ALJ/JLG/avs
Decision 01-08-010 August 2, 2001
BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
In the Matter of the Application of Pacific Bell (U 1001 C), a Corporation, for Authority for Pricing Flexibility and to Increase Prices of Certain Operator Services, to Reduce the Number of Monthly Directory Assistance Call Allowances, and Adjust Prices for Four Centrex Optional Features. |
Application 98-05-038 (Filed May 5, 1998) |
OPINION ON REQUEST
FOR INTERVENOR COMPENSATION
This decision grants The Utility Reform Network (TURN) an award of $104,292 in compensation for its substantial contributions to Decisions (D.) 99-11-051, D.00-03-042, and D.00-11-042. This amount is approximately $6,600 (or 6%) less than TURN requested.
1. Background
TURN timely filed its Request for Compensation on January 4, 2001. Pacific Bell (Pacific) filed a Reply on February 5, 2001. TURN filed a Reply to the Response of Pacific Bell on February 20, 2001.
In D.99-11-051, the Commission authorized Pacific to establish a Directory Assistance (DA) price floor of $ 0.35 and to increase its DA tariff price and ceiling rate from $ 0.25 to $ 0.46. The Commission decreased Pacific's monthly DA call allowance for residential customers from five to three calls, for business customers from two to zero, and for Centrex business customers from one to zero. The Commission increased Pacific's Busy Line Verification (BLV) and Emergency Interrupt (EI) service price floors to cover costs. D.99-11-051 also increased the tariff price from $ 0.50 to $ 1.20 for BLV and from $ 1.00 to $ 1.25 for EI and capped the ceiling rate at $ 1.20 for BLV and at $ 1.25 for EI. The Commission also authorized Pacific to change its DA, BLV, EI, and four Centrex Optional Features resale prices to maintain a 17% margin between its retail and resale prices for these services.
TURN, the Office of Ratepayer Advocates (ORA), and the County of Los Angeles (LA) filed a joint application for rehearing of D.99-11-051. ORA did not join all sections of the application for rehearing. D.00-03-042 granted the joint motion of TURN, ORA, and the County of LA to make Pacific's rate increase approved in D.99-11-051 subject to refund pending review of the application for rehearing. In D.00-11-042, the Commission granted rehearing of D.99-11-051 to modify or add material findings and conclusions and to clarify misperceptions, such as those held by the Joint Applicants, with regard to Commission policy, authority and discretion. The Commission then denied rehearing.
