-public bank account and credit line information about the Applicant. Applicant asserts that public disclosure of this private confidential information would damage its competitive and financial positions. Pursuant to the terms of General Order 66-C, a protective order is appropriate when an applicant would be placed at an unfair business disadvantage as a result of public disclosure of financial data required by the Commission in connection with an application.

We grant the motion for confidential treatment. The financial information filed under seal by Applicant shall remain under seal for a period of two years from the date of this decision. During that period, the foregoing documents shall not be made accessible or be disclosed to anyone other than Commission staff except on the further order or ruling of the Commission, the Assigned Commissioner, the assigned Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), or the ALJ then designated as Law and Motion Judge.

³ Section 583 reads in relevant part: No information furnished to the commission by a public utility, or any business which is a subsidiary or affiliate of a public utility, or a corporation which holds a controlling interest in a public utility, except those matters specifically required to be open to public inspection by this part, shall be open to public inspection or made public except on order of the commission, or by the commission or a commissioner in the course of a hearing or proceeding. ⁴ General Order 66-C reads in relevant part:

2. EXCLUSIONS

Public records not open to public inspection include

(2.2) Records or information of a confidential nature furnished to, or obtained by the Commission. Such records or information shall include, but not be limited to:

b) Reports, records, and information requested or required by the Commission which, if revealed, would place the regulated company at an unfair business disadvantage.