III. Procedural Background

Complainants filed this complaint on December 26, 2002, and their amended complaint on April 1, 2003. Edison, PG&E, and SoCalGas/SDG&E (jointly) timely filed motions to dismiss and answers to the complaint.

At the request of complainants by letter dated April 7, 2003, and as agreed to by all parties, the Commission dismissed SoCalGas and SDG&E as defendants. (See D.03-04-067.) A subsequent Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ruling granted SoCalGas' and SDG&E's motion to intervene. The Commission held evidentiary hearings on June 9 and 10, 2003, and the case was submitted on July 30, 2003 with the filing of reply briefs.