Process

After the Commission has issued a decision on the first four issues set forth above, we will hold a further PHC in April to set a schedule for implementation of ESP/CCA and small and multi-jurisdictional utility participation in the RPS program. At the April PHC, we also anticipate scheduling a date for the filing of Advice Letters ("RFO-Trigger" Advice Letters) from the IOUs indicating whether or not they believe that a 2005 RPS solicitation is necessary based on the level of RPS procurement to date. Further steps regarding implementation of REC trading and TOD MPRs will also be scheduled as appropriate following receipt of party comments. Consideration of issues related to transmission policy and development, including issues raised by the detailed transmission assessments the utilities will file as part of their RPS plans, will be coordinated with Investigation 00-11-001.

Concurrently, we expect to modify our implementation of the RPS program to reflect some of the early lessons learned from the first rounds of RPS solicitations, including refinements to the 2005 RPS procurement plans described above. The timetable for evaluating these lessons learned, and for refining the 2005 RPS plans, will be discussed at the April PHC and set forth in a subsequent ruling. To ensure that the RPS program is informed by experience, we direct the three major utilities to incorporate early lessons learned (Standard Contract Terms and Conditions, LCBF, and Renewable Transmission etc.); to the extent they are available, in their draft 2005 procurement plans. As already noted in the OIR, the Commission intends to resolve all matters in this proceeding within 18 months of the date of this scoping memo, consistent with Pub. Util. Code § 1701.5.