4. Procedural Background

Application (A.) 01-03-036 was filed on March 23, 2001 and assigned to Commissioner Duque and Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Cooke. In his August 13, 2001 Scoping Memo, Commissioner Duque designated ALJ Cooke to be the principal hearing officer for this proceeding.

Numerous parties filed protests or comments on SDG&E's application. ALJ Cooke and Commissioner Duque held a prehearing conference on June 21, 2001, as well as public participation hearings in the communities in the project area on June 19, 20, and 21, 2001. The Assigned Commissioner's Scoping Memo bifurcated the proceeding into two phases with the first phase to address the issue of whether the Valley-Rainbow Project is needed, and the second phase to address all other issues following the release of a Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (DEIR/EIS).

SDG&E and the California Independent System Operator (ISO) served opening testimony on October 5, 2001. The Office of Ratepayer Advocates (ORA) served opening testimony on February 4, 2002. Save Southwest Riverside County, City of Temecula, and Pechanga Development Corporation (jointly SSRC) and Centex Homes (Centex) served opening testimony on March 15, 2002. SDG&E and the ISO served rebuttal testimony on April 12, 2002. A PHC was held on April 29, 2001 and parties presented opening statements at that time. SSRC, the ISO, and ORA served surrebuttal testimony on May 6, 2002. Nine days of evidentiary hearings were held, beginning on May 6, 2002 and concluding on May 16, 2002. Parties presented closing arguments before Commissioner Duque and ALJ Cooke on August 20, 2002. No final oral argument was requested.

Opening briefs were filed by SDG&E, the ISO, ORA, SSRC, Centex, Greenpeace, and the Southern California Generation Coalition (SCGC). Reply briefs were filed by SDG&E, the ISO, ORA, SSRC, Centex, Greenpeace, and the Electric Generator Alliance (EGA). This phase was submitted on August 20, 2002 following closing argument.