II. Procedural History3
On July 1, 2003, PG&E filed and served the PSA, the Settlement Plan, and a disclosure statement in this proceeding. On July 9, 2003, a prehearing conference (PHC) was held to determine the scope of proceedings for the Commission to consider the PSA. After the PHC, the Assigned Commissioner issued his "Scoping Memo and Ruling of Assigned Commissioner" (Scoping Memo) establishing the scope and schedule for this proceeding. The Scoping Memo, as amended, provided that the proceeding was limited to determining whether the PSA should be approved by the Commission, including whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, and in the public interest, using the criteria encompassed in various Commission, state, and federal court decisions.4 Excluded from the proceeding were alternative plans, rate allocation and rate design, and direct access issues. Proposed modifications to the PSA were permitted to be offered, but were required to be limited. Hearings were held on September 10, 11, 12, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. On September 25, 2003, PG&E, the Office of Ratepayer Advocates (ORA), and certain other parties and non-parties submitted a stipulation resolving issues regarding the land conservation commitment in the PSA. Concurrent opening briefs were filed on October 10, 2003, and reply briefs on October 20, 2003, when the matter was submitted.
3 This material is taken from the record in this proceeding as well as the record in PG&E's bankruptcy proceeding, documents, and pleadings of which the Commission may take official notice. The record in PG&E's Chapter 11 proceeding is available on the website of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of California, http://www.canb.uscourts.gov. In addition, documents relating to the Commission's various plans and filings in the bankruptcy proceeding can be found in the record of this proceeding as well as on the CPUC website at http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/static/industry/electric/pge+bankruptcy. 4 San Diego Gas & Electric Co., Decision (D.) 92-12-019, 46 CPUC 2d 538 (1992); Dunk v. Ford Motor Co. (1996) 48 CA4th 1794, 56 Cal. Rptr. 483; Officers for Justice v. Civil Service Commission, (9th Cir. 1982) 688 F.2d 615; Diablo Canyon, D. 88-12-083, (1988) 30 CPUC 2d 189; Amchem Products v. Windsor, (1997) 521 U.S. 591.
