STATE OF CALIFORNIA ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
505 VAN NESS AVENUE
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102-3298
July 10, 2006 Agenda ID #5822
Ratesetting
TO: PARTIES OF RECORD IN RULEMAKING 04-01-006 AND
APPLICATION 06-04-014
This is the draft decision of Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Kim Malcolm. It will not appear on the Commission's agenda for at least 30 days after the date it is mailed. The Commission may act then, or it may postpone action until later.
When the Commission acts on the draft decision, it may adopt all or part of it as written, amend or modify it, or set it aside and prepare its own decision. Only when the Commission acts does the decision become binding on the parties.
Parties to the proceeding may file comments on the draft decision as provided in Article 19 of the Commission's "Rules of Practice and Procedure," accessible on the Commission's website at http://www.cpuc.ca.gov. Pursuant to Rule 77.3 opening comments shall not exceed 15 pages.
Comments must be filed with the Commission's Docket Office. Comments should be served on parties to this proceeding in accordance with Rules 2.3 and 2.3.1. Electronic copies of comments should be sent to ALJ Malcolm at kim@cpuc.ca.gov . All parties must serve hard copies on the ALJ and the Assigned Commissioner, and for that purpose I suggest hand delivery, overnight mail or other expeditious methods of service. The current service list for this proceeding is available on the Commission's website, www.cpuc.ca.gov.
/s/ ANGELA K. MINKIN
Angela K. Minkin, Chief
Administrative Law Judge
ANG:sid
Attachment
ALJ/KLM/sid DRAFT Agenda ID #5822
Ratesetting
Decision DRAFT DECISION OF ALJ MALCOLM (Mailed 7/10/2006)
BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Order Instituting Rulemaking on the Commission's Proposed Policies and Programs Governing post-2003 Low-Income Assistance Programs. |
Rulemaking 04-01-006 (Filed January 8, 2004) |
Application of Pacific Gas and Electric Company Seeking Approval of an Augmentation to Its Authorized 2006 Low Income Energy Efficiency Program Budget. |
Application 06-04-014 (Filed April 14, 2006) |
OPINION APPROVING AUGMENTATION TO THE 2006 LOW INCOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM BUDGET OF PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY AND ADDRESSING THE COMPLIANCE FILINGS OF SAN DIEGO GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS COMPANY AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY REGARDING LOW INCOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM BUDGETS
I. Summary and Procedural Background
This decision approves an augmentation to low income energy efficiency (LIEE) program funding for 2006 and 2007 for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Specifically, we authorize PG&E to augment its 2006-2007 LIEE budget by $31.8 million, all of which is to be spent on the installation of LIEE measures. We disallow any additional funding for administrative and regulatory compliance costs because PG&E already has adequate funds for this type of work.
This decision also finds that the LIEE budgets of Southern California Edison Company (SCE), Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) and San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) do not require augmentation at this time, and authorizes minor modifications to their LIEE programs, as they request.
This decision follows two other recent actions, which were issued with the objective of providing greater protection to low income customers from the effects of high natural gas prices this past winter. In October 2005, the Commission issued Decision (D.) 05-10-044, which, among other things, expanded income eligibility for the California Alternatives Rates for Energy (CARE) and LIEE programs from 175% of the Federal poverty guidelines to 200% and approved efforts to speed up the installation of the most cost-effective energy efficiency measures. In a subsequent decision, D.05-12-026, the Commission approved new measures to be included in the LIEE and the increase of participation in LIEE programs by 5-10% in 2006. To effect this increased effort, D.05-12-026 also directed the utilities to file augmented 2006 budget applications no later than April 14, 2005. PG&E's application and the compliance filings of SCE and SDG&E are filed in compliance with that directive.
