Brown Wong Assigned Commissioner and Administrative Law Judge's Scoping Memo and Ruling

Bifurcation and Schedule

The comments of the parties on whether the issues in this proceeding should be bifurcated have been considered. In addition, the references in D.04-09-022 that the system integration proposal and the firm access rights proposal should be done expeditiously and not be decided in isolation, has also been taken into account. This proceeding will be divided into two phases. The first phase will address the system integration issues. The second phase will address the firm access rights issues and the off-system issues as described earlier.

From an administrative point of view, this will allow parties to focus their resources on whether the two systems should be integrated on an economic basis, without having to prepare testimony involving scenarios where the system integration proposal is adopted or is not adopted. Although this phasing of the issues may result in a slight delay in ultimately resolving the entire application, the phasing of this proceeding should result in more efficient use of everyone's time and resources. It will also allow the Commission to expeditiously consider the firm access rights proposal in the context of whether the gas transmission systems of SDG&E and SoCalGas will be integrated on an economic basis or not.

Evidentiary hearings on all the issues identified above are likely. The evidentiary hearings for Phase I will begin on September 12, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. at the State Office Building, 505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, and continue through September 16, 2005. A prehearing conference will be held on September 1, 2005 in San Francisco at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the scheduling of witnesses, and any other hearing-related matters for the September hearings.

The schedule for the Phase II issues in this proceeding will be determined at a prehearing conference which will be scheduled shortly after the mailing of the Phase I proposed decision. It is anticipated that the Phase II issues will be heard and resolved around the second and third quarters of 2006.

Any party requesting final oral argument before the Commission shall make such a request on or before the first day of evidentiary hearings for Phase I and Phase II.

The application was filed on December 2, 2004. Pub. Util. Code § 1701.5 provides that in a ratesetting proceeding, the issues raised in the scoping memo are to be resolved within 18 months of the date the scoping memo is issued. It is expected that this proceeding will be completed within the 18-month period as shown in the schedule below.

The following schedule shall be followed to resolve the issues in this proceeding.

Event

Date

Supplemental testimony on Phase I issues by SoCalGas and SDG&E to be served

June 27, 2005

Testimony on Phase I issues by all other parties to be served

July 29, 2005

Rebuttal testimony on Phase I issues by all parties to be served

August 26, 2005

Prehearing Conference to discuss scheduling of witnesses and other hearing related issues

September 1, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. in San Francisco

Evidentiary hearings on Phase I issues

September 12-16, 2005 in San Francisco. Start time at 10:00 a.m. on September 12, 2005

Opening briefs due

October 11, 2005 (tentative)

Reply briefs due and submission of Phase I issues

October 31, 2005 (tentative)

Proposed decision in Phase I

January 27, 2006 (tentative)

Prehearing conference for Phase II

February 16, 2006 (tentative)

Comments on proposed decision

20 days from mailing of proposed decision

Reply comments on proposed decision

25 days from mailing of proposed decision

Commission decision in Phase I

March 9, 2006 (tentative)

Supplemental testimony on Phase II issues by SoCalGas and SDG&E to be served

To be decided

Testimony on Phase II issues by all other parties to be served

To be decided

Rebuttal testimony on Phase II issues by all parties to be served

To be decided

Evidentiary hearings on Phase II issues

May-June 2006 (tentative)

Proposed decision in Phase II

September 2006 (tentative)

Comments on Phase II proposed decision

20 days from mailing of proposed decision

Reply comments on Phase II proposed decision

25 days from mailing of proposed decision

Commission decision in Phase II

To be decided

Event	Date
Supplemental testimony on Phase I issues by SoCalGas and SDG&E to be served	June 27, 2005
Testimony on Phase I issues by all other parties to be served	July 29, 2005
Rebuttal testimony on Phase I issues by all parties to be served	August 26, 2005
Prehearing Conference to discuss scheduling of witnesses and other hearing related issues	September 1, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. in San Francisco
Evidentiary hearings on Phase I issues	September 12-16, 2005 in San Francisco. Start time at 10:00 a.m. on September 12, 2005
Opening briefs due	October 11, 2005 (tentative)
Reply briefs due and submission of Phase I issues	October 31, 2005 (tentative)
Proposed decision in Phase I	January 27, 2006 (tentative)
Prehearing conference for Phase II	February 16, 2006 (tentative)
Comments on proposed decision	20 days from mailing of proposed decision
Reply comments on proposed decision	25 days from mailing of proposed decision
Commission decision in Phase I	March 9, 2006 (tentative)
Supplemental testimony on Phase II issues by SoCalGas and SDG&E to be served	To be decided
Testimony on Phase II issues by all other parties to be served	To be decided
Rebuttal testimony on Phase II issues by all parties to be served	To be decided
Evidentiary hearings on Phase II issues	May-June 2006 (tentative)
Proposed decision in Phase II	September 2006 (tentative)
Comments on Phase II proposed decision	20 days from mailing of proposed decision
Reply comments on Phase II proposed decision	25 days from mailing of proposed decision
Commission decision in Phase II	To be decided