WEBVTT
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Adminmonitor.com will begin momentarily.
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Thank you for your patience.
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Now I'd like to turn the call
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over to President Batjer.
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Thank you, you may begin.
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Thank you operator, and good morning, everyone.
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Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission
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meeting of August 6th, 2020.
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There is Spanish translation available for this meeting.
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If you would like to listen to the meeting in Spanish,
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please dial (800) 857-1917 and enter passcode 6946898.
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I will now pause for the translation.
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(speaking in Spanish)
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Thank you.
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We need to establish a quorum.
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So will the agenda clerk please call the roll.
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Good morning.
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Commissioner Shiroma.
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Present.
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Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
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Here.
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Commissioner Randolph.
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Here.
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Commissioner Rechtschaffin
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Present.
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President Batjer.
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Here.
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Thank you, we have established a quorum.
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I'm calling the CPUC meeting of August 6th, 2020,
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public agenda item number 34662 order.
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In March, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a stay at home order
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to protect the health and wellbeing of all Californians
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and to establish consistency across the state
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in order to slow the spread of COVID 19.
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As such, we are conducting today's business meeting online
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and by remote participation.
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This meeting is live streamed on the CPUC's website.
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You can view the meeting at www.adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc.
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Adminmonitor, one word.
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A-D-M-I-N-M-O-N-I-T-O-R.
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Public engagement is critical to the CPUC process.
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If you wish to make a public comment,
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dial 800-857-197 and enter passcode 9899501
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and press #1.
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You would be placed into a queue and the operator will take
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your name and your organization.
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There may be a delay from the time you press #1
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to the time the operator asks for your information.
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So please be patient and stay on the line.
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You will be called upon to speak
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when we get to the public comment period in today's agenda.
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Email, comments received will be distributed
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to the Commissioners and senior management.
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Before we begin, I wanna take a moment to honor the life
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of the late Congress member and civil rights leader,
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John Lewis, who passed away last month.
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Mr. Lewis was the son of sharecroppers
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and grew up in an era of racial segregation.
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He was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King jr.
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and joined the civil rights movement
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to affect the changes he wanted to see.
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Mr. Lewis was a Freedom Writer, the youngest person
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to speak at the 1963's March on Washington.
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Led demonstrations for the right
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for black Americans to vote,
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that became known as Bloody Sunday.
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He was elected to Congress in 1986
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and served more than 30 years in public service.
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In 2011, Mr. Lewis received the Presidential Medal
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of Freedom from President Obama.
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I quote Mr. Lewis from his essay published
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in the New York Times after his death.
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Quote, "So I may not be here with you.
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"I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart
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"and stand up for what you truly believe."
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Mr. Lewis spent his life fighting for the equality,
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for Black Americans and other oppressed people.
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His work inspired countless people and his legacy serves
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as a reminder that as a nation, as a democracy,
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we can do more and we can do better.
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Please join me in a moment of silence to honor
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the exemplary life of the late Mr. John Robert Lewis.
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Thank you all very much.
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Earlier this week, Governor Newsom shared the information
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that things may be getting better in California
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amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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The seven day average of the new COVID-19 cases
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is down 21% from a week ago.
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However, the death rate is rising with the 14 day average.
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Currently, there are 38 California counties that are now
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on the state's monitoring list.
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This means that these counties will have stricter guidelines
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and it has implications for when certain businesses
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as well as schools can reopen.
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But the CPUC staff with families and school-aged children.
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This presents an added challenge when summer break ends.
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The Commissioners and senior management
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are committed to remaining flexible
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as we adjust to the new normal and maintaining
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a healthy work life balance.
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We thank the staff for all their doing during this time
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to carry out the responsibilities
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and serve the people of California.
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The pandemic is very real.
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And until there is a vaccine,
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we have to continue to be smart and we have to continue
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to wear a cloth covering or may have mask
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when six feet of distance cannot be maintained.
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We have to practice physical distancing of six feet,
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wash hands or soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds,
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avoid touching your eyes, nose,
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or mouth with unwashed hands.
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And to the extent possible,
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stay at home except for essential needs and activities.
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All right, we will now turn to public comment.
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The Commission provides three minutes for each speaker.
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You'll hear a bell sound when your time is up.
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Then, to make telephonic public comments,
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please dial (800) 857-1917
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and enter passcode 9899501 and press #1.
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If you are experiencing difficulty with getting
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into the public comment queue, please email
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votingmeetinghelp, all one word,
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votingmeetinghelp@cpuc.ca.gov.
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The operator will call your name
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when it is time for you to speak.
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You will hear a bell sound when your time is up.
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Please be mindful of the other people waiting in the queue
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to provide public comment.
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Your cooperation will help us ensure that everyone gets
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their turn to share their comments with the Commissioners.
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The CPUC rules do not allow for parties in proceedings
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to speak about open proceedings.
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The public can make comments addressing items on
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the consent and regular agendas,
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and including items not on the agenda.
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Please note, there will not be public comment
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on items seven, 12, 32, 34 and 35,
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and any item on the closed session agenda.
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With that guidance in mind, I welcome the day's speakers.
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I'll now turn back to the operator
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to open the public comment telephone line.
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Thank you.
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Operator?
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Thank you.
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Our first comment comes from Jennifer Tanner
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with Indivisible, California.
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You may go ahead.
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Oh, hi, can you hear me?
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Yes, we can, thank you.
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Okay, thank you so much.
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And first of all, again, thank you President Batjer
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and the CPUC for allowing us to make comments.
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We're very grateful we can do this.
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My name is Jennifer Tanner,
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Indivisible California Green Team,
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which has always had a focus on energy.
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And the post is agenda item 10 on the consent agenda
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draft resolution E5083,
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which permits San Diego Gas & Electric
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to procure resources using contract lasting up to five years
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based on an old bundled procurement plan BPP from 2014.
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We're asking the Commission to reject this resolution and
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the similar ones to sell Cal Edison
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because they are one, in compatible with
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the Commission's integrated resource planning process.
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Number two, not compliant with legal,
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clean energy mandates of SB 350 and SB 100
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and run counter to the state's clean energy goals.
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Three, abandons oversight of the IOUs and likely
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to increase costs or both IOU and CCA customers.
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And four, the Commission should reject the draft resolution
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and instead require that all BPP reviews occur
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within the integrated resource plan proceeding.
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And I'd like to make a second comment
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regarding the SB 1339 proceeding.
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It is time to stop demonizing microgrids
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for cost shifting.
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Cost shifting is a policy issue, not a structural issue.
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Once microgrids are implemented,
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utilities should be directed to eliminate and/or restructure
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their existing costs in order to ensure that costs
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are fairly and equitably a portion.
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It is no longer the case that microgrids
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are research, a pilot project.
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As a recently approved rollout of microgrid
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for resiliency under track one
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of SB 1339 proceeding demonstrated, they are now required
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as a matter of preferred policy for resiliency purposes.
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It is time for the CPUC to require utilities,
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to adjust their current pricing policies
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to reflect this reality.
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Thank you.
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Thank you, Ms. Tanner.
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Next caller, please.
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The next caller is Bill Christiansen,
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Alliance for Water Efficiency.
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You may go ahead.
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Good morning, Commissioners and President Batjer.
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Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
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My name is Bill Christiansen and I'm the director
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of programs for the Alliance for Water Efficiency.
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The North American nonprofit, dedicated to the efficient
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and sustainable use of water.
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I am here to comment on agenda item 19, specifically changes
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to Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanisms.
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AWE cares about the proposed decision
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and its potential implications,
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and urges the CPUC to consider it carefully
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with more analysis.
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As it could set a nationwide precedent if adopted.
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AWE has filed two letters for the record
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on the proposed decision dated July 28th and July 30th,
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indicating our concerns.
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AWE offers our help to the Commission
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in whatever way would be useful.
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Our apologies that Mary Ann Dickinson,
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AWE's president and CEO,
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is not able to make these comments herself
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because of a schedule conflict.
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But we wanted to make sure you know
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that we're interested in providing whatever assistance
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the Commission might find helpful.
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Thank you again for the opportunity to comment.
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Thank you, Mr. Christiansen.
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Next speaker, please.
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Our next caller is Ricky Samayoa
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with the City of Marysville.
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You may go ahead.
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Hi, good morning.
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I'm Ricky Samayoa, the mayor of City of Marysville.
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I want to thank President Batjer and the Commissioners for
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the opportunity to speak about the proposed decision,
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rulemaking 1706024.
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There's no question that water supplies in California
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are scarce and that jobs
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are becoming more frequent and severe.
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Given that I am pleased, the Commission decided
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to delay action on this proposed decision today.
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And I hope more time is taking through to thoroughly examine
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the pros and cons of eliminating
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the regulatory best practice of decoupling.
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As you all know,
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water conservation is the least expensive source of water.
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Every gallon saved by consumers, every gallon not paid for.
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And that can be used for another purpose.
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So we'll need more,
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not less conservation in the coming decades,
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to meet the growing and competing demands.
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This is precisely why the CPUC authorized
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for the largest water providers to the couple water sales
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from their revenues, rather than it be incentivized
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to sell more water to generate revenue
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to operate their systems.
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These providers are incentivized to educate their consumers
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and help facilitate more water conservation.
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Based on the data I have seen, decoupling is working.
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Perhaps more importantly, if decoupling is prohibited
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as a proposed decision direction,
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rates will go up for residents in my city.
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They used the least amount of water.
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10% for all residents and almost 14%
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for our most vulnerable residents
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who qualify for lower income reg assistance.
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And I was not the type to take action
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that we do some water conservation and racist rates.
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Thank you for giving this important issue with
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the additional consideration that warrants.
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Thank you.
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Thank you, thank you very much.
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Next speaker, please.
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Operator?
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Our next speaker is Erica Chahal
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with Alice Steven supporter.
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You might go ahead.
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My name is Erica Chahal and I'm calling,
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first of all, to support Alice Stevens,
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who's a strong advocate for the elderly
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and disabled communities and a vital voice for them.
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I'm also strongly protesting the grid de-energization plan
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for high fire areas in California.
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It's hugely endangered the elderly
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and handicapped communities.
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They rely on the energy,
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to power their medical and mobility devices.
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The majority of whom are on disability incomes
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and are unable to afford backup battery installations,
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and you don't provide them.
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These are real people and they are at real risk
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of either burning to death or dying of asphyxiation.
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I'm also part owner of a mobile home park
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in San Diego County where the Rice Canyon fire destroyed 106
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of our mobile homes in 2007.
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I've had experience with fire
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and I know what I'm talking about.
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Please reconsider that decision.
00:15:49.450 --> 00:15:50.283
Thank you.
00:15:51.380 --> 00:15:53.210
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:15:54.160 --> 00:15:56.340
President Batjer.
00:15:56.340 --> 00:15:58.400
Could I just make a quick comment
00:15:58.400 --> 00:16:00.010
just to mention around that?
00:16:00.010 --> 00:16:02.570
Yes, of course, Commissioner, please.
00:16:02.570 --> 00:16:03.420
Thanks.
00:16:05.160 --> 00:16:06.770
I know later on our agenda,
00:16:06.770 --> 00:16:11.770
we have a presentation from our Wildfire Safety staff
00:16:11.800 --> 00:16:16.800
about PSPS and the importance of the oversight
00:16:17.410 --> 00:16:19.660
of the utilities around PSPS.
00:16:20.820 --> 00:16:24.420
So I'm encouraging that commenter to stay online
00:16:24.420 --> 00:16:27.680
and listen to that presentation
00:16:27.680 --> 00:16:29.820
to bring everyone up to date.
00:16:29.820 --> 00:16:34.350
And I know we have had discussion and presentations
00:16:34.350 --> 00:16:38.580
from commenters about the important issues
00:16:38.580 --> 00:16:40.470
of the disability community.
00:16:40.470 --> 00:16:45.470
And I know our staff is working very hard on maintaining
00:16:45.540 --> 00:16:47.770
a line of communication with that community.
00:16:47.770 --> 00:16:52.250
I know David Van Bacon and other safety stuff
00:16:52.250 --> 00:16:54.280
are working closely.
00:16:54.280 --> 00:16:59.280
And so, hopefully, the safety staff will address that
00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:01.090
in their presentation.
00:17:01.090 --> 00:17:05.310
And we may wanna ask for some further presentations
00:17:05.310 --> 00:17:10.310
on PSPS and how we are working to ensure that the utilities
00:17:11.930 --> 00:17:14.450
are taking into account the needs of the disabled community
00:17:14.450 --> 00:17:15.530
during the shutoff.
00:17:15.530 --> 00:17:17.660
So I just wanted to note that.
00:17:17.660 --> 00:17:18.740
Thank you, Commissioner Randolph.
00:17:18.740 --> 00:17:20.610
One of the important questions that will be asked
00:17:20.610 --> 00:17:25.610
to the IOUs is what they are doing in preparation
00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:31.200
for those customers who are behind the master meter,
00:17:32.040 --> 00:17:35.010
such as those customers in mobile home parks.
00:17:35.010 --> 00:17:37.590
I intend to be asking each of them that
00:17:37.590 --> 00:17:40.280
in the workshops later in this month.
00:17:40.280 --> 00:17:42.750
And we've been addressing those questions
00:17:42.750 --> 00:17:46.310
on a regular basis with the IOUs,
00:17:46.310 --> 00:17:50.750
but they will be asked in public forum to address it.
00:17:50.750 --> 00:17:52.590
Well, thank you, Commissioner Randolph.
00:17:53.660 --> 00:17:54.710
And thank you caller.
00:17:55.650 --> 00:17:57.870
I believe we have another caller, operator.
00:17:59.690 --> 00:18:00.530
Yes, our next caller
00:18:00.530 --> 00:18:03.530
is Laura Rosenberger Heider of the welfare.
00:18:03.530 --> 00:18:07.120
Can you go ahead.
00:18:07.120 --> 00:18:09.930
I'm actually today just tryna analyze
00:18:09.930 --> 00:18:12.580
the San Diego Gas and Electric,
00:18:14.991 --> 00:18:19.070
to help them take the impacts of fires and shutoffs.
00:18:19.980 --> 00:18:22.650
The CPUC must allow community microgrids
00:18:22.650 --> 00:18:26.070
that interconnect facilities in different locations,
00:18:26.070 --> 00:18:29.210
connecting with multiple firearms police stations
00:18:29.210 --> 00:18:31.680
and healthcare centers and other essential services,
00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:34.700
and where people with essential medical devices
00:18:34.700 --> 00:18:38.220
are living, eliminate departing load charges
00:18:38.220 --> 00:18:41.160
for all microgrids, for all customers,
00:18:43.430 --> 00:18:46.060
until they could adjust their prices
00:18:46.060 --> 00:18:50.580
so that costs are fairly and equitably, appropriate needed.
00:18:53.210 --> 00:18:55.190
And I'm opposed to agenda item 10,
00:18:55.190 --> 00:18:58.520
draft resolution E5083,
00:18:58.520 --> 00:19:00.680
because they are not complying with the legal,
00:19:00.680 --> 00:19:03.860
clean energy mandates and would allow
00:19:09.135 --> 00:19:12.130
and ensure energy outside of state law
00:19:12.130 --> 00:19:15.130
and outside of Commission review.
00:19:16.800 --> 00:19:17.750
Alright, thank you.
00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:20.210
Thank you.
00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:23.910
Next speaker, please.
00:19:26.213 --> 00:19:28.500
Our next speaker is John Bond
00:19:28.500 --> 00:19:30.500
who's representing himself.
00:19:30.500 --> 00:19:31.500
So you may go ahead.
00:19:33.660 --> 00:19:36.080
Thank you madam president,
00:19:36.080 --> 00:19:39.520
Commissioners, ladies and gentlemen, my name is John Bond.
00:19:40.790 --> 00:19:43.940
I happen to have been the assigned Commissioner
00:19:43.940 --> 00:19:47.530
when the WRAM was created.
00:19:47.530 --> 00:19:50.280
So I wanna make a couple of comments with respect
00:19:50.280 --> 00:19:51.950
to item 19, if I might.
00:19:53.840 --> 00:19:55.660
When this was created,
00:19:55.660 --> 00:20:00.430
it was designed to balance an increasing and very,
00:20:00.430 --> 00:20:05.330
very passionate need to deal with encouraging conservation.
00:20:07.170 --> 00:20:11.880
The discussion took a fair period of time.
00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:14.390
We established the standard record.
00:20:14.390 --> 00:20:18.190
We had a series of discussions and hearing
00:20:18.190 --> 00:20:20.850
on this involving all interested stakeholders.
00:20:20.850 --> 00:20:24.840
And the WRAM was a creation to try to balance
00:20:24.840 --> 00:20:28.200
the requirement that the water companies,
00:20:28.200 --> 00:20:31.530
the investor-owned water companies at the same time
00:20:31.530 --> 00:20:36.530
could achieve the revenue requirement,
00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:40.370
but also deal with conservation.
00:20:40.370 --> 00:20:44.070
That was the origin of the decoupling mechanism.
00:20:44.070 --> 00:20:47.500
There was an aspect of that, that I was often lost sight of
00:20:47.500 --> 00:20:52.270
an added list, we deliberately created some flexibility
00:20:52.270 --> 00:20:56.470
because of the diverse nature of the various districts
00:20:56.470 --> 00:20:59.890
and the consumer groups they're in, with the design
00:20:59.890 --> 00:21:04.890
and the desire to let them try to protect the very interests
00:21:05.620 --> 00:21:09.370
of the low income consumer,
00:21:09.370 --> 00:21:13.970
which as I understand, is the purpose of this item 19.
00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:19.910
We were very concerned and continue to be concerned
00:21:19.910 --> 00:21:21.850
about that problem,
00:21:21.850 --> 00:21:26.850
but we also had to operate within the legal requirement
00:21:27.170 --> 00:21:30.640
that the revenue must be adequate
00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:33.500
for the delivery mechanism chosen by
00:21:33.500 --> 00:21:35.390
the State of California,
00:21:35.390 --> 00:21:39.050
namely the investor owned utilities.
00:21:39.050 --> 00:21:41.420
It's worth noting perhaps that
00:21:41.420 --> 00:21:44.030
the investor-owned utilities have a good deal,
00:21:44.030 --> 00:21:49.030
more flexibility in a policy driven adjustment to protect
00:21:49.610 --> 00:21:51.610
the low income consumer,
00:21:51.610 --> 00:21:55.830
than communities who have only to cost justify
00:21:56.680 --> 00:21:58.570
any differential in rate.
00:21:59.760 --> 00:22:03.010
I confess having looked just quickly
00:22:03.010 --> 00:22:06.310
at the proposed decision.
00:22:06.310 --> 00:22:09.340
I think that the purpose is laudable.
00:22:09.340 --> 00:22:13.390
I think that the proposal does not get you
00:22:13.390 --> 00:22:15.150
where you wanna go.
00:22:15.150 --> 00:22:20.140
And I think it is really important that other alternatives
00:22:21.084 --> 00:22:25.080
be considered in a substantive proceeding.
00:22:25.080 --> 00:22:28.200
And I say this for another reason, that is,
00:22:28.200 --> 00:22:30.320
I know from my own personal experience,
00:22:30.320 --> 00:22:33.780
both on the Commission and as a fugitive from Wall Street,
00:22:35.060 --> 00:22:37.310
that the investor community on which
00:22:37.310 --> 00:22:41.750
the investor-owned utilities depend follow decisions
00:22:41.750 --> 00:22:46.120
of the CPUC very closely in terms of pricing
00:22:46.120 --> 00:22:49.590
and in terms of the availability of capital that
00:22:49.590 --> 00:22:52.610
the investor-owned utilities needs.
00:22:52.610 --> 00:22:57.410
And so, a sudden departure from an established precedent
00:22:57.410 --> 00:23:00.290
is one of those kinds of things that I would urge
00:23:00.290 --> 00:23:02.220
the Commission not to do.
00:23:03.620 --> 00:23:05.740
It's an important policy decision
00:23:05.740 --> 00:23:10.740
if I was gonna change an established procedure, and--
00:23:12.573 --> 00:23:15.340
Mr. Bond, I hate to interrupt you, but,
00:23:15.340 --> 00:23:19.350
your three minute time has run.
00:23:19.350 --> 00:23:20.760
Fine, I didn't hear a bell.
00:23:20.760 --> 00:23:23.220
So I apologize to you all.
00:23:23.220 --> 00:23:25.550
No problem, but I really,
00:23:25.550 --> 00:23:27.700
I appreciate very much your comments today.
00:23:37.810 --> 00:23:39.950
Operator the next speaker, please.
00:23:41.700 --> 00:23:43.570
Our next caller is Lisa Vela
00:23:43.570 --> 00:23:47.000
with San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:47.850
You may go ahead.
00:23:49.670 --> 00:23:52.810
Good morning, Commissioners and President Batjer.
00:23:52.810 --> 00:23:53.740
My name is Lisa Vela.
00:23:53.740 --> 00:23:54.960
I am the CEO of
00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:57.140
the San Joaquin County Hispanic chamber of commerce.
00:23:57.140 --> 00:24:00.510
And I appreciate the opportunity to join your meeting today,
00:24:00.510 --> 00:24:03.960
to express my concern about the proposed decision
00:24:03.960 --> 00:24:08.960
and rulemaking 1706024.
00:24:09.070 --> 00:24:11.680
I also appreciate that this matter is being held over
00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:13.730
for additional discussion.
00:24:13.730 --> 00:24:17.280
California is already an expensive place to do business,
00:24:17.280 --> 00:24:19.980
particularly in these COVID times.
00:24:19.980 --> 00:24:23.250
Elected officials and regulators should be evaluating ways
00:24:23.250 --> 00:24:27.680
to reduce cost impacts on businesses and on Californians.
00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:29.800
In fact, I was pleased to read that
00:24:29.800 --> 00:24:34.350
the CPUC recently adopted affordability metrics of some kind
00:24:34.350 --> 00:24:37.970
to better evaluate how utility costs impact the overall cost
00:24:37.970 --> 00:24:39.610
of living and the impacts
00:24:39.610 --> 00:24:42.050
of potential policies on customer costs.
00:24:42.990 --> 00:24:45.899
I am curious whether this proposal is being considered
00:24:45.899 --> 00:24:49.560
against these metrics because I understand eliminating
00:24:49.560 --> 00:24:51.210
the decoupling mechanism
00:24:51.210 --> 00:24:55.280
could results in an average rate increase of 7.7%
00:24:55.280 --> 00:24:57.510
for all customers of one of
00:24:57.510 --> 00:25:00.590
the state's largest water suppliers.
00:25:00.590 --> 00:25:05.150
And that's average, meaning many of us will pay even more.
00:25:05.150 --> 00:25:06.770
Many businesses have taken steps
00:25:06.770 --> 00:25:09.450
to reduce our water consumption over the years
00:25:09.450 --> 00:25:10.560
because we recognize
00:25:10.560 --> 00:25:13.010
that sufficient water supply is critical
00:25:13.010 --> 00:25:15.590
to the continued growth of our economy.
00:25:15.590 --> 00:25:18.860
It would be very unfortunate if those businesses
00:25:18.860 --> 00:25:21.640
who have been responsible and taken steps
00:25:21.640 --> 00:25:24.300
to reduce water consumption would be punished
00:25:24.300 --> 00:25:25.860
with higher rates.
00:25:25.860 --> 00:25:27.790
Please take the time to thoroughly examine
00:25:27.790 --> 00:25:29.100
the potential consequences
00:25:29.100 --> 00:25:31.810
of this proposal before approving it.
00:25:31.810 --> 00:25:36.360
We literally cannot afford to get this wrong right now.
00:25:36.360 --> 00:25:37.760
And thank you for your time.
00:25:38.630 --> 00:25:42.770
Thank you, operator, the next speaker, please.
00:25:44.740 --> 00:25:46.540
Our next caller is Steve Nelson,
00:25:46.540 --> 00:25:49.080
vice mayor, City of Visalia.
00:25:49.080 --> 00:25:50.760
You may go ahead, sir.
00:25:50.760 --> 00:25:52.430
Thank you, thank you to the Commissioner
00:25:52.430 --> 00:25:54.630
for giving me the opportunity to speak.
00:25:54.630 --> 00:25:59.630
I'm calling in regard to rule number 1706-024.
00:25:59.710 --> 00:26:01.760
The City of Visalia respectfully request
00:26:01.760 --> 00:26:05.020
the Commission provides stakeholders additional time to work
00:26:05.020 --> 00:26:09.450
with the Commission to conduct a more comprehensive analysis
00:26:09.450 --> 00:26:11.420
of the impacts on water conservation,
00:26:11.420 --> 00:26:13.690
the cost to low income taxpayers
00:26:13.690 --> 00:26:15.810
prior to the final decision.
00:26:15.810 --> 00:26:18.430
The city and Cal Water, who is our water provider,
00:26:18.430 --> 00:26:21.870
both have programs in place to conserve ground water.
00:26:21.870 --> 00:26:24.490
Cal Water has a low income rate payer assistance,
00:26:24.490 --> 00:26:28.720
LIRA program, in place for qualified rate payers.
00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:31.010
Based on the information that has been provided,
00:26:31.010 --> 00:26:33.790
and we've been able to assess in the limited time we
00:26:33.790 --> 00:26:37.350
are unclear what the impact could be to our citizens.
00:26:37.350 --> 00:26:39.900
We appreciate and commend the Commission and the work that
00:26:39.900 --> 00:26:42.770
has been done, but we believe more time is appropriate
00:26:42.770 --> 00:26:44.870
before decision is rendered.
00:26:44.870 --> 00:26:47.170
Again, thank you for the opportunity to speak.
00:26:48.280 --> 00:26:50.920
Thank you, Mr. Vice Mayor.
00:26:50.920 --> 00:26:52.030
Next speaker, please.
00:26:57.500 --> 00:26:58.333
Operator?
00:27:00.800 --> 00:27:02.830
our next caller is Alice Huffman
00:27:02.830 --> 00:27:05.360
with California state NAACP.
00:27:06.293 --> 00:27:07.240
You may go ahead ma'am.
00:27:15.730 --> 00:27:18.440
We're not hearing the next caller.
00:27:20.431 --> 00:27:22.600
And again, Alice Huffman, your line is open.
00:27:36.917 --> 00:27:41.150
Can you check again, operator, make sure.
00:27:41.150 --> 00:27:41.983
Alice Huffman,
00:27:41.983 --> 00:27:43.640
We were unable to hear you at this time.
00:27:43.640 --> 00:27:46.580
Can you check your mute button or lift your hands up please.
00:27:54.590 --> 00:27:57.258
Well, perhaps she can call back in.
00:27:57.258 --> 00:27:58.740
Okay, and again, Alice Huffman,
00:27:58.740 --> 00:28:00.310
if you would like to ask the question later,
00:28:00.310 --> 00:28:02.120
please press #1.
00:28:02.120 --> 00:28:04.730
Our next caller then is Holian Dellel.
00:28:08.820 --> 00:28:10.170
Can you hear me?
00:28:11.170 --> 00:28:12.003
Yes, we can.
00:28:12.003 --> 00:28:13.280
Hello
00:28:13.280 --> 00:28:15.130
Yes, we can hear you.
00:28:15.130 --> 00:28:16.540
Okay, thank you.
00:28:16.540 --> 00:28:17.720
Thank you for your patience.
00:28:17.720 --> 00:28:20.740
This is a little difficult technology on
00:28:20.740 --> 00:28:23.010
the speaking end here.
00:28:23.010 --> 00:28:24.830
Thank you for the time.
00:28:24.830 --> 00:28:26.700
I'm Holian Dellel.
00:28:26.700 --> 00:28:29.730
I'm with Designing Accessible Communities,
00:28:29.730 --> 00:28:32.300
the Coalition of Disability Access professional
00:28:33.950 --> 00:28:37.020
and California for Disability Rights.
00:28:37.020 --> 00:28:41.020
And I wanna talk about the enralization briefly.
00:28:41.020 --> 00:28:43.090
The Commission has voted five to zero,
00:28:43.090 --> 00:28:47.950
two years ago, to allow PG&E and other electrical utilities
00:28:47.950 --> 00:28:51.560
to de-energize their grids without any mitigation measures
00:28:51.560 --> 00:28:55.440
to protect the state's most vulnerable during those events.
00:28:55.440 --> 00:28:58.760
In other words, the Commissioners voted to endanger people
00:28:58.760 --> 00:29:01.050
with disabilities and the elderly.
00:29:01.050 --> 00:29:04.230
Without power, people with disabilities cannot breathe,
00:29:04.230 --> 00:29:06.240
cannot charge their mobility equipment,
00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:08.600
cannot meet their other needs.
00:29:08.600 --> 00:29:09.920
And as in my case,
00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:13.390
I cannot use the pain mitigating equipment I need.
00:29:14.360 --> 00:29:16.500
So, that's something that needs
00:29:16.500 --> 00:29:20.000
to be addressed and be addressed immediately.
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:25.000
The PG&E's SGIP, Self Generation Incentive Program,
00:29:25.010 --> 00:29:27.430
supposedly was one of the answers.
00:29:27.430 --> 00:29:29.450
However, I worked for three months to try
00:29:29.450 --> 00:29:32.740
to qualify and it's riddled with obstacles.
00:29:32.740 --> 00:29:36.470
I was giving conflicting information the whole time,
00:29:36.470 --> 00:29:39.220
I was told from one vendor to go to another vendor
00:29:39.220 --> 00:29:42.772
and that vendor told me to go back to the first vendor.
00:29:42.772 --> 00:29:43.605
And for three months,
00:29:43.605 --> 00:29:45.270
I worked in LA only to find out at
00:29:45.270 --> 00:29:47.810
the last minute after working for three months,
00:29:47.810 --> 00:29:50.320
after they canceled my appointment with the vendor,
00:29:50.320 --> 00:29:53.140
that I'd waited for three weeks
00:29:53.140 --> 00:29:55.460
to tell me that I don't qualify
00:29:55.460 --> 00:29:58.920
because I don't live in a high fire threat district,
00:29:58.920 --> 00:30:01.600
which does not make any sense at all.
00:30:01.600 --> 00:30:05.230
As I was told, I had to evacuate last year
00:30:05.230 --> 00:30:06.063
and I went through
00:30:06.063 --> 00:30:08.630
the most difficult process you can imagine.
00:30:08.630 --> 00:30:12.170
I spent all afternoon trying to find a hotel
00:30:12.170 --> 00:30:14.430
that had rooms available,
00:30:14.430 --> 00:30:18.880
which was not easy as there are 180,000 people told
00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:23.420
in my area they had to leave and to find a hotel
00:30:23.420 --> 00:30:25.750
that had rooms and that had rooms
00:30:25.750 --> 00:30:27.310
that are wheelchair accessible.
00:30:28.340 --> 00:30:30.310
It was practically impossible,
00:30:30.310 --> 00:30:33.360
I ended up driving at two o'clock in the morning
00:30:33.360 --> 00:30:35.350
to a friend's house in Sonoma.
00:30:35.350 --> 00:30:38.560
I couldn't use her restrooms.
00:30:38.560 --> 00:30:40.420
I had to pee in a bucket.
00:30:40.420 --> 00:30:45.130
I finally ended up in South San Francisco to a hotel there,
00:30:45.130 --> 00:30:47.680
and this is all done because they cut off
00:30:47.680 --> 00:30:52.120
not only our electricity, so I couldn't use my phone,
00:30:52.120 --> 00:30:57.120
they cut down the power to the who head for cell phones.
00:30:57.500 --> 00:30:59.640
So I couldn't use my cell phone.
00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:00.950
Of course I had no gas.
00:31:01.869 --> 00:31:04.840
Every obstacle was put in my way.
00:31:04.840 --> 00:31:09.840
Every opportunity that I have to evacuate safely,
00:31:09.970 --> 00:31:12.930
which I was told I had to do was not there.
00:31:14.080 --> 00:31:17.900
So the Commission has put people with disabilities and
00:31:17.900 --> 00:31:22.900
their vulnerable elderly in an irrediculously bad situation.
00:31:23.280 --> 00:31:28.280
And the SGIP is a joke for helping out
00:31:28.620 --> 00:31:29.860
people with disabilities.
00:31:29.860 --> 00:31:31.750
You've either got to fix it.
00:31:31.750 --> 00:31:36.060
So it doesn't have all these obstacles and impossibilities,
00:31:36.060 --> 00:31:38.230
or you've gotta come over the program that immediately
00:31:38.230 --> 00:31:39.750
as soon as possible,
00:31:39.750 --> 00:31:43.050
provide battery backup systems for people with disabilities.
00:31:45.710 --> 00:31:46.543
Thank you.
00:31:47.470 --> 00:31:49.160
Thank you, Ms. Dellel
00:31:49.160 --> 00:31:50.630
Yes.
00:31:50.630 --> 00:31:51.580
I said thank you.
00:31:52.490 --> 00:31:54.490
Thank you for your time here.
00:31:56.783 --> 00:31:57.616
Thank you.
00:31:57.616 --> 00:31:59.780
We will be presenting a petition
00:31:59.780 --> 00:32:02.390
and I am asking what time,
00:32:02.390 --> 00:32:05.350
what day will be the hearing for Mr. Stebbins
00:32:05.350 --> 00:32:07.430
who's been most helpful to us?
00:32:07.430 --> 00:32:10.150
She's the only one we've been able to rely on
00:32:10.150 --> 00:32:13.790
to provide information and help during this terrible crisis
00:32:13.790 --> 00:32:17.750
of fires and de-energization.
00:32:17.750 --> 00:32:21.790
That agenda item will be announced after this meeting.
00:32:22.920 --> 00:32:25.120
Okay, thank you.
00:32:25.120 --> 00:32:25.953
Thank you.
00:32:30.460 --> 00:32:32.210
Operator, the next speaker, please.
00:32:33.876 --> 00:32:36.540
The next caller is Israel Sotelo,
00:32:36.540 --> 00:32:38.480
office of Senator Scott Wilk.
00:32:38.480 --> 00:32:39.530
You may go ahead sir.
00:32:41.050 --> 00:32:42.770
Hi, it is Sotelo calling on behalf
00:32:42.770 --> 00:32:46.050
of Senator Scott Wilk, the representative for the district
00:32:46.050 --> 00:32:49.290
in which the dispute under file item 13,
00:32:49.290 --> 00:32:53.360
Leisure Lake HOA versus clanky real estate takes place.
00:32:53.360 --> 00:32:56.050
I would just like to start off by thanking the Commissioners
00:32:56.050 --> 00:32:58.160
for their work in public service.
00:32:58.160 --> 00:33:01.290
And in an effort to express my vested interest
00:33:01.290 --> 00:33:03.710
in this matter, I would like to encourage the Commission
00:33:03.710 --> 00:33:06.200
to give this case their thorough consideration
00:33:06.200 --> 00:33:09.120
and clarify whether they have read both the file,
00:33:09.120 --> 00:33:10.760
filed the docket office comments,
00:33:10.760 --> 00:33:14.080
as well as the ALJ summary to the proposed decision
00:33:14.080 --> 00:33:15.580
for file item 13.
00:33:15.580 --> 00:33:16.413
Thank you.
00:33:17.980 --> 00:33:19.990
Thank you, and thank you Senator.
00:33:21.100 --> 00:33:23.500
Operator, the next speaker, please.
00:33:25.909 --> 00:33:28.110
Our next caller is Julian Canete
00:33:28.110 --> 00:33:31.740
with the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
00:33:31.740 --> 00:33:32.573
You me go ahead.
00:33:33.810 --> 00:33:35.850
Thank you, and thank you President Batjer
00:33:35.850 --> 00:33:39.310
and Commissioners for allowing me to join the meeting today.
00:33:39.310 --> 00:33:43.030
We appreciate the opportunity to express our concern
00:33:43.030 --> 00:33:45.840
about the proposed decision and rulemaking.
00:33:48.220 --> 00:33:50.010
Hello, can you hear me?
00:33:52.140 --> 00:33:53.520
Hello.
00:33:53.520 --> 00:33:54.610
Now we can hear you again.
00:33:54.610 --> 00:33:57.330
I'm sorry, you cut out.
Okay.
00:33:57.330 --> 00:33:59.590
Well thank you President Batjer and Commissioners
00:33:59.590 --> 00:34:02.490
for allowing us to join the meeting today.
00:34:02.490 --> 00:34:04.900
So we appreciate the opportunity to express our concern
00:34:04.900 --> 00:34:09.900
about the proposed decision and rulemaking 17-06-024.
00:34:10.680 --> 00:34:12.530
But the chamber is opposed to anything
00:34:12.530 --> 00:34:14.030
that would raise water rates
00:34:14.030 --> 00:34:17.210
without any corresponding benefits and reduction
00:34:17.210 --> 00:34:19.530
of water conservation in California.
00:34:19.530 --> 00:34:22.220
Now is not the time to unnecessarily increase
00:34:22.220 --> 00:34:25.620
the cost of essential services for millions of California
00:34:25.620 --> 00:34:28.500
and hundreds and thousands of small businesses.
00:34:28.500 --> 00:34:30.370
And it's certainly not the time to waste
00:34:30.370 --> 00:34:33.270
already scarce water resources in our state.
00:34:33.270 --> 00:34:35.700
The water service providers that would be impacted
00:34:35.700 --> 00:34:39.070
by this proposal are currently incentivized to operate
00:34:39.070 --> 00:34:41.410
as efficiently as possible and to invest
00:34:41.410 --> 00:34:43.470
in water conservation efforts.
00:34:43.470 --> 00:34:46.630
Under this new plan, they would be incentivized
00:34:46.630 --> 00:34:49.950
to sell more water given the increased frequency
00:34:49.950 --> 00:34:53.070
and duration of routes in California, this makes no sense.
00:34:53.070 --> 00:34:56.520
Even worse, the new proposal would increase monthly bills
00:34:56.520 --> 00:34:58.880
by an average of 7.7% for everyone
00:34:58.880 --> 00:35:02.350
except the top 25% of water users.
00:35:02.350 --> 00:35:05.420
This means we would be punishing those who conserve
00:35:05.420 --> 00:35:06.920
and rewarding those who waste.
00:35:06.920 --> 00:35:08.470
Again, it makes no sense.
00:35:08.470 --> 00:35:10.840
We sincerely appreciate the Commission,
00:35:10.840 --> 00:35:13.830
that the fact that the Commission is holding this item over
00:35:13.830 --> 00:35:15.700
for additional discussion and review.
00:35:15.700 --> 00:35:17.930
We believe that the time will be well spent
00:35:17.930 --> 00:35:20.180
in analyzing data and hearing from experts
00:35:20.180 --> 00:35:22.270
to help ensure that the path forward
00:35:22.270 --> 00:35:25.290
does not inadvertently harm the very people
00:35:25.290 --> 00:35:26.780
it was designed to assist.
00:35:26.780 --> 00:35:28.480
Thank you for your time.
00:35:28.480 --> 00:35:30.310
Thank you.
00:35:30.310 --> 00:35:32.010
Operator the next speaker, please.
00:35:34.330 --> 00:35:36.300
The next caller is Kuyler Crocker
00:35:36.300 --> 00:35:39.800
with Tulare County Board of Supervisors, District 1.
00:35:39.800 --> 00:35:40.900
You may go ahead, sir.
00:35:42.300 --> 00:35:43.133
Thank you.
00:35:43.133 --> 00:35:46.290
Thank you for taking the time to listen to my comments.
00:35:46.290 --> 00:35:49.560
As stated, I'm Kuyler Crocker, Tulare County supervisor,
00:35:49.560 --> 00:35:52.750
home of the highest peak in the lower 48, Mount Whitney and
00:35:52.750 --> 00:35:54.930
the largest tree in the world, the General Sherman
00:35:54.930 --> 00:35:56.730
and Decoy National Park.
00:35:57.770 --> 00:36:01.430
I'm also calling to share some of my concerns
00:36:01.430 --> 00:36:06.430
regarding rulemaking 17-06-024.
00:36:07.130 --> 00:36:12.130
We are in a water sub basin that is extremely overdraft,
00:36:14.330 --> 00:36:19.330
we're knee deep and the Sigma efforts that is very critical
00:36:19.720 --> 00:36:21.270
for not only our communities,
00:36:21.270 --> 00:36:25.830
but for our large agricultural base and any efforts
00:36:25.830 --> 00:36:29.170
to reduce, or that whether intentional or not,
00:36:29.170 --> 00:36:32.500
that may reduce water efficiency,
00:36:32.500 --> 00:36:35.890
is extremely concerning to myself.
00:36:37.240 --> 00:36:42.240
I think that in addition to that, looking at the lack
00:36:42.532 --> 00:36:47.030
of management of our forest and what that does to
00:36:47.030 --> 00:36:52.030
the upper watershed in light of not necessarily investing
00:36:52.790 --> 00:36:56.010
in additional major water storage projects
00:36:56.010 --> 00:37:00.330
in over 40 years, make it even extremely more important
00:37:00.330 --> 00:37:03.430
that we put added emphasis on water efficiency
00:37:03.430 --> 00:37:05.230
and water conservation.
00:37:05.230 --> 00:37:08.470
Our county, the average median household income
00:37:08.470 --> 00:37:11.110
is under $30,000 a year.
00:37:11.110 --> 00:37:12.510
So we're one of the poorest counties,
00:37:12.510 --> 00:37:15.020
if not the poorest county in the state.
00:37:15.020 --> 00:37:18.720
And anything that might drive rates up again
00:37:18.720 --> 00:37:22.000
is another great concern for mine.
00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:25.020
We have been on the board of supervisors.
00:37:25.020 --> 00:37:30.020
We've been very big proponents of the safe
00:37:30.130 --> 00:37:33.710
and affordable drinking water fund that the state
00:37:33.710 --> 00:37:36.040
has implemented and is beginning to implement.
00:37:36.040 --> 00:37:39.310
And I think that I would urge that the Commissioners
00:37:39.310 --> 00:37:40.660
to look at options,
00:37:40.660 --> 00:37:45.080
to try and collaborate more with other state agencies,
00:37:45.080 --> 00:37:48.060
whether it'd be with the water resiliency portfolio
00:37:48.060 --> 00:37:51.220
that was recently released several months ago,
00:37:51.220 --> 00:37:53.570
for some of the other efforts that I mentioned.
00:37:53.570 --> 00:37:55.450
These are the things that we need to be looking at
00:37:55.450 --> 00:37:57.240
to try and reduce water use,
00:37:57.240 --> 00:38:00.490
not to encourage additional water usage.
00:38:00.490 --> 00:38:02.690
Our livelihoods depend on it.
00:38:02.690 --> 00:38:03.880
And quite frankly,
00:38:03.880 --> 00:38:07.680
my constituents and Visalia and other communities,
00:38:07.680 --> 00:38:08.710
they just can't afford it.
00:38:08.710 --> 00:38:10.060
So thank you for your time.
00:38:11.370 --> 00:38:12.670
Thank you, sir.
00:38:14.790 --> 00:38:16.540
Operator, the next speaker, please.
00:38:18.400 --> 00:38:20.360
And before we go to the next caller,
00:38:20.360 --> 00:38:22.350
as a reminder, if you would like to speak during
00:38:22.350 --> 00:38:24.910
the public comment period, please press #1,
00:38:24.910 --> 00:38:26.970
unmute your phone and clearly provide
00:38:26.970 --> 00:38:29.780
your name and organization when prompted.
00:38:29.780 --> 00:38:33.230
Our next caller is David McCord, representing himselves.
00:38:33.230 --> 00:38:35.010
So you may go ahead.
00:38:35.010 --> 00:38:36.850
This is David McCord.
00:38:38.232 --> 00:38:42.250
I'm a rate payer and El Cerrito speaking for myself,
00:38:42.250 --> 00:38:43.550
and I've got two comments.
00:38:44.650 --> 00:38:49.650
San Diego Gas and Electric's request on item 10 would bypass
00:38:50.260 --> 00:38:55.260
the integrated resource planning process.
00:38:56.690 --> 00:39:01.570
This utility and Southern California Edison need to follow
00:39:01.570 --> 00:39:04.640
this process as load surfing entities.
00:39:05.520 --> 00:39:08.180
These utilities want to contract
00:39:08.180 --> 00:39:11.970
more multi year energy than it will need
00:39:11.970 --> 00:39:16.280
considering eminent departure of customers to CCAs.
00:39:17.553 --> 00:39:20.810
This will increase costs for bundled customers
00:39:20.810 --> 00:39:24.540
and for CCA customers to the PCIA.
00:39:26.520 --> 00:39:31.520
Microgrids, I attended yesterday's workshop on microgrids.
00:39:32.030 --> 00:39:36.540
It was apparent that to reduce health and safety impact
00:39:36.540 --> 00:39:38.860
of fires and shutoffs,
00:39:38.860 --> 00:39:42.800
the CPUC must allow community microgrids
00:39:42.800 --> 00:39:47.290
to interconnect facilities in different locations.
00:39:48.230 --> 00:39:50.630
Solar panels on the city hall,
00:39:50.630 --> 00:39:55.630
fire and police stations and other large municipal roofs
00:39:55.870 --> 00:39:59.270
should interconnect with other essential services
00:39:59.270 --> 00:40:04.270
such as hospitals and people with essential medical devices.
00:40:04.560 --> 00:40:09.370
Many of those people's lives depend on uninterrupted power.
00:40:10.790 --> 00:40:14.550
Please do what you can to allow these facilities
00:40:14.550 --> 00:40:19.060
to be exempt from rules 18 and 19.
00:40:19.060 --> 00:40:19.893
Thank you.
00:40:21.040 --> 00:40:22.240
Thank you, Mr. McCord.
00:40:23.080 --> 00:40:24.830
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:40:27.423 --> 00:40:29.530
The next caller is Jim Stewart.
00:40:29.530 --> 00:40:30.620
Is a rate payer.
00:40:30.620 --> 00:40:31.620
So you may go ahead.
00:40:33.730 --> 00:40:34.580
Hello.
00:40:34.580 --> 00:40:39.580
I also want to support what McCord said here that you need
00:40:41.910 --> 00:40:46.910
to revise rule 18 to allow the kind of interconnection
00:40:48.220 --> 00:40:52.650
across property lines, across streets, so that you could
00:40:52.650 --> 00:40:57.479
have a solar panel on city hall and it could power
00:40:57.479 --> 00:41:00.860
the fire and police stations, hospitals,
00:41:00.860 --> 00:41:02.300
other essential services,
00:41:02.300 --> 00:41:07.300
and you should allow the people with these health emergency
00:41:08.490 --> 00:41:10.880
things to join these microgrids.
00:41:12.511 --> 00:41:16.380
Your rule 18 is obviously antiquated and needs
00:41:16.380 --> 00:41:20.610
to be fixed immediately because we're getting into more
00:41:20.610 --> 00:41:22.170
and more fire danger.
00:41:23.020 --> 00:41:27.757
Secondly, I think you should withdraw item 10
00:41:30.730 --> 00:41:32.760
from the consent agenda
00:41:32.760 --> 00:41:35.450
and postpone it for some consideration.
00:41:36.330 --> 00:41:41.330
I wanna ask if all of you Commissioners have read
00:41:41.780 --> 00:41:46.780
the submission by the Protect our Communities Foundation
00:41:51.080 --> 00:41:56.080
and by the San Diego community power proposed that.
00:42:02.080 --> 00:42:07.080
What is happening here is that you have violated
00:42:07.690 --> 00:42:12.690
your requirements for integrated resource planning
00:42:13.520 --> 00:42:17.740
by just automatically rubber stamping
00:42:17.740 --> 00:42:22.740
the proposed bundled procurement plan,
00:42:23.650 --> 00:42:28.300
the BPP, dated from 2014.
00:42:28.300 --> 00:42:32.090
This is not up to date.
00:42:32.090 --> 00:42:37.090
So if you please reject this proposal and take another look
00:42:37.870 --> 00:42:41.670
at it and try to see if you can get the planning
00:42:41.670 --> 00:42:46.670
for millions of dollars of important procurement
00:42:46.970 --> 00:42:51.970
in San Diego to occur using your own rules.
00:42:52.790 --> 00:42:57.680
And I'm just praying that you can stop this.
00:43:00.375 --> 00:43:04.640
So Cal Gas also probably on the next run since agenda
00:43:04.640 --> 00:43:08.290
will have a similar resolution for a rubber stamp.
00:43:08.290 --> 00:43:12.170
Stop rubber stamping these old ancient procurement plans.
00:43:12.170 --> 00:43:13.003
Thank you.
00:43:13.915 --> 00:43:15.640
Thank you Mr. Stewart.
00:43:15.640 --> 00:43:17.800
Operator, the next speaker, please.
00:43:19.682 --> 00:43:22.090
Our next caller is Richard Skaff
00:43:22.090 --> 00:43:24.330
of Designing Accessible Communities.
00:43:24.330 --> 00:43:25.163
Go ahead, sir.
00:43:26.421 --> 00:43:29.120
Thank you, can you hear me?
00:43:29.120 --> 00:43:30.630
Yes, we can hear you fine.
00:43:30.630 --> 00:43:31.520
Okay.
00:43:31.520 --> 00:43:33.210
President Batjer and Commissioners,
00:43:33.210 --> 00:43:35.160
thank you for the opportunity to speak.
00:43:36.020 --> 00:43:38.770
I'm both a rate payer and the executive director
00:43:38.770 --> 00:43:41.533
of Designing Accessible Communities,
00:43:41.533 --> 00:43:44.520
501c3 nonprofit organization.
00:43:44.520 --> 00:43:47.500
I want to ask a question first before I start my comments,
00:43:47.500 --> 00:43:48.750
if that would be allowed.
00:43:49.690 --> 00:43:52.560
It's about the agenda just for clarification.
00:43:53.650 --> 00:43:55.280
Yes, certainly.
00:43:55.280 --> 00:43:58.330
Is the item that was on page 66,
00:43:58.330 --> 00:44:03.130
I'm looking on your webpage agenda and there used
00:44:03.130 --> 00:44:08.070
to be a page 66 that had a closed session item four
00:44:08.070 --> 00:44:11.080
employee related issues.
00:44:11.080 --> 00:44:13.350
Is that no longer on today's agenda?
00:44:14.710 --> 00:44:16.360
That's correct.
00:44:16.360 --> 00:44:17.310
Thank you.
00:44:17.310 --> 00:44:18.760
Then I'll go ahead and speak.
00:44:20.230 --> 00:44:22.950
We have in Northern California,
00:44:23.860 --> 00:44:28.350
experienced over 85 deaths caused by utility,
00:44:30.240 --> 00:44:33.530
electric utility caused fires.
00:44:33.530 --> 00:44:36.360
The last one didn't kill anybody,
00:44:36.360 --> 00:44:38.910
the Kincade fire didn't kill anybody,
00:44:38.910 --> 00:44:41.740
but it burned over 300 buildings.
00:44:41.740 --> 00:44:43.920
Many of them private residences.
00:44:45.230 --> 00:44:50.230
PG&E is attempting to catch up to work
00:44:50.710 --> 00:44:52.460
that should've been done years ago.
00:44:53.580 --> 00:44:56.780
Something just like the natural gas pipeline
00:44:56.780 --> 00:44:58.390
that exploded in the South Bay
00:44:58.390 --> 00:45:01.540
and killed at least one person.
00:45:02.500 --> 00:45:05.610
This maintenance that hasn't been done for years.
00:45:06.660 --> 00:45:11.230
My understanding of the reason the CPUC was put into place
00:45:11.230 --> 00:45:15.340
by the state legislature was to protect Californians
00:45:15.340 --> 00:45:19.210
from abuse, rape abuses
00:45:19.210 --> 00:45:23.680
and assures that the electric,
00:45:23.680 --> 00:45:28.190
the utilities that you oversee do what they're supposed
00:45:28.190 --> 00:45:29.023
to be doing.
00:45:29.023 --> 00:45:31.170
Clearly, PG&E and some of
00:45:31.170 --> 00:45:33.570
the other electric utilities have not done that.
00:45:34.460 --> 00:45:39.080
We are now facing the 2020 fire season.
00:45:39.970 --> 00:45:44.070
We still don't have an SGIP program,
00:45:44.070 --> 00:45:46.370
as you heard, that is functional.
00:45:48.110 --> 00:45:49.820
I hear from all over the state,
00:45:49.820 --> 00:45:54.350
people have tried to apply to get the batteries
00:45:55.260 --> 00:45:59.070
that are supposedly allowed under that program,
00:45:59.070 --> 00:46:01.430
but we're having contractors that are demanding
00:46:01.430 --> 00:46:04.410
a down payment of $10,000 to people that
00:46:04.410 --> 00:46:05.630
are on fixed income.
00:46:06.680 --> 00:46:11.530
We are unable to find contractors that are on the CPUC list.
00:46:12.400 --> 00:46:15.140
That continually say, well, if you don't do so,
00:46:15.140 --> 00:46:17.360
we're not gonna do batteries.
00:46:17.360 --> 00:46:18.710
It's chaos.
00:46:20.440 --> 00:46:22.710
We still don't have the batteries.
00:46:22.710 --> 00:46:26.970
We still have a problem with multifamily housing resolution.
00:46:26.970 --> 00:46:30.780
How do these people that live in multifamily housing units
00:46:31.630 --> 00:46:36.630
in tier two, tier three, wildfires zones that experienced
00:46:37.200 --> 00:46:40.840
at least two the de-energization events?
00:46:40.840 --> 00:46:42.930
What happens when their building owner says, no,
00:46:42.930 --> 00:46:45.330
I don't want a battery installed in my building.
00:46:46.310 --> 00:46:50.280
We don't have flexibility in the SGIP program
00:46:50.280 --> 00:46:55.280
to allow alternatives like portable battery generators
00:46:55.660 --> 00:46:57.800
that can be as effective as
00:46:57.800 --> 00:47:00.560
the Tesla wall type power generator.
00:47:02.140 --> 00:47:03.750
And in midst of all of this,
00:47:05.110 --> 00:47:09.360
the Commission is looking at the possibility
00:47:09.360 --> 00:47:11.330
of firing their executive director.
00:47:13.681 --> 00:47:18.520
The only person that listened to us a year and a half ago.
00:47:18.520 --> 00:47:22.590
I was one of four people that was given one minute,
00:47:22.590 --> 00:47:25.820
the four of us each were given one minute to speak to four
00:47:25.820 --> 00:47:28.760
of you, your president, the next day resigned.
00:47:29.860 --> 00:47:34.860
And before he finished, he looked down on us and said,
00:47:34.910 --> 00:47:37.490
don't worry, we'll be back next year to see
00:47:37.490 --> 00:47:39.450
how every thing's going.
00:47:39.450 --> 00:47:41.990
Well, it's not going well.
00:47:41.990 --> 00:47:46.770
And we will not allow the only person at the CPUC
00:47:47.990 --> 00:47:50.780
that's paid attention to this and listened to
00:47:50.780 --> 00:47:54.270
the vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities
00:47:54.270 --> 00:47:57.660
that are not the cause of the flyers.
00:47:59.260 --> 00:48:03.250
We need your help to get this resolved immediately
00:48:03.250 --> 00:48:05.530
before more people are killed, thank you.
00:48:07.310 --> 00:48:08.770
Thank you, Mr. Skaff.
00:48:12.730 --> 00:48:16.710
Operator, could you please open the line for
00:48:16.710 --> 00:48:17.680
the next caller.
00:48:19.600 --> 00:48:21.300
Our next caller is Neal Desai
00:48:21.300 --> 00:48:24.080
with National Parks Conservation Association.
00:48:24.080 --> 00:48:25.180
Sir, you may go ahead.
00:48:27.120 --> 00:48:28.050
Hi, good morning.
00:48:28.050 --> 00:48:29.160
It's just Neal Desai with
00:48:29.160 --> 00:48:32.420
the National Parks Conservation Association.
00:48:32.420 --> 00:48:36.130
We've been working to protect our national parks around
00:48:36.130 --> 00:48:39.510
the country for the last 101 years.
00:48:39.510 --> 00:48:41.270
Thank you, President Bajer and Commissioners
00:48:41.270 --> 00:48:44.780
for this opportunity to comment, and I hope you
00:48:44.780 --> 00:48:47.050
and the Commissioner staff and, you know,
00:48:47.050 --> 00:48:49.760
everyone else here on this call is just hanging
00:48:49.760 --> 00:48:51.600
in there staying healthy.
00:48:51.600 --> 00:48:56.030
I'll keep this pretty brief because we are fully supportive
00:48:56.030 --> 00:49:01.030
of the Commission's position memo on Assembly bill 1720,
00:49:01.420 --> 00:49:05.440
that recommends opposing that legislation.
00:49:05.440 --> 00:49:07.040
We've been working to oppose
00:49:07.040 --> 00:49:12.040
the $3.5 billion rate payer funded bailout of
00:49:12.090 --> 00:49:15.880
the Eagle Crest pumped storage project for many years now
00:49:15.880 --> 00:49:19.560
and have successfully stopped the four prior bills.
00:49:20.850 --> 00:49:25.590
AB 1720 overwrites the Commission's IRP.
00:49:27.000 --> 00:49:29.950
It's the fifth bill since 2018,
00:49:29.950 --> 00:49:31.430
then the third one this year.
00:49:32.420 --> 00:49:35.250
So, given all of that, it's, you know,
00:49:35.250 --> 00:49:38.290
it's just really critical that the Commission assure
00:49:38.290 --> 00:49:42.010
the public, that the fact based decision making
00:49:42.010 --> 00:49:45.050
that it drives and it moves forward,
00:49:45.980 --> 00:49:49.180
you know, the type of procurements that are important
00:49:49.180 --> 00:49:51.510
for meeting our energy needs.
00:49:51.510 --> 00:49:55.780
And that's why our organization is part of a pretty large
00:49:55.780 --> 00:49:58.640
and diverse coalition representing environmental,
00:49:58.640 --> 00:50:03.640
publicly owned utility, CCAs, renewable energy,
00:50:03.770 --> 00:50:06.475
rate payers, ag, tribal veterans,
00:50:06.475 --> 00:50:08.500
interests that have all been working
00:50:08.500 --> 00:50:11.990
to defend your authority, the Commission's authorities
00:50:11.990 --> 00:50:13.740
and the integrity of the IRP.
00:50:13.740 --> 00:50:17.470
So, we just wanna thank the staff for their attention
00:50:17.470 --> 00:50:18.900
to this and for the Commission
00:50:18.900 --> 00:50:20.680
for having this on the agenda.
00:50:21.570 --> 00:50:22.510
Thank you.
00:50:22.510 --> 00:50:24.160
Have a good rest of the day.
00:50:24.160 --> 00:50:26.250
Thank you very much.
00:50:26.250 --> 00:50:28.370
Operator, the next speaker, please.
00:50:30.070 --> 00:50:32.810
Our next caller is Charles Russell.
00:50:32.810 --> 00:50:37.310
He is the rate payer, so you may go ahead.
00:50:37.310 --> 00:50:38.860
Hi, my name is Charles Russell
00:50:38.860 --> 00:50:41.540
and I'm calling to comment on track two of
00:50:41.540 --> 00:50:44.280
the SB 1339 proceeding.
00:50:45.530 --> 00:50:48.800
Microgrid development is a significant event in California.
00:50:48.800 --> 00:50:51.650
The state will not achieve its decarbonization goals
00:50:51.650 --> 00:50:54.870
nor limit the environmental impact of wildfires
00:50:54.870 --> 00:50:58.380
without significantly shifting to local generated power.
00:50:58.380 --> 00:51:01.150
The result is an inevitable shift of load generation
00:51:01.150 --> 00:51:02.400
to the distribution grid.
00:51:03.430 --> 00:51:05.560
During yesterday's microgrid workshops,
00:51:05.560 --> 00:51:08.090
staff addressed concerns about an infrastructure
00:51:08.090 --> 00:51:10.750
that can handle widely distributed power.
00:51:10.750 --> 00:51:13.950
They also raised concerns about the involvement
00:51:13.950 --> 00:51:16.330
of outside vendors and protecting consumers
00:51:16.330 --> 00:51:18.790
and utilities from load shifting.
00:51:18.790 --> 00:51:20.950
The result is a proposal for track two
00:51:20.950 --> 00:51:24.100
that is heavy on piloting and light on tariff creation
00:51:24.100 --> 00:51:26.000
and commercialization.
00:51:26.000 --> 00:51:30.580
The first sets of concerns are valid, the second are not.
00:51:30.580 --> 00:51:33.050
The entities most impacted by microgrids
00:51:33.050 --> 00:51:34.870
are local municipalities.
00:51:34.870 --> 00:51:38.180
Local residents are impacted both by the lack of resilience
00:51:38.180 --> 00:51:40.670
and the potential for load shifting.
00:51:40.670 --> 00:51:42.910
Local government is best suited to decide how
00:51:42.910 --> 00:51:46.070
to deploy local generation in order to increase resilience
00:51:46.070 --> 00:51:48.350
while protecting disadvantaged communities.
00:51:53.388 --> 00:51:56.747
The load being shifted is not oftentimes utility owned load.
00:51:57.760 --> 00:52:01.110
For the growing majority of the state is load owned by CCAs
00:52:01.947 --> 00:52:05.110
and financially guaranteed by their municipalities.
00:52:05.110 --> 00:52:08.180
These local interests were not addressed yesterday.
00:52:08.180 --> 00:52:11.610
The CEC has been piloting microgrids for over a decade.
00:52:11.610 --> 00:52:13.810
Hundreds were already installed in California.
00:52:13.810 --> 00:52:15.700
The technology is mature.
00:52:15.700 --> 00:52:18.530
What is needed is an aggressive program to develop tariffs
00:52:18.530 --> 00:52:21.470
for their deployment and a relaxation of the rules,
00:52:21.470 --> 00:52:23.930
which limit municipal involvement.
00:52:23.930 --> 00:52:26.470
I would like to end with a cautionary note,
00:52:26.470 --> 00:52:28.080
when deregulation occurred on
00:52:28.080 --> 00:52:31.330
the closed transmission grid three decades ago,
00:52:31.330 --> 00:52:35.670
utility practices resulted in widespread price manipulation.
00:52:35.670 --> 00:52:37.830
FERC responded with a series of orders
00:52:37.830 --> 00:52:40.560
that created an open transmission grid.
00:52:40.560 --> 00:52:41.750
We are now entering a period
00:52:41.750 --> 00:52:45.070
of significant two-regulation style change on
00:52:45.070 --> 00:52:47.390
the state run distribution grid.
00:52:47.390 --> 00:52:49.470
As a result of PUC 218,
00:52:49.470 --> 00:52:52.320
the distribution grid is a closed grid.
00:52:52.320 --> 00:52:54.280
California should not allow the mistakes of
00:52:54.280 --> 00:52:56.000
the past to be repeated.
00:52:56.000 --> 00:52:58.300
Thank you for the chance to enter my comments.
00:52:59.950 --> 00:53:00.800
Thank you, sir.
00:53:03.740 --> 00:53:06.590
Next, operator, please call or please open the line
00:53:06.590 --> 00:53:07.750
for the next speaker.
00:53:10.006 --> 00:53:12.260
Our next caller is Claire Broom.
00:53:12.260 --> 00:53:14.210
Also representing herself as a rate payer.
00:53:14.210 --> 00:53:15.360
You may go ahead ma'am.
00:53:17.160 --> 00:53:18.640
Good morning, Commissioners.
00:53:18.640 --> 00:53:19.760
Can you hear me okay?
00:53:20.610 --> 00:53:21.443
Yes, we can.
00:53:22.280 --> 00:53:23.370
Okay.
00:53:23.370 --> 00:53:26.520
I'm a rate payer from Brooklyn, California,
00:53:26.520 --> 00:53:31.330
and I wish to speak on agenda item 10, which is currently on
00:53:31.330 --> 00:53:33.440
the consent agenda,
00:53:33.440 --> 00:53:38.020
permitting San Diego Gas and Electric to procure resources
00:53:38.020 --> 00:53:43.020
for up to five years based on a bundled procurement plan.
00:53:43.230 --> 00:53:46.070
This plan was last reviewed
00:53:46.070 --> 00:53:50.600
in an official proceedings from 2014.
00:53:52.490 --> 00:53:56.280
I strongly urge you to check it out of the consent agenda
00:53:56.280 --> 00:53:58.780
and hold it for further consideration
00:53:58.780 --> 00:54:00.860
for very substantive issues.
00:54:02.680 --> 00:54:07.680
Number one, the approval constitutes an approval
00:54:08.430 --> 00:54:09.890
of an advice letter,
00:54:09.890 --> 00:54:13.890
which is essentially an explicit and run
00:54:13.890 --> 00:54:18.500
around your own integrated resource planning procedure.
00:54:18.500 --> 00:54:21.180
In May of 2020,
00:54:21.180 --> 00:54:25.980
the scope of the IRP illicitly incorporated review
00:54:25.980 --> 00:54:29.460
of bundled procurement plans from the IOUs.
00:54:31.080 --> 00:54:34.440
So, waving through something from 2014,
00:54:35.440 --> 00:54:39.360
which does not incorporate the statutory requirements
00:54:39.360 --> 00:54:44.360
from SB 350 and SB 100, clearly against the spirit
00:54:47.110 --> 00:54:51.490
and letter of California law and the IRP.
00:54:51.490 --> 00:54:55.480
These laws require procurement and prioritizing
00:54:55.480 --> 00:55:00.390
of renewable resources and avoiding disproportionate impacts
00:55:00.390 --> 00:55:02.910
of pollutants on vulnerable communities.
00:55:04.550 --> 00:55:09.550
The second problem with this draft resolution is related
00:55:14.288 --> 00:55:19.288
to the assessment of the departing load charges.
00:55:19.440 --> 00:55:22.182
Commissioner Shiroma, you told us that
00:55:22.182 --> 00:55:27.182
the CEC microgrid workshop, that you were unable
00:55:27.810 --> 00:55:30.340
to do anything about departing load charges,
00:55:30.340 --> 00:55:32.970
that they were pushed up with them.
00:55:32.970 --> 00:55:37.920
Well, today you are being asked to approve something
00:55:37.920 --> 00:55:41.810
which may well result into payments
00:55:42.800 --> 00:55:47.760
from both bundle customers and CCA customers
00:55:47.760 --> 00:55:49.840
for years to come.
00:55:49.840 --> 00:55:52.520
You are the people who approved these charges.
00:55:53.770 --> 00:55:58.010
The specific reason why this is likely to be an overcharge
00:55:58.010 --> 00:56:02.760
is because the Commission's own projections from
00:56:02.760 --> 00:56:07.760
the IRP suggest that over 50% of the San Diego Gas
00:56:08.920 --> 00:56:13.920
and Electric load may depart over the next two years.
00:56:14.760 --> 00:56:19.760
Therefore, permitting for five years may well result
00:56:19.890 --> 00:56:21.910
in excess charges.
00:56:21.910 --> 00:56:26.810
Both for those customers who remain with SDG&E and also,
00:56:26.810 --> 00:56:31.120
imposing unnecessary departing load charges
00:56:31.120 --> 00:56:35.230
that will go into the PCIA and Burton CCAs
00:56:35.230 --> 00:56:37.850
and help make it harder for them
00:56:37.850 --> 00:56:41.710
to succeed in California's energy crisis.
00:56:43.595 --> 00:56:47.770
You have a chance today to save rate payer dollars
00:56:47.770 --> 00:56:49.810
and to obey the law.
00:56:49.810 --> 00:56:53.800
Please take item 10 out of the consent agenda
00:56:53.800 --> 00:56:55.440
and look at it hard.
00:56:55.440 --> 00:57:00.440
Your staff argue that it is necessary as an interim measure,
00:57:00.540 --> 00:57:03.500
until such time if there's Commission review.
00:57:03.500 --> 00:57:06.750
I suggest that it's past time for the Commission
00:57:06.750 --> 00:57:09.510
to take seriously oversight of
00:57:09.510 --> 00:57:14.510
the IOUs supportive California law and encouragement
00:57:15.580 --> 00:57:18.470
of community choice, which is what we need
00:57:18.470 --> 00:57:22.090
for moving forward to a clean energy future.
00:57:22.090 --> 00:57:23.240
Thank you very much.
00:57:24.710 --> 00:57:27.180
Thank you, Ms. Broom.
00:57:27.180 --> 00:57:28.990
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:57:31.470 --> 00:57:33.280
Our next caller is Connie Arnold
00:57:33.280 --> 00:57:35.330
with Disability Rights Advocate.
00:57:35.330 --> 00:57:36.530
You may go ahead, ma'am.
00:57:37.670 --> 00:57:39.180
Yes, hi, this is Connie Arnold.
00:57:39.180 --> 00:57:44.180
I'm a Disability Rights advocate and I'm calling regarding
00:57:44.980 --> 00:57:48.240
the problem that I see that's happening at the Commission.
00:57:49.930 --> 00:57:54.610
I would like to see the Commission obey the regulations of
00:57:54.610 --> 00:57:59.610
the state of California and make sure to secure the safety
00:57:59.860 --> 00:58:03.440
of vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities
00:58:03.440 --> 00:58:05.460
that rely on electricity.
00:58:05.460 --> 00:58:06.810
Something that they did not do
00:58:06.810 --> 00:58:09.970
when they originally voted, five to zero to allow
00:58:09.970 --> 00:58:12.610
the Public Safety Power Shutoff
00:58:12.610 --> 00:58:16.540
to go through, push by the PG&E entity
00:58:16.540 --> 00:58:21.280
and is embraced by all electric utility companies.
00:58:21.280 --> 00:58:25.620
This has caused numerous persons with disabilities
00:58:25.620 --> 00:58:29.140
and seniors to die in wildfires, not have
00:58:29.140 --> 00:58:32.020
the electricity they need to meet their life
00:58:32.020 --> 00:58:34.690
and health safety needs during shutoff events.
00:58:35.630 --> 00:58:40.630
And the only person that has acted on behalf
00:58:41.060 --> 00:58:42.910
of this vulnerable seniors and people
00:58:42.910 --> 00:58:45.540
with disability has been Alice Stebbins.
00:58:47.090 --> 00:58:51.697
The Self Generation Incentive Program is riddled
00:58:52.980 --> 00:58:54.460
with all kinds of problems.
00:58:55.340 --> 00:58:56.970
People with disabilities and seniors
00:58:56.970 --> 00:59:01.120
are having difficulty accessing those services
00:59:01.120 --> 00:59:03.620
that were supposed to be available.
00:59:03.620 --> 00:59:05.820
And then somehow the funds have disappeared.
00:59:07.632 --> 00:59:12.020
And I'm very concerned that the actions being taken against
00:59:12.020 --> 00:59:16.400
the executive director, Alice Stebbins and her staff
00:59:16.400 --> 00:59:20.880
who have worked tirelessly to resolve these issues
00:59:20.880 --> 00:59:24.310
and recognize the needs, and safety of persons
00:59:24.310 --> 00:59:26.750
with disabilities and seniors under threats
00:59:26.750 --> 00:59:30.890
of de-energization and the ability
00:59:30.890 --> 00:59:35.890
to obtain battery backup systems is wrong-headed.
00:59:37.920 --> 00:59:39.990
It is retaliatory.
00:59:39.990 --> 00:59:44.990
And, I would like to see something done even at
00:59:45.230 --> 00:59:50.230
the state level to address the Commission operate above
00:59:52.670 --> 00:59:54.970
the law, not operate above the law,
00:59:54.970 --> 00:59:58.690
operate within the guidelines and not retaliate
00:59:58.690 --> 00:59:59.950
against Alice Stebbins.
01:00:01.210 --> 01:00:04.070
It's outrageous and completely counterproductive
01:00:04.070 --> 01:00:08.110
to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable seniors
01:00:08.110 --> 01:00:10.460
and persons with disabilities from PG&E
01:00:10.460 --> 01:00:14.840
and electric utility shutoffs, and de-energization events
01:00:14.840 --> 01:00:19.330
and smacks totally to me of politics and retaliation
01:00:20.270 --> 01:00:23.640
for her trying to do no harm to the most vulnerable.
01:00:24.570 --> 01:00:27.780
So, I wanna thank you for my ability to comment,
01:00:27.780 --> 01:00:31.780
but I would like to see her continue in her role and try
01:00:31.780 --> 01:00:34.190
to continue to address these issues
01:00:34.190 --> 01:00:37.350
of these electric utility power shutoff
01:00:37.350 --> 01:00:39.950
and how they endanger lives of people with disabilities
01:00:39.950 --> 01:00:42.070
and the elderly who have died.
01:00:42.070 --> 01:00:45.250
In Chico, I have friends that lost their home,
01:00:45.250 --> 01:00:47.790
including the senior in Chico,
01:00:47.790 --> 01:00:50.070
barely escaped with their lives.
01:00:50.070 --> 01:00:54.380
I know people over in Santa Rosa who were in the fires
01:00:54.380 --> 01:00:57.830
and this is wrong and something needs to be done
01:00:57.830 --> 01:01:02.830
to make sure that the CPUC operates appropriately so that
01:01:04.440 --> 01:01:07.440
the lives of residents of California
01:01:07.440 --> 01:01:12.090
are not put at harm by these electric utility companies.
01:01:12.090 --> 01:01:12.923
Thank you.
01:01:13.980 --> 01:01:16.260
Thank you, Mrs. Arnold.
01:01:16.260 --> 01:01:17.900
Operator the next caller please.
01:01:20.098 --> 01:01:22.400
Our next caller is Clinton Olivier
01:01:22.400 --> 01:01:25.030
with the Business Federation of the Central Valley.
01:01:25.030 --> 01:01:28.000
Go ahead sir, you may speak.
01:01:28.000 --> 01:01:29.440
Thank you, Commissioners.
01:01:29.440 --> 01:01:30.970
My name is Clint Olivier.
01:01:30.970 --> 01:01:34.360
I represent the Business Federation of the Central Valley
01:01:34.360 --> 01:01:35.720
or BizFed, for short.
01:01:35.720 --> 01:01:39.640
It's a coalition of about 70 associations,
01:01:39.640 --> 01:01:42.660
professional trade associations and companies here in
01:01:42.660 --> 01:01:43.520
the Central Valley.
01:01:43.520 --> 01:01:45.470
And I appreciate the opportunity to call in
01:01:45.470 --> 01:01:46.610
to today's meeting.
01:01:46.610 --> 01:01:47.850
I strongly encourage you
01:01:47.850 --> 01:01:50.450
to delay action on proposed decision
01:01:50.450 --> 01:01:54.570
and rulemaking 1706024,
01:01:54.570 --> 01:01:57.240
until some more thorough analysis can be conducted
01:01:57.240 --> 01:02:00.890
on the impact this decision could have on water conservation
01:02:00.890 --> 01:02:02.400
and customer rates.
01:02:02.400 --> 01:02:05.040
Now, this regulatory body has a solid reputation
01:02:05.040 --> 01:02:08.030
of being leaders on sustainability and conservation
01:02:08.030 --> 01:02:10.580
as directed by statewide policy makers
01:02:10.580 --> 01:02:12.610
and supported by Californians.
01:02:12.610 --> 01:02:15.780
This proposal seems counterintuitive to those objectives
01:02:15.780 --> 01:02:17.830
and will raise water rates for millions
01:02:17.830 --> 01:02:20.160
of our neighbors in our states.
01:02:20.160 --> 01:02:22.150
Decoupling water sales from the revenues
01:02:22.150 --> 01:02:24.510
of water providers is a best practice used
01:02:24.510 --> 01:02:27.290
by other regulatory bodies throughout the country
01:02:27.290 --> 01:02:31.110
to incentivize efficient operations and conservation.
01:02:31.110 --> 01:02:34.200
It's a big deal to consider eliminating this proven tool.
01:02:34.200 --> 01:02:37.340
And it seems appropriate to allow for more than 30 days
01:02:37.340 --> 01:02:40.010
of review and input before making such
01:02:40.010 --> 01:02:41.880
a significant change as this.
01:02:41.880 --> 01:02:44.260
The notion of returning to a regulatory structure
01:02:44.260 --> 01:02:47.940
that incentivizes waterproof providers to sell more water,
01:02:47.940 --> 01:02:50.920
to generate revenue, to operate their systems,
01:02:50.920 --> 01:02:54.250
just seems countered to our state's conservation priorities
01:02:54.250 --> 01:02:57.470
and to the best interest of customers.
01:02:57.470 --> 01:02:59.450
And as we are all well aware,
01:02:59.450 --> 01:03:02.920
water is scarce in California and every gallon saved
01:03:02.920 --> 01:03:05.400
is a gallon available for another purpose,
01:03:05.400 --> 01:03:08.120
and one less gallon we need to procure.
01:03:08.120 --> 01:03:09.460
Customers who use less water
01:03:09.460 --> 01:03:12.020
have lower bills than those who use more water.
01:03:12.020 --> 01:03:15.220
So incentivizing water providers to invest in efforts
01:03:15.220 --> 01:03:19.430
to educate customers, to conserve and in rebates for things
01:03:19.430 --> 01:03:20.880
like high efficiency toilets,
01:03:20.880 --> 01:03:24.890
or drought resistant landscaping is money well spent.
01:03:24.890 --> 01:03:27.910
I understand there may be differences of opinion as to
01:03:27.910 --> 01:03:30.590
whether the same level of conservation can be achieved
01:03:30.590 --> 01:03:33.780
among water providers who have decoupling mechanisms
01:03:33.780 --> 01:03:35.510
and those who don't.
01:03:35.510 --> 01:03:37.870
But that again is why more time is needed
01:03:37.870 --> 01:03:41.380
for thorough objective third party analysis.
01:03:41.380 --> 01:03:43.580
The impact to our scarce water supplies
01:03:43.580 --> 01:03:46.520
and to customer bills is too serious
01:03:46.520 --> 01:03:48.620
to rush in this direction.
01:03:48.620 --> 01:03:49.640
Please we ask,
01:03:49.640 --> 01:03:53.040
take the time to make sure what you are considering is in
01:03:53.040 --> 01:03:57.020
the best interest of water customers before it's too late
01:03:57.020 --> 01:03:58.910
and we can't change course.
01:03:58.910 --> 01:04:01.190
Thank you so much Commissioners for your time.
01:04:02.750 --> 01:04:04.960
Thank you very much.
01:04:04.960 --> 01:04:07.270
The next speaker please, operator.
01:04:09.560 --> 01:04:11.270
Our next caller is Alice Huffman
01:04:11.270 --> 01:04:14.950
with the California State NAACP.
01:04:14.950 --> 01:04:16.650
Thank you Ma'am, you may go ahead.
01:04:17.910 --> 01:04:19.766
Can you hear me?
01:04:19.766 --> 01:04:23.880
Yes, we can.
01:04:25.380 --> 01:04:27.010
Thank you commisioners.
01:04:27.010 --> 01:04:29.320
My name is Alice Huffman, representing
01:04:29.320 --> 01:04:34.000
the California state NAACP and here today out
01:04:34.000 --> 01:04:37.210
of concern regarding proposed decision
01:04:38.720 --> 01:04:43.720
and rulemaking 1706024.
01:04:44.920 --> 01:04:47.070
The fact that we are considering a change
01:04:47.070 --> 01:04:48.480
to current regulations
01:04:48.480 --> 01:04:51.010
that would substantially increase water bills
01:04:51.010 --> 01:04:55.130
for low income proponents is mind boggling.
01:04:55.130 --> 01:04:56.160
I don't know.
01:04:56.160 --> 01:05:00.360
I don't need to tell you any or anyone in this meeting that
01:05:00.360 --> 01:05:05.360
these are unprecedented times right now and that I am,
01:05:06.140 --> 01:05:09.090
and many Californians are out of work and struggling
01:05:09.090 --> 01:05:10.130
to pay their bills.
01:05:11.110 --> 01:05:15.700
COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted
01:05:15.700 --> 01:05:19.440
the African American community and many African Americans
01:05:19.440 --> 01:05:23.260
live in the water districts that will be forced
01:05:23.260 --> 01:05:26.800
to pay substantially more for water services
01:05:26.800 --> 01:05:30.880
if this proposal is ever adopted.
01:05:30.880 --> 01:05:34.600
Thank you for delaying the actions on this proposal,
01:05:34.600 --> 01:05:39.600
and we urge you to carefully consider the impact of
01:05:40.160 --> 01:05:43.380
any of your changes that would make our customers,
01:05:43.380 --> 01:05:45.920
that would impact our customer's bills.
01:05:45.920 --> 01:05:46.870
Thank you so much.
01:05:46.870 --> 01:05:50.230
And I'm sorry for the missed half this morning.
01:05:53.100 --> 01:05:54.670
Thank you very much for calling in,
01:05:54.670 --> 01:05:55.503
I appreciate it.
01:05:56.350 --> 01:05:58.140
Operator, the next speaker, please
01:06:00.471 --> 01:06:02.280
The next caller is Erica Martin
01:06:02.280 --> 01:06:04.030
with SDG&E rate payer.
01:06:05.305 --> 01:06:07.220
You may go ahead.
01:06:07.220 --> 01:06:08.810
Yes, thank you.
01:06:08.810 --> 01:06:09.980
My name is Erica Morgan,
01:06:09.980 --> 01:06:12.700
and I wanna thank all the Commissioners for their time
01:06:12.700 --> 01:06:14.260
and attention this morning.
01:06:14.260 --> 01:06:16.240
I've been online an hour already,
01:06:16.240 --> 01:06:19.610
and I dare say you have a whole meeting ahead of you.
01:06:19.610 --> 01:06:22.270
My company name is Energetic Management Associates.
01:06:22.270 --> 01:06:25.820
I'm a sole proprietor working in downtown San Diego,
01:06:25.820 --> 01:06:30.380
and I'm calling to oppose item 10 on the consent agenda,
01:06:30.380 --> 01:06:32.840
which as you've heard already, has a draft resolution
01:06:32.840 --> 01:06:36.360
approving SDG&E bundled procurement plan.
01:06:36.360 --> 01:06:40.290
As you've also heard very well put already this morning,
01:06:40.290 --> 01:06:44.200
this resolution should be rejected for many reasons,
01:06:44.200 --> 01:06:48.660
but the one that concerns me the most, and I have been at
01:06:48.660 --> 01:06:51.110
an electricity policy consultant for 20 years,
01:06:52.440 --> 01:06:56.520
is that this plant is terribly out of date.
01:06:56.520 --> 01:07:01.110
This 2014 plan, too many things have changed since 2014
01:07:01.110 --> 01:07:03.070
that are not reflected in this plan.
01:07:03.070 --> 01:07:04.970
And here are four big ones.
01:07:04.970 --> 01:07:09.900
First, we passed SB 350 in 2015.
01:07:09.900 --> 01:07:14.150
SB 350 requires that SDG&E minimize air pollutants
01:07:14.150 --> 01:07:16.910
and greenhouse gas emissions with priority
01:07:16.910 --> 01:07:19.120
to disadvantaged communities.
01:07:19.960 --> 01:07:24.550
SDG&E's plan does not mention disadvantaged communities.
01:07:25.420 --> 01:07:29.147
Second, the Commission ordered in decision 15-10-031,
01:07:30.870 --> 01:07:35.870
a required by any old review of these procurement plans.
01:07:36.110 --> 01:07:40.650
And no such review has occurred of this plan since 2014.
01:07:41.520 --> 01:07:46.520
And third, we the people, passed SB 10 in 2018,
01:07:46.830 --> 01:07:51.790
which like SB 350, and the resulting public utilities code,
01:07:51.790 --> 01:07:55.120
requires SDG&E to rely upon.
01:07:55.120 --> 01:07:59.710
And I'm quoting, "Rely upon zero carbon emitting resources
01:07:59.710 --> 01:08:03.570
"to the maximum extent possible," unquote.
01:08:03.570 --> 01:08:05.720
This plan does not do that.
01:08:05.720 --> 01:08:08.690
And fourth, in October, 2019,
01:08:08.690 --> 01:08:10.530
San Diego and four other cities voted
01:08:10.530 --> 01:08:12.840
to create San Diego Community Power,
01:08:12.840 --> 01:08:14.840
an outcome for which many of us have been working
01:08:14.840 --> 01:08:16.450
for a very long time.
01:08:16.450 --> 01:08:21.120
In this plan, SDG&E fails to update its procurement plans
01:08:21.120 --> 01:08:23.720
to recognize this substantial decline in load,
01:08:23.720 --> 01:08:25.720
leading to the increases in
01:08:25.720 --> 01:08:27.820
the power charge indifference adjustment
01:08:27.820 --> 01:08:31.230
that all your previous speakers have mentioned and feared.
01:08:31.230 --> 01:08:34.800
My bottom line is, how can the Commission condone
01:08:34.800 --> 01:08:38.020
such an egregious lack of planning
01:08:38.020 --> 01:08:41.070
as to ignore all these factors.
01:08:41.070 --> 01:08:43.520
That just seems to me impossible that
01:08:43.520 --> 01:08:45.060
this would be a consent item,
01:08:45.060 --> 01:08:47.780
and I urge you to remove it from the consent agenda
01:08:47.780 --> 01:08:49.560
and think about it again.
01:08:49.560 --> 01:08:53.290
And if I have another minute, I want to second some of
01:08:53.290 --> 01:08:57.210
the very thoughtful and appropriate comments on
01:08:57.210 --> 01:09:00.220
the microgrid proceeding and particularly on
01:09:00.220 --> 01:09:02.870
the workshop proposals that were presented yesterday,
01:09:02.870 --> 01:09:04.250
I did not attend.
01:09:04.250 --> 01:09:07.070
But I did notice in going through that material,
01:09:07.070 --> 01:09:09.770
that there was a consistency seeming in the staff proposal.
01:09:09.770 --> 01:09:13.890
10 microgrids per state, 15 microgrids per state.
01:09:13.890 --> 01:09:18.550
Really, we need to anticipate the rapid penetration
01:09:18.550 --> 01:09:21.310
of this technology because it provides
01:09:21.310 --> 01:09:25.140
the resiliency benefits that so many other speakers
01:09:25.140 --> 01:09:29.520
have spoken about so critically and so movingly.
01:09:29.520 --> 01:09:30.353
And with that,
01:09:30.353 --> 01:09:32.750
I want to conclude my comments and thank you very much
01:09:32.750 --> 01:09:34.177
for the opportunity to make them.
01:09:34.177 --> 01:09:35.570
(bell dinging)
01:09:35.570 --> 01:09:37.010
Oops, it's a bell.
01:09:37.010 --> 01:09:38.743
You just got in under the wire.
01:09:38.743 --> 01:09:41.540
(laughing)
Thank you.
01:09:41.540 --> 01:09:43.860
Operator, the next speaker, please.
01:09:46.630 --> 01:09:47.590
And President Batjer,
01:09:47.590 --> 01:09:48.770
there are no more participants
01:09:48.770 --> 01:09:51.240
on the public comment, telephone line at this time.
01:09:53.740 --> 01:09:55.840
Okay, let's just wait a minute or two.
01:09:55.840 --> 01:09:57.610
I know people have been waiting a long time
01:09:57.610 --> 01:09:58.700
to speak to us today.
01:09:58.700 --> 01:10:02.400
So in another minute, if there's any people
01:10:02.400 --> 01:10:05.000
that have difficulty calling in and they wanna call.
01:10:06.700 --> 01:10:07.980
To provide another reminder,
01:10:07.980 --> 01:10:10.840
if you would wish to speak during the public comment period,
01:10:10.840 --> 01:10:14.290
please press #1, unmute your phone and clearly provide
01:10:14.290 --> 01:10:16.710
your name and organization when prompted.
01:10:16.710 --> 01:10:18.310
Please stand by for next caller.
01:10:20.320 --> 01:10:23.920
President Batjer, if I could on item 19 comments,
01:10:23.920 --> 01:10:26.820
just make a comment to the commenters.
01:10:27.870 --> 01:10:29.080
Certainly.
01:10:29.080 --> 01:10:30.680
Thank you.
Thank you.
01:10:30.680 --> 01:10:32.570
I really appreciate all the public comment.
01:10:32.570 --> 01:10:35.200
I would really invite those who can stay.
01:10:35.200 --> 01:10:37.070
We will be discussing the item,
01:10:37.070 --> 01:10:40.440
although we will be voting to hold it.
01:10:40.440 --> 01:10:42.870
And so, I really encourage everyone to stay
01:10:42.870 --> 01:10:47.030
for the discussion on item 19, that's the item dealing
01:10:47.030 --> 01:10:50.680
with water affordability and conservation.
01:10:50.680 --> 01:10:51.513
Thank you.
01:10:54.170 --> 01:10:56.350
Thank you, Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:10:58.840 --> 01:11:00.860
I really wanna check the lines again to see if there's
01:11:00.860 --> 01:11:02.360
anybody else that's called in.
01:11:03.710 --> 01:11:05.520
Yes, we have a few more callers.
01:11:05.520 --> 01:11:07.830
Blair Beekman representing himself.
01:11:07.830 --> 01:11:08.830
So you may go ahead.
01:11:10.400 --> 01:11:11.233
All right, thank you.
01:11:11.233 --> 01:11:12.720
Can you hear me?
01:11:12.720 --> 01:11:14.060
Yes, we can.
01:11:14.060 --> 01:11:16.170
Thank you very much.
01:11:16.170 --> 01:11:17.530
And all the current questions
01:11:17.530 --> 01:11:19.170
we are currently going through of...
01:11:19.170 --> 01:11:21.970
Oh, I'm sorry, I'm on the wrong letter here.
01:11:21.970 --> 01:11:25.760
I have a letter to speak this afternoon, so thank you.
01:11:25.760 --> 01:11:27.110
Let me try that again here.
01:11:29.100 --> 01:11:31.390
With this being the 75th anniversary of
01:11:31.390 --> 01:11:35.030
the atom bomb falling on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan,
01:11:35.030 --> 01:11:36.780
I think the current state of California,
01:11:36.780 --> 01:11:38.880
ideas of rent forgiveness for tenants
01:11:38.880 --> 01:11:40.800
and mortgage forgiveness for owners
01:11:40.800 --> 01:11:43.630
has been some incredible work in this time of COVID-19.
01:11:44.520 --> 01:11:47.730
These times may be grim, but people's ideas
01:11:47.730 --> 01:11:51.050
and full forgiveness for both tenants and owners
01:11:51.050 --> 01:11:54.080
is incredibly compassionate and has good logic.
01:11:54.080 --> 01:11:55.550
I feel these are the deeper meanings
01:11:55.550 --> 01:11:58.380
on how to begin to reopen our future.
01:11:58.380 --> 01:12:00.520
Another simple question at this time,
01:12:00.520 --> 01:12:03.680
how can our future ideas of longterm social planning
01:12:03.680 --> 01:12:07.410
be based on the genuine concepts to positive sustainability,
01:12:07.410 --> 01:12:09.490
and without hurting mass numbers of people in order
01:12:09.490 --> 01:12:13.050
to accomplish longterm societal plans and goals?
01:12:13.050 --> 01:12:15.230
I think we are seeing a pattern develop that seems
01:12:15.230 --> 01:12:17.770
a form of state sponsored violence, extremism,
01:12:17.770 --> 01:12:20.530
and terrorism that keeps being developed
01:12:20.530 --> 01:12:23.510
and refined over the past 20 years.
01:12:23.510 --> 01:12:25.980
It seems disconcerting to almost everyone that
01:12:25.980 --> 01:12:28.330
there seems to be difficult in talking
01:12:28.330 --> 01:12:30.550
about it openly and publicly.
01:12:30.550 --> 01:12:32.280
As I spoke here at the end of June,
01:12:32.280 --> 01:12:34.350
please consider the many possibilities of how
01:12:34.350 --> 01:12:37.580
current local community check accountability guidelines,
01:12:37.580 --> 01:12:40.680
legal precedence, and open democratic practices
01:12:40.680 --> 01:12:43.210
from the ACLU and certain departments
01:12:43.210 --> 01:12:46.020
within the state of California, and even the UN
01:12:46.020 --> 01:12:48.130
are specifically meant to address ideas
01:12:48.130 --> 01:12:50.620
of peace and how to end continual war
01:12:50.620 --> 01:12:53.030
and shock doctrine practices.
01:12:53.030 --> 01:12:54.550
It is to help everyday community
01:12:54.550 --> 01:12:56.410
and local government work together
01:12:56.410 --> 01:12:59.030
to create open responsible technology surveillance
01:12:59.030 --> 01:13:01.510
and data collection for its local community.
01:13:01.510 --> 01:13:05.000
Collectively, across the country, this local level work
01:13:05.000 --> 01:13:07.760
of more shared, open democratic practices
01:13:07.760 --> 01:13:10.500
can eventually make important demands of peace
01:13:10.500 --> 01:13:12.590
at the national/international level
01:13:12.590 --> 01:13:14.560
and even of the UN and WHO.
01:13:15.889 --> 01:13:19.370
These are the ways to empower and invite everyday people to
01:13:19.370 --> 01:13:22.740
be able to talk with different levels of government on how
01:13:22.740 --> 01:13:24.350
to end the concepts of government
01:13:24.350 --> 01:13:26.350
and corporate shock doctrine.
01:13:26.350 --> 01:13:30.270
And to a better reason, humanistic peaceful ideas,
01:13:30.270 --> 01:13:33.170
many have been working on for decades now.
01:13:33.170 --> 01:13:34.580
Thank you.
01:13:34.580 --> 01:13:37.640
I'd like to conclude, how much time do I have left?
01:13:38.550 --> 01:13:40.760
I don't know, I don't have a timer on.
01:13:40.760 --> 01:13:42.880
I probably have about 30 or 40 seconds.
01:13:42.880 --> 01:13:45.690
I've been working with studying
01:13:45.690 --> 01:13:48.610
the East Bay community energy ideas.
01:13:48.610 --> 01:13:50.530
They've been terrific,
01:13:50.530 --> 01:13:52.700
you know, local community ideas.
01:13:52.700 --> 01:13:56.490
How can we really focus on local energy ideas
01:13:56.490 --> 01:13:59.540
without these big bulk packages that PG&E
01:13:59.540 --> 01:14:04.370
is forcing on everyone in this time of fear
01:14:04.370 --> 01:14:06.400
with their nuclear plans?
01:14:06.400 --> 01:14:09.720
You know, we wanna work in good sustainable terms
01:14:09.720 --> 01:14:11.020
at the local level wise,
01:14:11.020 --> 01:14:14.990
PG&E forcing these nuclear ideas onto it still.
01:14:14.990 --> 01:14:16.440
You know, we have options,
01:14:16.440 --> 01:14:18.960
let's make our options positive and good.
01:14:18.960 --> 01:14:22.220
And what I'm learning right now with what is possible,
01:14:23.320 --> 01:14:25.570
I hope we can make those efforts.
01:14:25.570 --> 01:14:26.403
Thank you.
01:14:27.520 --> 01:14:29.030
Thank you, sir.
01:14:29.030 --> 01:14:31.970
Operator, is there anybody else on the line?
01:14:31.970 --> 01:14:34.160
Yes, we have two more callers at this time.
01:14:34.160 --> 01:14:36.450
Our next caller is Catherine Sandoval
01:14:36.450 --> 01:14:37.780
with Santa Clara University.
01:14:37.780 --> 01:14:39.020
You may go ahead, ma'am.
01:14:40.640 --> 01:14:41.940
Yes, good morning.
01:14:41.940 --> 01:14:45.080
This is Catherine Sandoval and I'm a law professor
01:14:45.080 --> 01:14:47.540
at Santa Clara University and a former Commissioner
01:14:47.540 --> 01:14:50.010
of the California Public Utilities Commission.
01:14:50.010 --> 01:14:51.710
I'm here representing myself
01:14:51.710 --> 01:14:53.560
as an individual water rate payer,
01:14:53.560 --> 01:14:56.950
and also as a law professor to express my concerns
01:14:56.950 --> 01:15:00.390
about the proposed decision in item 19,
01:15:00.390 --> 01:15:03.250
which unfortunately undermines affordability,
01:15:03.250 --> 01:15:06.320
deters conservation, and is founded on legal
01:15:06.320 --> 01:15:07.950
and factual error.
01:15:07.950 --> 01:15:10.870
So the fundamental issue driving the legal
01:15:10.870 --> 01:15:11.750
and factual error,
01:15:11.750 --> 01:15:16.750
the heart of the PD, is the conflation of forecasting with
01:15:16.870 --> 01:15:19.980
the WRAM, the Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanism,
01:15:19.980 --> 01:15:22.270
the Modified Cost Balancing Account, MCBA,
01:15:23.303 --> 01:15:25.040
and the Monterey-style WRAM.
01:15:25.040 --> 01:15:28.980
Those are four analytically distinct tools.
01:15:28.980 --> 01:15:31.600
And yet the PD also misunderstands the WRAM
01:15:31.600 --> 01:15:35.290
and the Monterey-style WRAM as substitutes from each other
01:15:35.290 --> 01:15:37.090
when their purposes are distinct.
01:15:37.980 --> 01:15:42.280
So the WRAM captures variations in sales and water rates
01:15:43.130 --> 01:15:45.820
and contrast the Monterey-style WRAM,
01:15:45.820 --> 01:15:48.730
covers variations in water rates.
01:15:48.730 --> 01:15:51.460
It does not provide any adjustment for the divergence
01:15:51.460 --> 01:15:53.990
between forecasted and actual sale.
01:15:55.130 --> 01:15:58.560
And there's even less of a relationship between
01:15:58.560 --> 01:16:01.280
the Monterey-style WRAM and forecasting.
01:16:01.280 --> 01:16:03.760
Then there is between WRAM and forecasting
01:16:03.760 --> 01:16:06.640
because different forecasting models or projections
01:16:06.640 --> 01:16:09.210
would not influence the revenue collected
01:16:09.210 --> 01:16:10.810
through the Monterey-style WRAM.
01:16:11.670 --> 01:16:16.600
And so, the issue here is that WRAM, MCBA,
01:16:16.600 --> 01:16:19.630
Monterey-style WRAM were neither listed in the OYR
01:16:19.630 --> 01:16:24.630
for rulemakings 170602 nor in it's three scoping memos.
01:16:25.490 --> 01:16:29.560
So despite the PD's suggestion that these topics have always
01:16:29.560 --> 01:16:32.150
been within the consideration as part of the review
01:16:32.150 --> 01:16:37.150
of forecasting, the PD commits, unfortunately, legal error
01:16:38.010 --> 01:16:41.550
in treating WRAM, MCBA and Monterey-style WRAM
01:16:41.550 --> 01:16:43.660
as subsets of forecasting,
01:16:43.660 --> 01:16:46.890
when in fact they are absolutely not.
01:16:46.890 --> 01:16:49.040
And any reference to forecasting
01:16:49.040 --> 01:16:50.990
and the proceeding scoping memo,
01:16:50.990 --> 01:16:53.740
discussion of WRAM and Monterey-style WRAM in a workshop,
01:16:53.740 --> 01:16:55.110
in a brief question they'll say,
01:16:55.110 --> 01:16:57.140
rulings are legally insufficient
01:16:57.140 --> 01:17:01.020
to bring those revenue collection and rate design issues
01:17:01.020 --> 01:17:02.630
within this proceeding scope.
01:17:03.850 --> 01:17:07.790
So, as someone who worked on the previous proceeding
01:17:07.790 --> 01:17:12.790
that was adopted in 2016 to help to improve forecasting,
01:17:13.400 --> 01:17:16.800
I do agree with the PD's important work on forecasting
01:17:16.800 --> 01:17:19.760
and recommend that this PD should be withdrawn
01:17:19.760 --> 01:17:22.870
to revise it and to address issues within its scope,
01:17:22.870 --> 01:17:25.500
including improving forecasting.
01:17:25.500 --> 01:17:29.650
And because the OYR doesn't mention WRAM, MCBA,
01:17:29.650 --> 01:17:31.220
Monterey-style WRAM,
01:17:31.220 --> 01:17:36.150
I recommend that you amend the OYR to include those issues
01:17:36.150 --> 01:17:38.850
and then give the public an opportunity to comment on
01:17:38.850 --> 01:17:41.610
the affordability and conservation impact
01:17:41.610 --> 01:17:45.310
of those revenue collection of rate design mechanisms.
01:17:45.310 --> 01:17:47.980
And since the Monterey-style WRAM is so closely related
01:17:47.980 --> 01:17:50.300
to local tiered rate,
01:17:50.300 --> 01:17:54.060
it must be analyzed on a service by service area basis.
01:17:55.100 --> 01:17:58.670
And so this also suggests that the CPUC should do so
01:17:58.670 --> 01:18:00.750
in a rate setting proceeding that would allow
01:18:00.750 --> 01:18:03.450
for hearings, testimony, griefs, oral arguments
01:18:03.450 --> 01:18:05.470
to analyze those issues.
01:18:05.470 --> 01:18:08.400
So I thank you for this discussing holt to address
01:18:08.400 --> 01:18:11.570
the legal and factual errors underlying this PD,
01:18:11.570 --> 01:18:13.090
and I thank you for your important work
01:18:13.090 --> 01:18:16.360
to promote affordability and conservation.
01:18:16.360 --> 01:18:18.080
Thank you very much.
01:18:18.080 --> 01:18:19.820
Thank you for calling in today,
01:18:19.820 --> 01:18:21.320
I appreciate it Mrs. Sandoval.
01:18:22.290 --> 01:18:24.280
Likewise, you take care.
01:18:24.280 --> 01:18:27.430
Okay, operator please.
01:18:27.430 --> 01:18:29.570
I think there's one more caller on the line.
01:18:30.520 --> 01:18:32.700
Yes, our next caller is Leslie Purcell.
01:18:32.700 --> 01:18:34.150
She is a member of the public.
01:18:34.150 --> 01:18:35.400
Kindly, you may go ahead.
01:18:38.760 --> 01:18:40.450
Hi, can you hear me?
01:18:40.450 --> 01:18:42.010
Yes, we can.
01:18:42.010 --> 01:18:43.140
Great.
01:18:43.140 --> 01:18:44.360
This is Leslie Purcell.
01:18:44.360 --> 01:18:47.792
I am calling to support
01:18:47.792 --> 01:18:51.340
the community microgrid facilitation,
01:18:51.340 --> 01:18:56.330
and just mentioned that we have many opportunities
01:18:56.330 --> 01:19:00.020
to put solar on municipal buildings and parking lots
01:19:00.020 --> 01:19:04.910
and commercial buildings and industrial sites as well.
01:19:04.910 --> 01:19:07.670
It's just an opportunity that needs to be taken.
01:19:07.670 --> 01:19:12.320
And that would be helpful if we could facilitate
01:19:12.320 --> 01:19:14.340
these community microgrids.
01:19:14.340 --> 01:19:18.000
I'm also calling about item 10 on the agenda,
01:19:18.000 --> 01:19:22.190
which is the draft resolution, E-5083.
01:19:22.190 --> 01:19:25.170
I think you've heard a lot about that already.
01:19:25.170 --> 01:19:30.170
I would also support withdrawing it from the consent agenda.
01:19:31.290 --> 01:19:36.290
It's extending this old per securement plan for SDG&E,
01:19:37.003 --> 01:19:39.680
and I believe there's a similar one
01:19:39.680 --> 01:19:42.570
in the offing per so Cal Edison.
01:19:42.570 --> 01:19:47.570
And instead, please require the proper review of these BPPs
01:19:48.240 --> 01:19:51.150
within the IRP proceedings.
01:19:51.150 --> 01:19:54.060
The proposed extension does not incorporate
01:19:54.060 --> 01:19:56.740
the clean energy legislation and mandates
01:19:56.740 --> 01:20:01.740
that we've had since 2014, including SB 350 and SB 100.
01:20:03.370 --> 01:20:05.960
It does not address disadvantage communities
01:20:05.960 --> 01:20:08.520
that's required by SB 350.
01:20:09.650 --> 01:20:12.110
And it further fails to ensure
01:20:12.110 --> 01:20:17.110
that that's SDG&E minimize the localized deer pollutants
01:20:17.340 --> 01:20:21.090
and other greenhouse gases with the priority
01:20:21.090 --> 01:20:25.490
on disadvantaged communities, also per SB 350.
01:20:26.630 --> 01:20:31.360
And it also fails to ensure that SDG&E would rely
01:20:31.360 --> 01:20:34.720
upon zero carbon emitting resources
01:20:34.720 --> 01:20:38.810
to the maximum extent reasonable or feasible.
01:20:38.810 --> 01:20:41.370
So for these various reasons,
01:20:42.570 --> 01:20:46.680
I believe you should take it off the consent calendar
01:20:46.680 --> 01:20:50.740
and have a full IRP proceeding that would allow
01:20:52.710 --> 01:20:56.910
full consideration of these very important issues.
01:20:56.910 --> 01:20:57.910
Thank you very much.
01:20:58.840 --> 01:21:00.370
Thank you, Miss Purcell.
01:21:01.260 --> 01:21:04.950
Operator, you wanna check the line for any other callers.
01:21:07.410 --> 01:21:09.460
No additional callers at this time, but again,
01:21:09.460 --> 01:21:11.360
if you would like to make a public comment,
01:21:11.360 --> 01:21:15.220
please press #1, unmute your phone and provide
01:21:15.220 --> 01:21:18.090
your name and organization when prompted.
01:21:18.090 --> 01:21:20.700
Please stand by for incoming questions, comments.
01:21:26.180 --> 01:21:28.130
Why don't you check one more time?
01:21:33.470 --> 01:21:35.770
Operator, could you check the line one more time?
01:21:36.668 --> 01:21:38.400
Yes, and they showed no additional callers
01:21:38.400 --> 01:21:39.233
at this time.
01:21:40.470 --> 01:21:42.630
Okay, with no more callers on the line,
01:21:42.630 --> 01:21:45.130
the public comment period is now closed.
01:21:46.060 --> 01:21:47.010
Thank you operator.
01:21:47.877 --> 01:21:52.877
We will move on now to the agenda changes.
01:21:52.980 --> 01:21:53.813
Those held--
01:21:53.813 --> 01:21:55.700
President Batjer?
01:21:55.700 --> 01:21:57.090
President Batjer?
01:21:57.090 --> 01:21:57.923
Yes.
01:21:58.770 --> 01:22:00.680
I'd like to request given that there was
01:22:00.680 --> 01:22:03.330
a lot of comments about item 10.
01:22:04.710 --> 01:22:09.710
My suggestion would be to hold that item for one meeting
01:22:10.858 --> 01:22:15.710
and allow for energy division to come back and present
01:22:16.820 --> 01:22:20.230
some of the further information about that item
01:22:20.230 --> 01:22:25.130
and the effect of the rolling five-year approval
01:22:26.050 --> 01:22:27.770
with regard to the BPP.
01:22:27.770 --> 01:22:32.580
So I'd like to go ahead and move that we hold that item.
01:22:32.580 --> 01:22:34.230
Okay.
01:22:34.230 --> 01:22:36.130
We'll have to vote separately on that.
01:22:38.720 --> 01:22:43.323
So, I guess we'll take a vote on it first,
01:22:46.150 --> 01:22:48.340
before I read through the old items.
01:22:48.340 --> 01:22:49.630
Because we have another item that
01:22:49.630 --> 01:22:51.030
we have to do the same with.
01:22:53.730 --> 01:22:56.000
Now, I'm gonna see, and Simon is on the line.
01:22:56.000 --> 01:22:58.380
And what could you advise?
01:22:58.380 --> 01:23:02.610
Should I hold till we go through the held first
01:23:02.610 --> 01:23:04.780
and then have the vote or vote first?
01:23:05.620 --> 01:23:10.620
Go through the listed held items first,
01:23:10.720 --> 01:23:15.200
and then you will have two votes, one on each request.
01:23:17.096 --> 01:23:18.844
Okay.
01:23:18.844 --> 01:23:21.310
Well, that's the way we'll do it.
01:23:21.310 --> 01:23:25.800
I'll go through the held and withdrawn items now.
01:23:25.800 --> 01:23:29.960
And then we'll pick up item 10
01:23:29.960 --> 01:23:33.290
and we will also be taking up item 18.
01:23:33.290 --> 01:23:36.210
Okay, item two is withdrawn.
01:23:36.210 --> 01:23:37.830
Item three will be held
01:23:37.830 --> 01:23:41.030
until the Commission meeting on 8-27-20.
01:23:45.337 --> 01:23:49.430
Item four will be held to the September 24th, 2020 meeting
01:23:50.870 --> 01:23:53.370
and will be on the regular agenda.
01:23:53.370 --> 01:23:58.370
Items six will be held to the 8-27 Commission meeting,
01:23:58.860 --> 01:24:02.310
item seven will be held to the 8-27 meeting,
01:24:03.620 --> 01:24:06.710
item 19 will be moved to the regular agenda
01:24:06.710 --> 01:24:08.110
of today's agenda.
01:24:09.330 --> 01:24:14.330
Item 21 will be held until 8-27 Commission meeting.
01:24:14.970 --> 01:24:19.670
Item 26 will be held until the 8-27 Commission meeting.
01:24:21.560 --> 01:24:26.493
Item 29 will be held until the 8-27 Commission meeting.
01:24:26.493 --> 01:24:31.230
Item 39 will be taken up with the consent agenda.
01:24:31.230 --> 01:24:36.230
Item 40 will be held until the 8-27 Commission meeting
01:24:37.350 --> 01:24:42.350
except B, which is AB 1720.
01:24:42.990 --> 01:24:45.290
That will be taken up with the consent agenda.
01:24:46.270 --> 01:24:47.103
Okay.
01:24:50.360 --> 01:24:52.883
We now will take up.
01:24:56.380 --> 01:24:59.320
We can vote on the consent agenda and then we will take up
01:24:59.320 --> 01:25:01.270
the separate items I mentioned earlier.
01:25:03.246 --> 01:25:05.720
I think we have to vote on the holds
01:25:05.720 --> 01:25:07.550
before we do the consent agenda.
01:25:08.580 --> 01:25:10.160
Okay, let's do that then.
01:25:10.160 --> 01:25:11.760
Thank you for the clarification.
01:25:13.074 --> 01:25:16.070
Commissioner Randolph, would you like to present
01:25:16.070 --> 01:25:17.510
your motion again, please?
01:25:18.400 --> 01:25:20.640
Yes, I would like to hold item 10
01:25:20.640 --> 01:25:22.130
for one meeting.
01:25:24.330 --> 01:25:25.680
Okay.
01:25:25.680 --> 01:25:28.420
The motion's been made, is it seconded?
01:25:28.420 --> 01:25:29.820
It's second.
01:25:30.750 --> 01:25:33.800
Well, like, agenda clerk, please call the roll.
01:25:34.980 --> 01:25:37.052
Commissioner Shiroma.
01:25:37.052 --> 01:25:38.220
Aye.
01:25:38.220 --> 01:25:40.290
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:25:40.290 --> 01:25:41.123
Aye.
01:25:41.123 --> 01:25:42.560
Commissioner Randolph.
01:25:43.640 --> 01:25:44.530
Yes.
01:25:44.530 --> 01:25:46.390
Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
01:25:46.390 --> 01:25:47.290
yes.
01:25:47.290 --> 01:25:48.810
President Batjer.
01:25:48.810 --> 01:25:50.000
Aye.
01:25:50.000 --> 01:25:53.510
It's unanimous, thank you Commissioner Randolph--
01:25:53.510 --> 01:25:55.803
President Batjer.
01:25:55.803 --> 01:25:57.080
Yes.
01:25:57.080 --> 01:25:59.440
I'd like to request a hold on item 18
01:25:59.440 --> 01:26:01.070
for one meeting.
01:26:01.070 --> 01:26:03.220
I was just going to turn to you, okay.
01:26:03.220 --> 01:26:04.053
Thank you.
01:26:06.218 --> 01:26:09.060
I'm going to take that that's a motion.
01:26:09.060 --> 01:26:11.790
Yes, please, I'll move to a hold item 18
01:26:11.790 --> 01:26:13.080
for one meeting.
01:26:13.080 --> 01:26:14.160
Okay, thank you.
01:26:14.160 --> 01:26:15.060
Is there a second?
01:26:17.830 --> 01:26:20.220
I'm pleased to second the motion,
01:26:20.220 --> 01:26:24.140
but is it item 19 or--
No.
01:26:24.140 --> 01:26:25.750
This is item 18 related
01:26:25.750 --> 01:26:27.780
to Liberty Utilities General Rate Case.
01:26:27.780 --> 01:26:29.940
Oh, I'm sorry, yes, yes.
01:26:29.940 --> 01:26:32.520
Yeah, I'll be happy to second your motion.
01:26:32.520 --> 01:26:37.520
Okay, the motion has been made to hold item 18
01:26:37.640 --> 01:26:42.430
to August 27th, Commission meeting agenda
01:26:42.430 --> 01:26:43.610
and it's been seconded.
01:26:43.610 --> 01:26:45.470
Agenda clerk, please call the roll.
01:26:45.470 --> 01:26:47.480
Commissioner Shiroma.
01:26:47.480 --> 01:26:48.313
Aye.
01:26:48.313 --> 01:26:50.310
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:26:50.310 --> 01:26:51.143
Aye.
01:26:51.143 --> 01:26:52.410
Commissioner Randolph.
01:26:53.570 --> 01:26:54.860
Yes.
01:26:54.860 --> 01:26:56.640
Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
01:26:56.640 --> 01:26:57.680
Yeah.
01:26:57.680 --> 01:26:59.560
President Batjer.
01:26:59.560 --> 01:27:01.160
Yes.
01:27:01.160 --> 01:27:03.290
Okay, that's passed unanimously.
01:27:03.290 --> 01:27:08.200
All right, now we will move to take up the consent items.
01:27:08.200 --> 01:27:09.130
Is there a motion?
01:27:11.510 --> 01:27:12.343
Well moved.
01:27:13.630 --> 01:27:15.430
And a second please?
01:27:15.430 --> 01:27:17.480
Second.
I'll second.
01:27:17.480 --> 01:27:18.820
Okay.
01:27:18.820 --> 01:27:23.150
It's been moved and seconded twice that we vote
01:27:23.150 --> 01:27:24.640
on the consent agenda items.
01:27:24.640 --> 01:27:26.390
Agenda clerk, please call the roll.
01:27:27.450 --> 01:27:29.470
Commissioner Shiroma.
01:27:29.470 --> 01:27:30.420
Aye.
01:27:30.420 --> 01:27:32.420
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:27:32.420 --> 01:27:33.500
Aye.
01:27:33.500 --> 01:27:35.420
Commissioner Randolph.
01:27:35.420 --> 01:27:36.370
Yes.
01:27:36.370 --> 01:27:38.230
Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
01:27:38.230 --> 01:27:39.170
Yes.
01:27:39.170 --> 01:27:40.850
President Batjer.
01:27:40.850 --> 01:27:41.683
Yes.
01:27:42.680 --> 01:27:44.560
It has been passed unanimously.
01:27:45.410 --> 01:27:46.440
Okay, thank you.
01:27:46.440 --> 01:27:48.880
I believe Commissioner Guzman Aceves
01:27:48.880 --> 01:27:51.820
you have a comment on item 20?
01:27:53.431 --> 01:27:56.470
No, thank you, President Batjer.
01:27:56.470 --> 01:27:57.590
Okay, thank you.
01:27:59.660 --> 01:28:00.530
All right, with that,
01:28:00.530 --> 01:28:02.970
we will move to the regular agenda items.
01:28:04.480 --> 01:28:06.930
The first item is item 19,
01:28:08.090 --> 01:28:12.060
and that is the affordability, sales forecast and changes
01:28:12.060 --> 01:28:15.130
to the Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanisms,
01:28:15.130 --> 01:28:19.070
naming consistency of low income rate assistance programs.
01:28:20.100 --> 01:28:22.470
And apologies, President Batjer,
01:28:22.470 --> 01:28:23.990
I had my notes out of order.
01:28:23.990 --> 01:28:27.480
I would like to, before going to this item
01:28:27.480 --> 01:28:30.250
please speak on the consent items 20.
01:28:31.740 --> 01:28:33.530
I'm a California advisor.
01:28:34.590 --> 01:28:36.760
I know, so right then.
01:28:36.760 --> 01:28:40.890
I'm glad you're tracking my talking points.
01:28:40.890 --> 01:28:41.860
I'll be very brief.
01:28:41.860 --> 01:28:45.370
I just wanted to thank everyone who's worked
01:28:45.370 --> 01:28:49.370
on this decision, on the California Advanced Services Fund.
01:28:49.370 --> 01:28:50.880
The program, as you know,
01:28:50.880 --> 01:28:53.580
is our major broadband infrastructure funding.
01:28:53.580 --> 01:28:56.370
And as we've mentioned before,
01:28:56.370 --> 01:28:59.040
the over a half a billion dollars of requests
01:28:59.950 --> 01:29:02.930
are really twice the amount of the remaining funds.
01:29:02.930 --> 01:29:06.620
So we have included a provision in the decision
01:29:06.620 --> 01:29:08.990
that allows out of abundance of caution,
01:29:08.990 --> 01:29:11.730
if for some reason there is some funding
01:29:11.730 --> 01:29:14.230
that is remaining after this round,
01:29:14.230 --> 01:29:17.620
that staff would have the ability to issue a new round
01:29:17.620 --> 01:29:19.820
so that we can again be expeditious
01:29:19.820 --> 01:29:22.200
on our funding of this projects.
01:29:22.200 --> 01:29:27.200
We also did some changes to the Public Housing Account Fund,
01:29:27.550 --> 01:29:30.600
and just to stress that, there is such a need
01:29:30.600 --> 01:29:33.260
in our affordable housing, public housing,
01:29:33.260 --> 01:29:36.100
whether it be senior housing or different types
01:29:36.100 --> 01:29:39.180
of low income housing, as we know today.
01:29:39.180 --> 01:29:43.450
And this program needs many more reform statutorily,
01:29:43.450 --> 01:29:46.530
but some of the things within our power we did with
01:29:46.530 --> 01:29:48.370
this decision to try to get more of
01:29:48.370 --> 01:29:51.160
these facilities on access.
01:29:51.160 --> 01:29:53.520
And just as a point of awareness,
01:29:53.520 --> 01:29:55.000
I know many of you know this,
01:29:55.000 --> 01:29:59.050
but Commissioner Shiroma and I had the opportunity
01:29:59.050 --> 01:30:01.490
to meet with the California Department of Aging.
01:30:01.490 --> 01:30:03.310
And they shared some of their statistics
01:30:03.310 --> 01:30:04.890
just a few weeks ago,
01:30:04.890 --> 01:30:08.240
where one in five adults in their facilities
01:30:08.240 --> 01:30:10.900
between the ages of 50 and 64,
01:30:10.900 --> 01:30:13.060
do not have access to the internet,
01:30:13.060 --> 01:30:15.580
and the older you get, the worse it gets.
01:30:15.580 --> 01:30:17.750
So we really still have a great need
01:30:17.750 --> 01:30:21.420
within our public housing communities.
01:30:21.420 --> 01:30:24.690
And finally, one of the most exciting provisions
01:30:24.690 --> 01:30:28.360
that was included in the decision was a technical assistance
01:30:28.360 --> 01:30:32.690
for tribes, and really building up the capacity of tribes.
01:30:32.690 --> 01:30:37.250
We know that in one of our recent studies from 2018
01:30:37.250 --> 01:30:38.870
at really the lowest benchmark,
01:30:38.870 --> 01:30:42.090
a six megabit down, one megabit up to speed,
01:30:42.090 --> 01:30:44.320
the lowest speed that's insufficient.
01:30:44.320 --> 01:30:46.370
Even with that low threshold,
01:30:46.370 --> 01:30:51.370
44% of California tribes are unserved, 100% unserved.
01:30:52.090 --> 01:30:56.180
That's roughly 30% of tribal lands in California.
01:30:56.180 --> 01:31:00.400
And really, we can't just wait for them to come in
01:31:00.400 --> 01:31:02.070
with an infrastructure proposal.
01:31:02.070 --> 01:31:05.250
We need to help them build the capacity to do this.
01:31:05.250 --> 01:31:07.660
And so there's a very exciting provision.
01:31:07.660 --> 01:31:10.500
There's many people to think, as you know,
01:31:10.500 --> 01:31:13.680
we've really enhanced our team here
01:31:13.680 --> 01:31:17.610
at the CPUC on folks dedicated to tribal issues.
01:31:17.610 --> 01:31:21.100
Karen Eckersley, who's now working as a liaison
01:31:21.100 --> 01:31:23.020
in Northern California on the issues
01:31:23.020 --> 01:31:25.230
of all communication resiliency.
01:31:25.230 --> 01:31:27.450
Stephanie Green, our tribal liaison.
01:31:27.450 --> 01:31:30.570
Hector Garcia, who's worked with her on local government
01:31:30.570 --> 01:31:32.180
and tribal outreach.
01:31:32.180 --> 01:31:36.820
And most recently our tribal adviser, Ken Holbrook.
01:31:36.820 --> 01:31:39.690
In addition, I just want to thank all the staff
01:31:39.690 --> 01:31:41.440
that has worked on this.
01:31:41.440 --> 01:31:43.660
President Batjer, you're my badly key partner
01:31:43.660 --> 01:31:46.890
and your staff, Michael Mullaney, Judge Colbert,
01:31:46.890 --> 01:31:51.730
Judge Stevens, Helen Savage, Enrique Gallardo, Stacy Castro.
01:31:51.730 --> 01:31:55.940
And of course the communications division strong team with
01:31:55.940 --> 01:31:58.820
the leadership of Rob Osborn, Michael Minkah,
01:31:58.820 --> 01:32:02.300
Selena Shek, Luis Fisher and James Chang.
01:32:02.300 --> 01:32:05.480
And finally, my staff, we've helped get this PD through.
01:32:05.480 --> 01:32:09.710
And my newest advisor, Stephani Crespin
01:32:09.710 --> 01:32:12.020
for all her work on this, Sarah Sharpe,
01:32:12.020 --> 01:32:13.350
and of course Justin Fong.
01:32:14.240 --> 01:32:15.960
Okay, so thank you for giving me
01:32:16.861 --> 01:32:19.170
that opportunity to speak on that item.
01:32:19.170 --> 01:32:22.080
It is actually a very exciting, but small PB
01:32:23.027 --> 01:32:26.160
but very exciting, we hope to get some traction.
01:32:26.160 --> 01:32:29.970
And I wanna add my thanks to you because
01:32:29.970 --> 01:32:33.070
your passion and doggedness and...
01:32:36.280 --> 01:32:37.390
Brain power.
01:32:38.240 --> 01:32:42.570
To work so very hard and so passionately on this.
01:32:43.590 --> 01:32:45.670
So, great, thanks to you, Martha.
01:32:45.670 --> 01:32:46.670
Great thanks to you.
01:32:47.710 --> 01:32:49.310
Thank you.
Okay.
01:32:49.310 --> 01:32:51.600
Now we'll move on to the regular agenda.
01:32:52.700 --> 01:32:54.340
Okay, thank you very much.
01:32:55.190 --> 01:32:59.330
Well, we've heard a lot about this today and I will be,
01:33:01.850 --> 01:33:04.530
you know, just going to say that--
01:33:07.472 --> 01:33:10.940
Martha, you're speaking on item 19, correct?
01:33:10.940 --> 01:33:11.773
Yes, thank you.
01:33:11.773 --> 01:33:13.710
I'm speaking on item 19,
01:33:13.710 --> 01:33:16.590
the Waterford ability sales forecasting,
01:33:16.590 --> 01:33:20.030
and obviously the WRAM issues proceeding.
01:33:20.030 --> 01:33:24.250
And I wanna reiterate that we'll be discussing this item
01:33:24.250 --> 01:33:26.880
and then I'll be asking all of you to vote,
01:33:26.880 --> 01:33:29.880
to hold it at the end of the discussion.
01:33:29.880 --> 01:33:30.900
Okay.
01:33:30.900 --> 01:33:35.500
So the headline here is that this decision
01:33:35.500 --> 01:33:40.490
will not increase bills and it will not increase bills,
01:33:40.490 --> 01:33:42.520
certainly on low income California.
01:33:43.690 --> 01:33:47.050
This decision does not end conservation.
01:33:47.050 --> 01:33:49.540
It does not enter in pricing,
01:33:49.540 --> 01:33:52.070
and it does not end conservation investments.
01:33:53.490 --> 01:33:56.510
It's unfortunate that some of the water companies have spent
01:33:56.510 --> 01:34:00.340
a lot of money running ads and paying for more lobbyists,
01:34:00.340 --> 01:34:03.010
which by the way, I hope they're not using shareholder,
01:34:03.010 --> 01:34:05.270
that they are using shareholder funds to pay for,
01:34:05.270 --> 01:34:06.670
instead of rate their funds.
01:34:07.760 --> 01:34:09.720
It convinced people that we heard this morning,
01:34:09.720 --> 01:34:12.302
like the chambers, the NAACP and others,
01:34:12.302 --> 01:34:17.302
that this decision would somehow make
01:34:18.330 --> 01:34:21.250
those increase and then will make conservation.
01:34:22.730 --> 01:34:24.230
They actually developed a PowerPoint,
01:34:24.230 --> 01:34:26.290
a couple PowerPoints that I saw, showing
01:34:26.290 --> 01:34:31.290
that they had different findings on the WRAM conservation,
01:34:31.810 --> 01:34:36.390
what would happen to them with a going to a Monterey WRAM?
01:34:36.390 --> 01:34:39.560
And I asked for the underlying data of this information,
01:34:39.560 --> 01:34:40.610
I never received it.
01:34:40.610 --> 01:34:42.760
And of course, it's all post-record.
01:34:44.569 --> 01:34:49.560
But I did have a bit of a moment on that.
01:34:49.560 --> 01:34:51.060
You know, I just want to reflect,
01:34:51.060 --> 01:34:55.460
there's only one time, and this is a big statement here,
01:34:55.460 --> 01:35:00.041
that I have seen such misinformation displayed
01:35:00.041 --> 01:35:03.700
and getting to the public.
01:35:03.700 --> 01:35:06.880
There was one time when I had the privilege
01:35:06.880 --> 01:35:08.996
of being with (indistinct)
01:35:08.996 --> 01:35:11.080
under the Industrial Welfare Commission.
01:35:11.080 --> 01:35:13.850
Well, we still had it, not previous to elimination
01:35:14.810 --> 01:35:16.060
under a certain governor.
01:35:20.098 --> 01:35:22.931
She had her wage increase hearing.
01:35:24.360 --> 01:35:27.950
She put us to a half a monthly minimum wage.
01:35:27.950 --> 01:35:31.110
And through the VFW, through her leadership,
01:35:32.010 --> 01:35:34.560
now pushing for an increase, that means she passed.
01:35:35.410 --> 01:35:38.440
And ranchers have brought the sheep herders
01:35:38.440 --> 01:35:41.890
and they have hundreds sheep herders testifying
01:35:41.890 --> 01:35:43.620
against a wage increase.
01:35:45.050 --> 01:35:47.700
And the loaders went and she spoke to every one of
01:35:47.700 --> 01:35:51.060
those workers to explain to them that they weren't gonna
01:35:51.060 --> 01:35:55.070
lose their jobs and the economics of what was happening.
01:35:55.070 --> 01:35:58.410
And I feel very reminiscent of that moment today.
01:36:01.140 --> 01:36:06.140
I do want to explain how this PD does not do what
01:36:08.110 --> 01:36:10.880
has been alleged by the water companies and how in fact
01:36:10.880 --> 01:36:13.670
it will save customers on their bills,
01:36:13.670 --> 01:36:15.170
especially when they conserve.
01:36:16.170 --> 01:36:17.250
But before I get into that,
01:36:17.250 --> 01:36:20.770
I do wanna give a brief history on the proceeding.
01:36:20.770 --> 01:36:22.320
And I wanna share the trajectory
01:36:22.320 --> 01:36:24.580
of what I see, the water utilities in the state,
01:36:24.580 --> 01:36:26.140
which is a trajectory as well.
01:36:27.610 --> 01:36:30.740
Well, we initiated the proceeding two years ago,
01:36:30.740 --> 01:36:33.410
to look at ways to improve affordability
01:36:33.410 --> 01:36:35.300
for water customers.
01:36:35.300 --> 01:36:37.630
We held five workshops in conjunction with
01:36:37.630 --> 01:36:38.730
the State Water Board.
01:36:39.730 --> 01:36:43.190
The proceeding explored various measures
01:36:43.190 --> 01:36:46.828
that could potentially help attain more affordable bills
01:36:46.828 --> 01:36:51.010
from everything, from sharing data that we had,
01:36:51.010 --> 01:36:53.840
from the IOU, electric value side,
01:36:53.840 --> 01:36:57.990
identifying low income customers with municiple providers
01:36:57.990 --> 01:37:00.930
before a lot of them, that's a whole nother story.
01:37:00.930 --> 01:37:03.190
We discussed the acquisition of systems,
01:37:03.190 --> 01:37:04.840
especially failing systems.
01:37:06.100 --> 01:37:08.210
We talked about how to ensure that renters
01:37:08.210 --> 01:37:12.890
could potentially benefit from these discounted programs.
01:37:13.850 --> 01:37:15.790
We've talked about establishing guidelines
01:37:15.790 --> 01:37:19.460
on what central water use was, guidelines
01:37:19.460 --> 01:37:24.060
for improving forecasting, consolidation of districts,
01:37:24.060 --> 01:37:27.500
pulling mechanisms, including the possibility
01:37:27.500 --> 01:37:31.550
of statewide pooling, should the state legislature
01:37:31.550 --> 01:37:33.190
and governor ever establish
01:37:33.190 --> 01:37:36.120
a statewide low income assistance program,
01:37:36.120 --> 01:37:38.810
which in fact there are investing on.
01:37:39.870 --> 01:37:43.090
By the way, I do wanna recognize that the water utilities
01:37:43.090 --> 01:37:46.640
have had a very progressive stance in advocating for
01:37:46.640 --> 01:37:48.910
a statewide affordability program.
01:37:48.910 --> 01:37:51.400
They've led the call for all Californians
01:37:51.400 --> 01:37:54.330
to getting safe and affordable drinking water.
01:37:54.330 --> 01:37:57.230
And even on the acquisition of failing systems
01:37:57.230 --> 01:37:59.430
in collaboration with the State Water Board,
01:37:59.430 --> 01:38:02.300
the water utilities test showed great interest in exploring
01:38:02.300 --> 01:38:05.940
how they can play a critical role in this safer program
01:38:05.940 --> 01:38:08.030
of providing support for acquiring
01:38:08.030 --> 01:38:10.390
and managing failing water systems.
01:38:11.260 --> 01:38:13.970
It's clear to me that the role of our water utilities
01:38:13.970 --> 01:38:18.260
in providing this essential service is one that will grow
01:38:18.260 --> 01:38:19.670
and expand in our state.
01:38:20.610 --> 01:38:25.100
And with the policy reforms that I proposed in this PD,
01:38:25.100 --> 01:38:28.250
I envision a growth that will be better balanced,
01:38:28.250 --> 01:38:30.910
both for the customers, new and existing,
01:38:30.910 --> 01:38:31.910
after the utilities.
01:38:32.960 --> 01:38:36.150
The balance in this decision is especially critical
01:38:36.150 --> 01:38:38.480
now, during COVID-19.
01:38:38.480 --> 01:38:39.980
It's important for households,
01:38:39.980 --> 01:38:44.230
especially low income households, to be able to conserve
01:38:44.230 --> 01:38:47.250
and not pay more a year later,
01:38:47.250 --> 01:38:50.020
for utilities to have uniform reporting
01:38:50.020 --> 01:38:52.790
so we can track critical data points
01:38:52.790 --> 01:38:54.790
and really adjust in our rulemaking.
01:38:55.880 --> 01:38:58.750
We should have water conservation database mines.
01:38:58.750 --> 01:39:00.250
We are a program baseline.
01:39:01.410 --> 01:39:04.170
Many different elements of reporting that are included
01:39:04.170 --> 01:39:05.020
in this decision.
01:39:07.090 --> 01:39:12.070
We have, of course, improved forecasting and lessening
01:39:12.070 --> 01:39:14.170
to avoid the lessening revenue shortfalls.
01:39:15.490 --> 01:39:17.580
Guidance on developing rate structures
01:39:17.580 --> 01:39:21.860
that you do take into account this essential usage that
01:39:21.860 --> 01:39:24.650
was decided on the affordability decisions
01:39:24.650 --> 01:39:27.580
and the state board guidance.
01:39:27.580 --> 01:39:30.370
And of course, piloting how low income customers
01:39:30.370 --> 01:39:33.280
in affordable housing units can benefit from
01:39:33.280 --> 01:39:36.760
the low income discount program and many other provisions.
01:39:38.150 --> 01:39:40.110
Okay, so with that background,
01:39:40.110 --> 01:39:43.600
I do wanna say, to address these two allegations that
01:39:43.600 --> 01:39:47.680
have been raised that water bills are going to go up.
01:39:47.680 --> 01:39:52.680
And actually, it took me a long time to even understand how
01:39:52.760 --> 01:39:54.260
they were deriving this claim.
01:39:56.911 --> 01:39:59.530
I do want thank Bruce from the Water Division
01:39:59.530 --> 01:40:04.530
for pointing out what potentially is dragging that claim.
01:40:07.020 --> 01:40:07.960
Yeah, and this it is.
01:40:07.960 --> 01:40:10.380
This, unfortunately, it's an easy clarification.
01:40:11.770 --> 01:40:16.140
The PD includes a directive to the utility for establishing
01:40:16.140 --> 01:40:19.560
a base rate that first tier to be sufficient
01:40:19.560 --> 01:40:22.140
to cover the basic amount of water
01:40:22.140 --> 01:40:25.350
that is considered essential as defined again
01:40:25.350 --> 01:40:27.440
by the State Water Board and that's timed
01:40:27.440 --> 01:40:29.880
in our affordability proceedings.
01:40:29.880 --> 01:40:31.470
And the PD has two provisions.
01:40:31.470 --> 01:40:34.375
One, it has the conclusion of law that states,
01:40:34.375 --> 01:40:37.580
and I quote, "Water utilities should consider
01:40:37.580 --> 01:40:41.560
"and provide analysis for establishing a baseline,
01:40:41.560 --> 01:40:45.180
"not set below both the essential indoor use,
01:40:45.180 --> 01:40:47.440
"the 600 cubic feet per household per month,
01:40:48.590 --> 01:40:50.880
"as stated in the affordability proceeding
01:40:50.880 --> 01:40:54.110
"and the average one to use in each rate making district".
01:40:56.300 --> 01:40:57.230
And to implement that,
01:40:57.230 --> 01:40:59.920
there's an ordering paragraph that states,
01:40:59.920 --> 01:41:03.220
"Water utilities shall provide analysis in the next general
01:41:03.220 --> 01:41:05.750
"rate case applications to determine
01:41:05.750 --> 01:41:08.900
"the appropriate tier one breakpoint that aligns
01:41:09.880 --> 01:41:11.760
"with the baseline amount of water
01:41:11.760 --> 01:41:14.370
"for basic human needs for each rate making area".
01:41:15.530 --> 01:41:18.330
I believe that the concern and the allegation
01:41:18.330 --> 01:41:23.330
of this bill going up for low use customers
01:41:23.630 --> 01:41:26.520
is that the terminal line is being viewed
01:41:26.520 --> 01:41:29.340
as a cap on what the baseline allocation
01:41:29.340 --> 01:41:32.390
of water for essentially use should be.
01:41:32.390 --> 01:41:35.740
Essentially, a cap on what the tier one level should be.
01:41:35.740 --> 01:41:39.440
But in fact, it's a minimum not set below.
01:41:39.440 --> 01:41:42.560
It's a minimum of what the tier one level should be set up.
01:41:44.110 --> 01:41:46.630
In addition, this is obviously a guidance for analysis,
01:41:46.630 --> 01:41:49.210
not a hard and fast level for the tier one.
01:41:50.100 --> 01:41:53.120
But for a level that should be based on local needs,
01:41:53.120 --> 01:41:55.140
along with the state budget and guidance
01:41:55.140 --> 01:41:57.580
for essentially use.
01:41:57.580 --> 01:42:00.450
In a review of a major class tier one level
01:42:00.450 --> 01:42:03.920
that we've been doing our last couple of days,
01:42:03.920 --> 01:42:07.410
this analysis will be met with their existing allocations.
01:42:08.750 --> 01:42:11.950
However, I am committed in making a clarification
01:42:11.950 --> 01:42:15.490
to the ordering paragraph to make this explicitly clear.
01:42:17.180 --> 01:42:20.080
Okay, that should address the first claim.
01:42:20.930 --> 01:42:25.930
The second claim, the claim that the elimination of the WRAM
01:42:27.520 --> 01:42:31.560
will eliminate the conservation rate structure,
01:42:31.560 --> 01:42:35.100
that it will eliminate and undermine conservation efforts.
01:42:37.280 --> 01:42:40.600
All utilities, all of our utilities are conserving
01:42:41.470 --> 01:42:43.410
and not all of them are provided
01:42:43.410 --> 01:42:45.870
this generous recovery mechanism.
01:42:47.070 --> 01:42:48.690
Someone mentioned already as
01:42:48.690 --> 01:42:51.270
a nine class tier water utilities,
01:42:51.270 --> 01:42:55.130
only five have access to the full recovery WRAM.
01:42:55.130 --> 01:42:58.880
Cal-Am, Cal Water, Golden state and Liberty.
01:43:00.060 --> 01:43:04.510
None of the class B, class C or class D water utilities
01:43:04.510 --> 01:43:06.740
really see that WRAM recovery.
01:43:07.750 --> 01:43:11.760
San Jose, Great Oaks suburban, San Diego
01:43:11.760 --> 01:43:12.980
have Monterey-style.
01:43:15.670 --> 01:43:18.300
And four of the class B water utilities
01:43:18.300 --> 01:43:19.490
have no rounds at all.
01:43:22.100 --> 01:43:26.940
Eliminated in the round does not eliminate tier prices,
01:43:28.970 --> 01:43:32.520
nor does it eliminate the separate balance sheet accounts
01:43:32.520 --> 01:43:35.140
that exist for each of the utilities,
01:43:35.140 --> 01:43:37.700
on conservation programs and investments.
01:43:38.650 --> 01:43:40.000
Separate balancing account,
01:43:41.670 --> 01:43:43.070
nothing to do with the WRAM.
01:43:44.860 --> 01:43:48.240
Eliminating the WRAM eliminates the rate payer guarantee
01:43:49.641 --> 01:43:51.410
and the utility revenue.
01:43:52.360 --> 01:43:54.460
That's what is eliminating, the WRAM does.
01:43:55.520 --> 01:43:59.160
It illuminates the rate payer, guaranteeing the revenues,
01:43:59.160 --> 01:44:04.160
which means the guarantee of utility profit is something
01:44:04.340 --> 01:44:08.720
that we payers have complete obligation with the WRAM.
01:44:10.020 --> 01:44:14.990
Regardless of any of the factors that have taken place
01:44:14.990 --> 01:44:15.850
in the economy.
01:44:18.860 --> 01:44:19.920
I'm not disputing
01:44:19.920 --> 01:44:24.920
that decoupling benefited greater conservation in the state.
01:44:25.855 --> 01:44:30.855
That utilities don't work against conservation
01:44:32.950 --> 01:44:35.300
because of financial reasons.
01:44:36.450 --> 01:44:39.250
What I am saying is that we have a law
01:44:39.250 --> 01:44:42.260
in our public policy about conservation.
01:44:43.370 --> 01:44:47.490
We are in a new climate reality and we know that's useful,
01:44:47.490 --> 01:44:49.460
it needs to go down.
01:44:49.460 --> 01:44:52.720
We do not need to guarantee the utility profits in order
01:44:52.720 --> 01:44:55.680
to accomplish conservation anymore.
01:44:57.010 --> 01:44:59.280
Even if the utilities did launch the campaign
01:44:59.280 --> 01:45:02.440
on increasing water conservation, which would be illegal,
01:45:03.550 --> 01:45:05.390
customers would never go for it.
01:45:06.540 --> 01:45:08.910
Customers are leading their conserving.
01:45:10.776 --> 01:45:15.174
In addition to the risk itself being born by the customers,
01:45:15.174 --> 01:45:19.450
it's delayed nature of how the WRAM is recovered,
01:45:19.450 --> 01:45:22.580
that makes it even more perverse in the policy.
01:45:23.926 --> 01:45:27.710
The customer can conserve for an entire year,
01:45:27.710 --> 01:45:29.840
just to see for the staff the following year
01:45:29.840 --> 01:45:32.860
to be build for Von consumption.
01:45:34.550 --> 01:45:37.280
It's really, I was trying to think of a word for it,
01:45:37.280 --> 01:45:38.270
it's just rude.
01:45:40.340 --> 01:45:43.640
Further more, these amounts can be up to 10%
01:45:43.640 --> 01:45:46.130
of the overall revenue requirement.
01:45:47.610 --> 01:45:50.480
The worst offender of this is Cal Water.
01:45:50.480 --> 01:45:52.550
It has in its last report,
01:45:52.550 --> 01:45:56.810
over 60 million in their overall balance.
01:45:56.810 --> 01:46:00.560
Their entire annual revenue is seven hundred million.
01:46:00.560 --> 01:46:03.960
That's nearly 10% of their annual overall revenue
01:46:03.960 --> 01:46:07.020
that will be collected back from customers.
01:46:08.770 --> 01:46:12.270
It's very difficult for customers to understand
01:46:12.270 --> 01:46:16.749
why they have a constantly conservation rate charge
01:46:16.749 --> 01:46:18.340
after they've conserved.
01:46:19.970 --> 01:46:23.570
Uplifting the utility by guaranteed profits
01:46:23.570 --> 01:46:26.570
so that they conduct and promote conservation
01:46:26.570 --> 01:46:29.400
is now an antiquated policy.
01:46:30.776 --> 01:46:33.610
It had it's role in the late 2000's
01:46:33.610 --> 01:46:35.380
when the benefits of conservation,
01:46:35.380 --> 01:46:37.280
I guess, we're still being in dispute.
01:46:38.570 --> 01:46:42.830
Today, we should not have to insulate the utility
01:46:42.830 --> 01:46:46.440
for the entire economic reality of running a utility
01:46:46.440 --> 01:46:47.630
because we want them
01:46:47.630 --> 01:46:49.530
to not work against conserving.
01:46:50.970 --> 01:46:54.650
Customers are the conservers of water, not utilities.
01:46:55.730 --> 01:46:59.250
Conservation measures, including tiered pricing,
01:47:00.100 --> 01:47:03.670
firm regional water wholesale requirements,
01:47:03.670 --> 01:47:06.300
and state mandate are now in place.
01:47:07.170 --> 01:47:10.090
And they are truly how conservation is accomplished.
01:47:11.432 --> 01:47:16.432
They are really mandated that you will not get more water.
01:47:16.710 --> 01:47:18.620
You in fact, have to plan for less.
01:47:19.550 --> 01:47:23.160
The regional wholesalers have not lifted
01:47:23.160 --> 01:47:24.960
their restrictions from the drought.
01:47:26.260 --> 01:47:29.200
They can't even install more water if they wanted to.
01:47:31.275 --> 01:47:36.275
The clean and efficiency programs,
01:47:37.830 --> 01:47:42.770
the toilet, the water fixtures and the showers,
01:47:42.770 --> 01:47:45.710
everything will not be promoted,
01:47:45.710 --> 01:47:49.260
if the investments by the utilities will decrease,
01:47:50.370 --> 01:47:53.390
if they don't get guaranteed which amounts
01:47:53.390 --> 01:47:54.720
of profits is possible.
01:47:55.840 --> 01:47:59.380
To establish those budgets separately.
01:47:59.380 --> 01:48:01.070
And the utilities
01:48:01.070 --> 01:48:05.100
all have separate conservation balancing accounts.
01:48:06.560 --> 01:48:09.580
Those types of investments that they provide.
01:48:09.580 --> 01:48:13.760
If work is sure that they want to implement those programs,
01:48:13.760 --> 01:48:16.220
they must have a third party deal.
01:48:16.220 --> 01:48:19.320
Many of them are underspent now, even with the WRAM.
01:48:20.170 --> 01:48:22.660
So we actually should consider it.
01:48:22.660 --> 01:48:26.480
I'm sure organizations like (indistinct), LA and others
01:48:26.480 --> 01:48:30.050
who have done conservation programs for decades,
01:48:30.050 --> 01:48:31.550
they probably do a better job.
01:48:33.580 --> 01:48:36.940
As I said in California, water budgets,
01:48:36.940 --> 01:48:39.761
your statute are now requirement
01:48:39.761 --> 01:48:42.870
in water conservation reduction rules as well.
01:48:44.010 --> 01:48:48.460
We must know that our it's going down and must go down.
01:48:50.060 --> 01:48:52.130
We have climate change, more frequent.
01:48:54.376 --> 01:48:55.209
We all know.
01:48:56.436 --> 01:48:57.940
So let's plan for it.
01:48:57.940 --> 01:49:02.250
Let's forecasts the real amount and let's discuss
01:49:02.250 --> 01:49:04.130
the real cost for that water service.
01:49:05.203 --> 01:49:07.640
There's no reason why the same amount of revenue
01:49:07.640 --> 01:49:09.850
cannot be collected without a WRAM.
01:49:10.690 --> 01:49:14.620
It requires good planning, knowing your customers.
01:49:15.690 --> 01:49:19.780
A good forecast with conservation by customers,
01:49:19.780 --> 01:49:23.670
with assumed implementation of efficiency
01:49:23.670 --> 01:49:24.770
and those investments.
01:49:26.540 --> 01:49:29.050
There will be reduced risk in good planning
01:49:29.050 --> 01:49:32.120
and knowing how your customers will behave.
01:49:32.120 --> 01:49:35.780
Versus poor forecasting and guaranteed recovery.
01:49:37.970 --> 01:49:41.600
In addition to the major provision of transitioning,
01:49:41.600 --> 01:49:43.110
which is not aspiring provision,
01:49:43.110 --> 01:49:46.100
it's not something that we're gonna transition it
01:49:46.100 --> 01:49:49.920
to the next year, two of Monterey WRAM.
01:49:49.920 --> 01:49:52.220
Yeah, I agree with Commissioner Sandoval,
01:49:53.070 --> 01:49:54.970
there's definitely apples and oranges.
01:49:55.918 --> 01:49:57.690
In addition to that element
01:49:57.690 --> 01:50:01.370
of transition, water utility will also have
01:50:02.780 --> 01:50:04.880
their other balancing accounts
01:50:04.880 --> 01:50:08.442
that insulate them from risks.
01:50:08.442 --> 01:50:13.442
They have this semiannual report,
01:50:13.640 --> 01:50:15.110
includes how many of these are,
01:50:15.110 --> 01:50:16.620
just to give you a sense.
01:50:16.620 --> 01:50:19.650
Costing water utilities had 150 balance
01:50:19.650 --> 01:50:20.800
in accounts combined.
01:50:23.580 --> 01:50:26.600
There are very important mechanisms that I believe should
01:50:26.600 --> 01:50:27.790
and will continue.
01:50:29.130 --> 01:50:31.870
Particularly those that deal with the recovery
01:50:31.870 --> 01:50:35.400
for increased water supply costs and energy costs.
01:50:36.450 --> 01:50:38.940
These are referred to in different utilities
01:50:38.940 --> 01:50:43.340
as incremental costs, balancing accounts, water costs,
01:50:43.340 --> 01:50:47.390
balancing accounts, power costs, balancing accounts.
01:50:47.390 --> 01:50:50.540
These balancing accounts are akin to our era accounts
01:50:50.540 --> 01:50:52.050
in the energy world.
01:50:52.050 --> 01:50:55.390
And I believe those are responsible recovery accounts.
01:50:56.670 --> 01:50:59.070
There are times that we make a determination
01:50:59.070 --> 01:51:02.180
that certain costs like the cost of water supply
01:51:02.180 --> 01:51:05.090
and energy costs can be fully recovered,
01:51:05.980 --> 01:51:07.580
for different policy reasons,
01:51:07.580 --> 01:51:09.860
primarily that they're on unforecastable.
01:51:11.060 --> 01:51:14.040
And we also establish recovery mechanisms
01:51:14.040 --> 01:51:18.359
that I believe also should continue, like during drought
01:51:18.359 --> 01:51:21.350
or other emergencies like today with COVID.
01:51:22.940 --> 01:51:23.980
This is how I believe
01:51:23.980 --> 01:51:26.430
we should rate regulate these utilities.
01:51:26.430 --> 01:51:31.360
We require good planning, require conservation investments
01:51:31.360 --> 01:51:35.830
and allow for certain more limited recovery mechanisms
01:51:35.830 --> 01:51:38.070
that consumers can understand.
01:51:40.020 --> 01:51:43.830
A PB will lead to a reduction in bills.
01:51:43.830 --> 01:51:46.600
And eliminating the unanticipated,
01:51:48.690 --> 01:51:51.530
eliminating the practice of rate payers
01:51:51.530 --> 01:51:54.460
bringing all the risks to operating a utility.
01:51:55.950 --> 01:51:58.310
Thank you for giving me so much time to explain
01:51:58.310 --> 01:52:01.760
how I've derived my thinking on this.
01:52:01.760 --> 01:52:03.630
And I really do look forward to hearing
01:52:03.630 --> 01:52:08.040
from you on your thoughts on how to improve this PD.
01:52:09.310 --> 01:52:12.810
And I certainly wanna thank my Bagley-Keene partner,
01:52:12.810 --> 01:52:16.740
Commisioner Shiroma, who has really struggled with finding
01:52:16.740 --> 01:52:19.550
with me this balance in my PD,
01:52:19.550 --> 01:52:24.550
and continues to dialogue on how to improve this decision.
01:52:26.730 --> 01:52:27.563
Thank you.
01:52:29.140 --> 01:52:30.970
Thank you, Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:52:30.970 --> 01:52:32.960
That was an excellent presentation.
01:52:34.294 --> 01:52:37.780
It helped me answered several of my questions.
01:52:37.780 --> 01:52:38.880
Commissioner Randolph.
01:52:40.830 --> 01:52:42.470
Thank you.
01:52:42.470 --> 01:52:45.970
I just had a few kind of questions and things
01:52:45.970 --> 01:52:49.530
to discuss with regard to the proposed decision.
01:52:53.082 --> 01:52:55.990
I like a lot of what it did around creating
01:52:55.990 --> 01:52:59.380
some standardization around the low income programs
01:52:59.380 --> 01:53:03.530
and, you know, various other steps of the PD
01:53:03.530 --> 01:53:06.240
that I think are an improvement.
01:53:07.300 --> 01:53:10.558
What I'm trying to get my head around is the fact
01:53:10.558 --> 01:53:13.800
that the question of whether or not to have a WRAM
01:53:13.800 --> 01:53:14.633
is kind of,
01:53:17.300 --> 01:53:20.280
there's two fundamentally competing public policies, right?
01:53:20.280 --> 01:53:25.280
It's that you want to encourage decoupling, you know,
01:53:25.640 --> 01:53:28.640
you wanna have decoupling as we do in the energy world
01:53:28.640 --> 01:53:33.640
where you don't want to have the utility incentivized
01:53:33.920 --> 01:53:38.920
to increase their volume metric collection for any reason.
01:53:39.950 --> 01:53:41.510
And at the same time,
01:53:41.510 --> 01:53:46.510
you wanna avoid rate impacts to customers,
01:53:46.620 --> 01:53:49.110
particularly low income customers.
01:53:49.110 --> 01:53:52.560
And I think you have correctly pointed out
01:53:52.560 --> 01:53:57.560
that these amounts collect over long periods of time.
01:53:58.200 --> 01:54:00.850
And then the customers look at their bills and go,
01:54:00.850 --> 01:54:04.010
wait a minute, I've been conserving, why am I paying more?
01:54:06.400 --> 01:54:09.850
And I think you got to the, sort of the heart of the issue,
01:54:09.850 --> 01:54:13.960
which is that if we had better forecasting
01:54:13.960 --> 01:54:18.960
and better planning, then you wouldn't see that up and down,
01:54:21.400 --> 01:54:25.290
you wouldn't see that sort of financial shock
01:54:25.290 --> 01:54:26.620
to the rate payer.
01:54:26.620 --> 01:54:31.330
So my first question is where you see
01:54:31.330 --> 01:54:35.480
that fundamental question about improved forecasting going?
01:54:37.210 --> 01:54:39.850
Cause I think some parties have commented that
01:54:39.850 --> 01:54:41.930
the forecasting has been improving
01:54:41.930 --> 01:54:46.930
and that there is some sort of less situations
01:54:51.230 --> 01:54:54.250
where the WRAM recovery presents
01:54:54.250 --> 01:54:56.780
a significant shock because, you know,
01:54:56.780 --> 01:54:59.170
that Delta has started to go down.
01:54:59.170 --> 01:55:03.110
Where do you see that issue going in this proceeding?
01:55:06.940 --> 01:55:08.710
Well, I think that you're right,
01:55:08.710 --> 01:55:11.340
the forecasting has improved.
01:55:11.340 --> 01:55:14.400
Although there are some that haven't.
01:55:16.670 --> 01:55:21.627
And I would say just to the point that really,
01:55:24.510 --> 01:55:27.670
that we don't have to depend, well, let me,
01:55:27.670 --> 01:55:30.120
just on the conservation point, you really just don't have
01:55:30.120 --> 01:55:32.770
to depend on centralizing utility anymore.
01:55:32.770 --> 01:55:35.510
That's kinda my other fundamental point.
01:55:35.510 --> 01:55:38.620
But if I'm answering your question on
01:55:38.620 --> 01:55:43.030
where do I see improve forecasts going in the proceeding?
01:55:43.030 --> 01:55:46.210
It's the clear guidance that the state
01:55:46.210 --> 01:55:51.210
has now required water budgeting for each utility,
01:55:51.550 --> 01:55:53.000
public or private.
01:55:53.000 --> 01:55:58.000
We now know that the state is forcing a reduction
01:55:58.960 --> 01:56:02.250
in consumption, certainly during the drought,
01:56:02.250 --> 01:56:04.590
it's a very explicit mandate.
01:56:06.875 --> 01:56:11.120
And the forecasting has to be more conservative.
01:56:11.120 --> 01:56:13.890
And it's not just the utilities responsibility,
01:56:13.890 --> 01:56:17.170
it's the public advocates, the main party.
01:56:18.303 --> 01:56:21.090
We've had very open discussions about this as well.
01:56:21.090 --> 01:56:26.090
In kind of the unfortunate situation that settlements
01:56:29.880 --> 01:56:32.850
were coming together that included forecasts
01:56:32.850 --> 01:56:37.050
that were not conservative enough.
01:56:37.050 --> 01:56:39.870
And part of the driver to that was to agree
01:56:39.870 --> 01:56:44.509
on a rate increase that was bearable without considering
01:56:44.509 --> 01:56:46.560
the real impact on bill,
01:56:46.560 --> 01:56:49.120
which is around coming back as a surcharge
01:56:49.120 --> 01:56:50.830
the following year.
01:56:50.830 --> 01:56:53.430
I think that the public advocates obviously
01:56:57.324 --> 01:56:59.173
have seen the result of that now.
01:57:00.010 --> 01:57:03.120
And obviously, has a changing position.
01:57:03.120 --> 01:57:08.120
I think the part that's going to be now difficult for us all
01:57:09.570 --> 01:57:11.660
is that we're gonna have to deal with that reality
01:57:11.660 --> 01:57:16.390
at the forefront, at the very beginning with a GRC forecast.
01:57:16.390 --> 01:57:18.710
And that's the shift.
01:57:18.710 --> 01:57:23.630
The shift is coming back to kind of regular budgeting
01:57:23.630 --> 01:57:28.630
where you say, this is gonna be how much I have to,
01:57:28.640 --> 01:57:31.220
this is the limit of how much I have to sell.
01:57:33.104 --> 01:57:35.150
And, just frankly, the fact that, you know,
01:57:35.150 --> 01:57:39.430
Metropolitan, Santa Clara, don't tell sellers,
01:57:39.430 --> 01:57:43.220
they're not even gonna give you more water.
01:57:45.388 --> 01:57:48.633
And by the way, some of our old forecasting tools,
01:57:51.817 --> 01:57:53.290
the name is leaving me right now,
01:57:53.290 --> 01:57:57.430
but they don't even allow for the assumption
01:57:57.430 --> 01:57:58.580
of a drought to occur.
01:57:59.560 --> 01:58:03.309
Drought years are pulled out of the forecast.
01:58:03.309 --> 01:58:06.090
So, I think it's the new model mechanism
01:58:06.090 --> 01:58:07.340
or something like that.
01:58:07.340 --> 01:58:12.340
And so our traditional forecasting models and assumptions,
01:58:13.900 --> 01:58:15.890
what we recognized in this decision
01:58:19.980 --> 01:58:23.560
they're harmful to our forecasting and that
01:58:23.560 --> 01:58:27.280
that was a good recognition, all the parties agreed.
01:58:27.280 --> 01:58:29.540
Here's the assumptions we need to use.
01:58:29.540 --> 01:58:31.740
They need to use the budgeting requirements.
01:58:33.494 --> 01:58:35.450
And we need to look at our regions for sure.
01:58:35.450 --> 01:58:38.230
What are the limitations on our regional suppliers?
01:58:38.230 --> 01:58:39.850
What are we assuming there?
01:58:39.850 --> 01:58:42.640
And what are we assuming on this point down?
01:58:42.640 --> 01:58:44.480
I don't know if I'm answering your question, but--
01:58:44.480 --> 01:58:45.330
Yeah
01:58:46.180 --> 01:58:47.013
Okay.
01:58:47.013 --> 01:58:49.400
Yeah, that was really helpful.
01:58:49.400 --> 01:58:50.800
That did answer my question.
01:58:55.407 --> 01:58:57.210
Actually, one of the things that I found encouraging
01:58:57.210 --> 01:58:59.750
about your answer is I feel like when I first read
01:58:59.750 --> 01:59:02.280
the PD, I was concerned that we hadn't made enough progress
01:59:02.280 --> 01:59:03.620
in forecasting, but I feel
01:59:03.620 --> 01:59:06.140
like you've identified some areas.
01:59:07.020 --> 01:59:09.080
And so, I guess my question then is,
01:59:10.320 --> 01:59:15.320
does it make sense to see how the improvements to be made
01:59:15.960 --> 01:59:20.960
to forecasting play out before assuming that
01:59:22.460 --> 01:59:24.390
the WRAM can be eliminated?
01:59:24.390 --> 01:59:27.540
Because I guess I see decoupling as not only
01:59:28.780 --> 01:59:31.620
a function of sending, you know,
01:59:31.620 --> 01:59:34.940
incentivizing the utilities to ensure conservation,
01:59:34.940 --> 01:59:35.890
which you were absolutely right,
01:59:35.890 --> 01:59:37.970
they need to do anyway.
01:59:37.970 --> 01:59:40.870
But it also is a simple budgeting reality
01:59:40.870 --> 01:59:44.580
that they have to run a water system.
01:59:44.580 --> 01:59:45.970
They have to figure out how to finance
01:59:45.970 --> 01:59:48.080
the cost of the water system.
01:59:48.080 --> 01:59:51.910
And so, inevitably they are gonna need to budget
01:59:51.910 --> 01:59:54.720
and forecast, figure out the amount.
01:59:54.720 --> 01:59:55.730
And at the end of the day,
01:59:55.730 --> 01:59:57.780
they still have to operate the system.
01:59:58.830 --> 02:00:02.560
And they still have to meet their budgetary needs.
02:00:02.560 --> 02:00:06.130
And if we do have improved forecasting,
02:00:06.130 --> 02:00:10.910
is it possible that that will address the concern
02:00:10.910 --> 02:00:15.210
about customers shock because
02:00:15.210 --> 02:00:18.370
that those costs have been built in all along.
02:00:18.370 --> 02:00:21.320
And then, if there's an anomaly
02:00:21.320 --> 02:00:25.290
or if there's something unexpected,
02:00:25.290 --> 02:00:27.950
then they're able, as you pointed out,
02:00:27.950 --> 02:00:29.050
in other circumstances,
02:00:29.050 --> 02:00:31.760
we do allow them to recover excess costs.
02:00:33.517 --> 02:00:36.830
But if it's just a weather anomaly
02:00:39.355 --> 02:00:40.605
or a forecasting misfire,
02:00:42.080 --> 02:00:45.490
it seems like we might still want to allow them to recover.
02:00:46.650 --> 02:00:50.400
It's just, if we do the better planning, the recovery gap
02:00:50.400 --> 02:00:51.600
won't be quite so great.
02:00:53.340 --> 02:00:56.210
Yeah, you know, I think inherently kind
02:00:56.210 --> 02:01:00.730
of knowing you can go back to
02:01:00.730 --> 02:01:04.550
that account to pull from that money,
02:01:04.550 --> 02:01:09.190
you know, it's that kind of mental dependency
02:01:09.190 --> 02:01:11.670
and lack of independency, I guess.
02:01:13.210 --> 02:01:15.990
It is why you can't retain it.
02:01:15.990 --> 02:01:19.440
But it is why we have the Monterey WRAM there.
02:01:19.440 --> 02:01:22.950
And it is why I say I wanted to affirm here,
02:01:22.950 --> 02:01:27.950
why some of these other real critical things that drive some
02:01:28.300 --> 02:01:30.530
of that variance, like the power costs,
02:01:30.530 --> 02:01:34.450
the water supply costs and an emergency drought.
02:01:34.450 --> 02:01:36.030
We're not touching those.
02:01:36.030 --> 02:01:38.280
Those are gonna provide the installation
02:01:38.280 --> 02:01:40.150
that you're talking about.
02:01:40.150 --> 02:01:42.290
I'm talking about, you know,
02:01:42.290 --> 02:01:47.290
that other kind of crutch of the WRAM that's enabling
02:01:50.060 --> 02:01:53.050
and for forecasting and settlement on all parties,
02:01:53.050 --> 02:01:57.710
all parties have a sibling here.
02:01:57.710 --> 02:02:00.770
Yeah, I think that's why we can't retain the crutch.
02:02:04.480 --> 02:02:05.313
Okay.
02:02:05.313 --> 02:02:08.030
I'll let my colleagues answer
02:02:08.030 --> 02:02:09.150
or ask them questions as well.
02:02:09.150 --> 02:02:10.450
Thank you.
02:02:10.450 --> 02:02:13.100
Commissioner Shiroma, did I see your hand up?
02:02:13.100 --> 02:02:13.933
I'm sorry.
02:02:17.980 --> 02:02:22.870
No, but I'm happy to go next if you like.
02:02:22.870 --> 02:02:23.703
Okay.
02:02:24.570 --> 02:02:26.156
Okay
02:02:26.156 --> 02:02:27.160
Yes, yes.
02:02:27.160 --> 02:02:32.160
So, I do want to thank Commissioner Guzman Aceves
02:02:32.580 --> 02:02:37.580
for describing, particularly, the perspectives
02:02:38.550 --> 02:02:43.020
that have gone into the proposed decision.
02:02:43.020 --> 02:02:47.580
I mean, well, I do wanna thank the folks who did call in
02:02:47.580 --> 02:02:50.530
to comment on the proceeding
02:02:51.367 --> 02:02:55.710
and definitely respect all the different viewpoints.
02:02:57.870 --> 02:03:02.480
And we will need to go through the various viewpoints,
02:03:02.480 --> 02:03:04.980
you know, and profit up to date,
02:03:06.190 --> 02:03:11.190
including from Commissioner Sandoval, Commissioner Bond
02:03:11.400 --> 02:03:13.000
and all the folks who called in.
02:03:24.409 --> 02:03:28.159
I've been perplexed by the whole water arena.
02:03:29.260 --> 02:03:32.180
And the complaints we've been hearing over
02:03:32.180 --> 02:03:34.670
the last one year and a half that I've been on
02:03:34.670 --> 02:03:37.840
the Commission and also the complaints that
02:03:37.840 --> 02:03:40.690
I've heard on our public participation,
02:03:40.690 --> 02:03:45.360
hearing workshops from customers,
02:03:45.360 --> 02:03:50.360
lots of complaints about bills going up, using less water
02:03:50.480 --> 02:03:51.730
and so forth and so on.
02:03:52.850 --> 02:03:57.000
And I do appreciate Commissioner Guzman Aceves
02:03:57.000 --> 02:04:00.900
who's description, any efforts being made
02:04:00.900 --> 02:04:01.930
in the face of drought,
02:04:01.930 --> 02:04:03.780
in the face of during the resourcing.
02:04:05.110 --> 02:04:08.500
Former Governor Brown issued an executive order calling
02:04:08.500 --> 02:04:11.670
for water conservation and the state wanted
02:04:11.670 --> 02:04:13.750
to introduce a neutral board.
02:04:13.750 --> 02:04:18.590
It has various policies and programs underway.
02:04:18.590 --> 02:04:20.370
And meanwhile, we know
02:04:20.370 --> 02:04:23.770
that clean drinking water is an essential service.
02:04:24.910 --> 02:04:28.280
And I also appreciate that, you know,
02:04:28.280 --> 02:04:31.000
the water utilities have fixed costs,
02:04:32.100 --> 02:04:34.910
investments made, the infrastructure and what have you
02:04:34.910 --> 02:04:38.450
to provide for clean drinking water.
02:04:39.810 --> 02:04:44.810
And that they have been having to substantially recover all
02:04:46.630 --> 02:04:49.380
of these costs, the cost of water,
02:04:49.380 --> 02:04:53.670
or have you through sort of a volume metric quantities,
02:04:56.090 --> 02:05:00.990
as we have all been saying to customers use less water.
02:05:02.620 --> 02:05:06.750
And also, I have come
02:05:06.750 --> 02:05:11.631
to realize that in any number of general rate cases,
02:05:11.631 --> 02:05:15.090
that settlements are encouraged.
02:05:15.090 --> 02:05:19.510
Of course, they're encouraged, but it is an artifact of
02:05:22.970 --> 02:05:26.690
the utilities, whether it's water or energy to come in,
02:05:28.110 --> 02:05:31.580
likely with higher requests than
02:05:31.580 --> 02:05:34.070
they ultimately anticipate getting.
02:05:35.020 --> 02:05:37.780
It's because of this whole rubric that we've got
02:05:38.720 --> 02:05:43.720
in terms of the folks who are advocating on part
02:05:45.390 --> 02:05:49.760
of the customers, saying those requests have to be less.
02:05:51.195 --> 02:05:52.470
And what happens to settlements?
02:05:52.470 --> 02:05:55.460
And then we don't have precedent.
02:05:55.460 --> 02:05:56.440
We don't have
02:05:58.776 --> 02:06:01.660
the kinds of things you can point to a decision, which says,
02:06:01.660 --> 02:06:06.660
look, here's how we're going to do things from here on.
02:06:07.930 --> 02:06:09.450
And so,
02:06:09.450 --> 02:06:13.770
I'm very much appreciative that this proposed decision
02:06:13.770 --> 02:06:16.640
has been looking to fill that gap.
02:06:16.640 --> 02:06:21.640
In the meantime, our colleagues,
02:06:23.790 --> 02:06:27.760
commenters, folks who've written in,
02:06:27.760 --> 02:06:30.550
are saying that there are some more changes to be done.
02:06:30.550 --> 02:06:35.540
There are some more areas that need to be addressed.
02:06:35.540 --> 02:06:37.370
And, so I look forward to working
02:06:37.370 --> 02:06:41.330
with Commissioner Guzman Aceves and our colleagues.
02:06:42.660 --> 02:06:45.660
We have requirements in terms of Babby Keen,
02:06:45.660 --> 02:06:49.920
who could work keenly day by day on a proceeding.
02:06:49.920 --> 02:06:53.443
And so I'll be looking forward to working on
02:06:53.443 --> 02:06:56.610
the granular details and so forth
02:06:56.610 --> 02:06:59.216
and with the water division legal,
02:06:59.216 --> 02:07:04.216
our judges towards next steps in addressing
02:07:05.160 --> 02:07:07.750
the current trends that have been bought for us.
02:07:07.750 --> 02:07:10.260
And overall, I very much appreciate that
02:07:10.260 --> 02:07:15.260
what we're looking at is having viable water utilities
02:07:16.680 --> 02:07:21.240
that provide for affordable water bills,
02:07:21.240 --> 02:07:24.860
the low income affordable water bills to all.
02:07:26.750 --> 02:07:27.583
Thank you.
02:07:28.810 --> 02:07:31.060
Thank you, yes, Commissioner Retchschaffen.
02:07:33.660 --> 02:07:36.030
Thank you, Commissioner Guzamn Aceves,
02:07:36.030 --> 02:07:38.240
for that extremely, thorough
02:07:38.240 --> 02:07:41.170
and very persuasive presentation.
02:07:41.170 --> 02:07:42.810
It was extremely helpful.
02:07:44.280 --> 02:07:46.810
I have also struggled with this decision.
02:07:46.810 --> 02:07:49.940
I don't know if it captured the complete struggles
02:07:49.940 --> 02:07:52.490
that Commissioner Shiroma had.
02:07:54.730 --> 02:07:56.470
And I've had a number of questions,
02:07:56.470 --> 02:07:57.640
some of which have been answered
02:07:57.640 --> 02:07:59.790
by water division this week
02:07:59.790 --> 02:08:02.800
and some of which you address in particular.
02:08:03.820 --> 02:08:07.980
I did start out with skepticism about removing
02:08:09.500 --> 02:08:13.060
the decoupling mechanism in the WRAM.
02:08:13.060 --> 02:08:17.380
And I still have concerns about it and I was helpful or,
02:08:17.380 --> 02:08:21.030
you know, wanted to know more about why at a forecast
02:08:21.030 --> 02:08:22.670
and including some of the measures that
02:08:22.670 --> 02:08:27.000
the PD requires, height or bands of water use that
02:08:27.000 --> 02:08:29.950
are mandated by the state water conservation plan
02:08:31.250 --> 02:08:33.660
or other ideas like yearly adjustments,
02:08:33.660 --> 02:08:37.920
which we do in the energy context could not achieve some of
02:08:37.920 --> 02:08:40.860
what we're trying to achieve here to prevents
02:08:40.860 --> 02:08:44.540
the significant shortfalls and discrepancies.
02:08:44.540 --> 02:08:47.060
And I had a similar question as Commissioner Randolph about
02:08:47.060 --> 02:08:50.310
whether we should wait to see how the changes
02:08:50.310 --> 02:08:53.340
in forecasting play out before necessarily moving
02:08:54.340 --> 02:08:55.520
to the Monterey WRAM.
02:08:56.670 --> 02:08:59.070
But I had those questions,
02:09:00.823 --> 02:09:03.790
I do think you've answered quite a number
02:09:03.790 --> 02:09:05.210
of those concerns.
02:09:06.440 --> 02:09:11.050
I have been concerned also that I didn't have enough
02:09:11.050 --> 02:09:15.473
of an understanding about whether or how
02:09:17.770 --> 02:09:20.120
this shift would impact lower income consumers.
02:09:21.140 --> 02:09:24.920
And I don't think the PD did as good a job as it could have
02:09:24.920 --> 02:09:26.210
but maybe this can be changed,
02:09:26.210 --> 02:09:30.810
explaining the difference between forecasting assumptions
02:09:30.810 --> 02:09:34.520
and rate designing tools, conservation tools,
02:09:34.520 --> 02:09:38.000
which as you said, remain in place, independent
02:09:38.000 --> 02:09:42.030
of the forecasting tool that we've achieved.
02:09:42.030 --> 02:09:44.850
I appreciate the change in the org or in paragraph
02:09:46.840 --> 02:09:49.190
that you are proposing.
02:09:49.190 --> 02:09:54.190
I would like to see from water division,
02:09:54.310 --> 02:09:56.550
or maybe the parties who will respond,
02:09:58.710 --> 02:10:01.400
your throwing it out there,
02:10:01.400 --> 02:10:04.350
if that changes the analysis of whether our division
02:10:04.350 --> 02:10:06.460
will be able to say yes.
02:10:09.029 --> 02:10:11.840
With this different approach, we can ensure that
02:10:14.440 --> 02:10:16.090
the costs don't fall disproportionate
02:10:16.090 --> 02:10:17.290
on low income consumers.
02:10:17.290 --> 02:10:19.210
It may not be possible because the may depend
02:10:19.210 --> 02:10:21.940
on a specific rate design interior instructor
02:10:21.940 --> 02:10:24.390
that's put in place in a given service territory,
02:10:25.270 --> 02:10:29.110
but that remains a concern.
02:10:32.330 --> 02:10:33.580
I look forward to changes
02:10:35.950 --> 02:10:37.930
that are coming from you and me in the next round.
02:10:37.930 --> 02:10:40.380
And again, I appreciate very much,
02:10:40.380 --> 02:10:43.440
your excellent presentation and explanation.
02:10:47.945 --> 02:10:50.510
I'd like to make an additional,
02:10:50.510 --> 02:10:51.730
just a quick comment.
02:10:51.730 --> 02:10:52.710
I'm just following up
02:10:52.710 --> 02:10:54.760
on what Commissioner Retchtschaffen said.
02:10:55.950 --> 02:11:00.820
I do feel like you should type out your talking points
02:11:00.820 --> 02:11:02.950
and put them into PD because I feel
02:11:02.950 --> 02:11:05.430
like you did a good job explaining some of
02:11:05.430 --> 02:11:08.520
the reasoning that I felt was not quite there in the PD.
02:11:08.520 --> 02:11:09.970
And then the second thing,
02:11:09.970 --> 02:11:13.480
I feel like the PD needs is more explanation
02:11:13.480 --> 02:11:17.330
about the Monterey-style WRAM
02:11:18.714 --> 02:11:21.370
and fundamentally, you know, why it's better.
02:11:22.946 --> 02:11:27.946
I found the discussion somewhat unclear
02:11:28.360 --> 02:11:31.200
and a little too brief.
02:11:31.200 --> 02:11:34.280
So I would like to have more explanation about that.
02:11:34.280 --> 02:11:37.440
Thank you, that's all I have.
02:11:37.440 --> 02:11:40.870
Well, as I had said, thank you to all Commissioners.
02:11:40.870 --> 02:11:42.300
As I had said earlier,
02:11:43.297 --> 02:11:46.070
your presentation Martha was excellent and answered
02:11:46.070 --> 02:11:51.070
a lot of my questions and I was skeptical at the beginning.
02:11:51.750 --> 02:11:55.090
I was very concerned, actually.
02:11:55.090 --> 02:12:00.090
I think that perhaps there could be
02:12:00.120 --> 02:12:03.650
a little bit more development in the record.
02:12:03.650 --> 02:12:06.320
I think, that's probably important.
02:12:06.320 --> 02:12:08.590
I think there's a verification and development
02:12:08.590 --> 02:12:11.020
of record around the WRAM, it'd be very helpful.
02:12:11.020 --> 02:12:16.020
The points have been made and I appreciate very much.
02:12:16.630 --> 02:12:20.780
So, what we will be doing with this is,
02:12:20.780 --> 02:12:23.580
as you said earlier, there is no vote,
02:12:23.580 --> 02:12:28.580
but we do need to vote on having it held until
02:12:29.350 --> 02:12:33.060
the 8-27 meeting.
02:12:33.060 --> 02:12:35.260
So that will be the vote we'll be taking today.
02:12:35.260 --> 02:12:37.470
Can I have a motion on that?
02:12:39.180 --> 02:12:40.013
So moved.
02:12:41.920 --> 02:12:43.470
Second.
02:12:43.470 --> 02:12:44.810
It's been moved and seconded
02:12:44.810 --> 02:12:49.810
to move item number 19 from today's regular agenda items
02:12:50.310 --> 02:12:54.350
to the Commissioner meeting on 8-27.
02:12:54.350 --> 02:12:57.420
Well, the agenda clerk, please call the roll.
02:12:58.620 --> 02:13:00.490
Commissioner Shiroma.
02:13:00.490 --> 02:13:01.630
Aye.
02:13:01.630 --> 02:13:03.690
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
02:13:03.690 --> 02:13:04.740
Aye.
02:13:04.740 --> 02:13:06.180
Commissioner Randolph.
02:13:07.080 --> 02:13:08.190
Aye.
02:13:08.190 --> 02:13:10.090
Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
02:13:10.090 --> 02:13:11.150
Aye
02:13:11.150 --> 02:13:13.010
President Batjer.
02:13:13.010 --> 02:13:14.290
Aye.
02:13:14.290 --> 02:13:16.950
It is unanimous, thank you.
02:13:16.950 --> 02:13:20.950
I am going to call a 15 minute break.
02:13:21.890 --> 02:13:24.810
Is that okay with my fellow Commissioners?
02:13:24.810 --> 02:13:26.260
Okay, 15 minutes.
02:13:26.260 --> 02:13:30.810
And it's currently, well, we'll call it 12:20.
02:13:30.810 --> 02:13:33.780
So lets sit back in our seats at 12:35.
02:13:35.830 --> 02:13:36.840
Okay, thank you all.
02:13:47.019 --> 02:13:48.880
The feed for this streaming event brought
02:13:48.880 --> 02:13:50.230
to you by adminmonitor.com.
02:13:51.150 --> 02:13:52.210
Thank you all for standing by.
02:13:52.210 --> 02:13:55.335
You'll hear music until the conference resumes.
02:13:55.335 --> 02:13:58.585
(upbeat country music)
02:30:54.620 --> 02:30:56.805
Quorum, quorum.
02:30:56.805 --> 02:30:58.776
Commissioner Shiroma
02:30:58.776 --> 02:31:00.195
Present.
02:31:00.195 --> 02:31:01.800
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
02:31:01.800 --> 02:31:03.206
Here.
02:31:03.206 --> 02:31:05.008
Commissioner Randolph.
02:31:05.008 --> 02:31:05.841
Here.
02:31:05.841 --> 02:31:07.591
Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
02:31:07.591 --> 02:31:08.857
Present.
02:31:08.857 --> 02:31:10.737
President Batjer.
02:31:10.737 --> 02:31:11.732
There.
02:31:11.732 --> 02:31:14.478
Thank you, we have established a quorum.
02:31:14.478 --> 02:31:17.230
We're now moving on on the regular agenda items,
02:31:17.230 --> 02:31:21.563
to items 30, and that is Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
02:31:22.849 --> 02:31:25.741
Thank you, President Batjer.
02:31:25.741 --> 02:31:28.604
This is an issue dealing with the conditions
02:31:28.604 --> 02:31:30.999
for wireline competition
02:31:30.999 --> 02:31:35.999
in these small local exchange carrier service territory.
02:31:36.209 --> 02:31:38.560
Often referred to these carriers
02:31:38.560 --> 02:31:41.143
as the rule LECs or small LECs.
02:31:42.902 --> 02:31:46.668
And just to kind of remind ourselves, there's 13
02:31:46.668 --> 02:31:50.893
of these small ILECs and they find themselves
02:31:50.893 --> 02:31:53.310
in 17 counties in California.
02:31:54.683 --> 02:31:56.644
I won't go through naming them all,
02:31:56.644 --> 02:31:59.286
but really, they're in the parts of the state
02:31:59.286 --> 02:32:03.370
that are hard to serve, expensive to serve,
02:32:03.370 --> 02:32:05.961
and they play a very critical role
02:32:05.961 --> 02:32:09.659
in providing essential service, telecommunication service
02:32:09.659 --> 02:32:11.909
to many rural Californians.
02:32:14.828 --> 02:32:16.421
For years, these companies have been
02:32:16.421 --> 02:32:21.146
the sole telephone service providers in their territory.
02:32:21.146 --> 02:32:24.896
And the big finding in the PD is that federal
02:32:26.868 --> 02:32:31.118
and state law requires us to open these territories
02:32:32.151 --> 02:32:36.641
for competition, as federal statute that states
02:32:36.641 --> 02:32:40.724
that no state law may prohibit or have the effect
02:32:41.682 --> 02:32:44.948
of prohibiting the ability of any entity
02:32:44.948 --> 02:32:47.041
to provide any interstate
02:32:47.041 --> 02:32:50.458
and intrastate telecommunication service.
02:32:51.392 --> 02:32:55.931
And in the California PUC code, section 709.5,
02:32:55.931 --> 02:32:59.236
the legislature expressed its intent that all
02:32:59.236 --> 02:33:04.173
telecommunication markets be subject to our jurisdiction
02:33:04.173 --> 02:33:06.423
and be open to competition.
02:33:07.830 --> 02:33:11.962
So, it's a little bit of an ironic position for me,
02:33:11.962 --> 02:33:13.379
knowing that, um,
02:33:15.403 --> 02:33:18.568
many of the carriers that want to compete
02:33:18.568 --> 02:33:22.235
in these rural territories often are some of
02:33:23.297 --> 02:33:26.683
the major barriers to competition elsewhere.
02:33:26.683 --> 02:33:30.738
But nonetheless, we need to comply with federal state law
02:33:30.738 --> 02:33:34.321
and open these territories for application.
02:33:35.805 --> 02:33:37.808
And by the way, the PD,
02:33:37.808 --> 02:33:41.639
like we've talked about in our last one, that's the policy,
02:33:41.639 --> 02:33:44.780
the individual applications will have to come in
02:33:44.780 --> 02:33:46.891
for access to these territories.
02:33:46.891 --> 02:33:50.525
And they'll have to meet the requirements
02:33:50.525 --> 02:33:54.108
put forth in the PD, which I'll talk about.
02:33:56.830 --> 02:34:01.163
The decision allows is for communication is 13 area.
02:34:03.174 --> 02:34:05.865
Establishes non-discriminatory
02:34:05.865 --> 02:34:08.730
and competitively neutral conditions.
02:34:08.730 --> 02:34:10.628
And those include,
02:34:10.628 --> 02:34:11.600
that competitive local exchange carrier,
02:34:13.240 --> 02:34:15.220
which I'll refer to as a CLEC, now.
02:34:16.200 --> 02:34:18.220
It's a CLECs come in
02:34:18.220 --> 02:34:21.910
with a self designated service territory,
02:34:21.910 --> 02:34:25.120
but then it represents the demographics that exist
02:34:25.120 --> 02:34:27.750
within the whole small LEC territory.
02:34:28.940 --> 02:34:33.940
This is a particularly important condition because
02:34:35.520 --> 02:34:40.050
of the propensity to cherry pick by carriers throughout
02:34:40.050 --> 02:34:43.710
the state, and to only serve certain demographics.
02:34:45.460 --> 02:34:48.180
By meeting this proportionality measure,
02:34:48.180 --> 02:34:50.630
it guards against serving only
02:34:50.630 --> 02:34:54.880
the subset of wealthy customers or commercial customers.
02:34:54.880 --> 02:34:58.730
And so we set that they must serve a proportional number
02:34:58.730 --> 02:35:03.720
of residential to commercial as our LEC territory has.
02:35:03.720 --> 02:35:06.760
And the proportional low-income to non-low income,
02:35:06.760 --> 02:35:08.940
as the ILEC territory has.
02:35:08.940 --> 02:35:11.450
Doesn't mean they have to serve the whole area
02:35:11.450 --> 02:35:14.010
and use their stock designated territory
02:35:14.010 --> 02:35:16.900
has to proportionally have the same demographics.
02:35:19.070 --> 02:35:21.240
The CLECs who intends to serve these areas
02:35:21.240 --> 02:35:25.190
are also subject to the best then ongoing
02:35:25.190 --> 02:35:29.690
and reporting requirements to demonstrate quality service.
02:35:30.750 --> 02:35:34.590
In addition to the basic things like filing territory maps,
02:35:34.590 --> 02:35:37.160
annual reports on their existing facilities,
02:35:38.280 --> 02:35:42.060
quarterly copies of written customer notices,
02:35:42.060 --> 02:35:45.840
they have to insure 911 or E911 service.
02:35:46.740 --> 02:35:47.990
They have to be compliant
02:35:47.990 --> 02:35:50.900
with the emergency disaster relief requirements.
02:35:51.840 --> 02:35:55.860
They have to report their major service interruptions.
02:35:55.860 --> 02:35:58.800
And importantly, they must participate in lifeline.
02:36:00.470 --> 02:36:03.130
In recognition that there may be impacts
02:36:03.130 --> 02:36:05.100
to the existing ILEC carriers,
02:36:06.000 --> 02:36:11.000
we have included descriptions of the pathways
02:36:11.260 --> 02:36:14.800
for how in the future they too can seek
02:36:16.400 --> 02:36:19.170
how to continue in a sustainable way
02:36:19.170 --> 02:36:23.000
with this potential impact to their customer base.
02:36:24.550 --> 02:36:29.550
They will be allowed to apply for High Cost Fund-A,
02:36:30.710 --> 02:36:34.450
additional funding to offset potential declining revenues.
02:36:34.450 --> 02:36:35.900
Obviously, that'll have to be
02:36:37.480 --> 02:36:39.530
litigated and not individual application.
02:36:41.261 --> 02:36:44.600
It also affirms that the small LECs,
02:36:46.060 --> 02:36:49.610
requests for proportional pricing flexibility
02:36:49.610 --> 02:36:52.640
will also be considered on a case by case basis
02:36:53.560 --> 02:36:56.150
when they've been impacted by competition.
02:36:57.240 --> 02:37:01.660
It requires also that the CLECs make
02:37:01.660 --> 02:37:04.490
all telecommunication service offerings available
02:37:04.490 --> 02:37:07.520
for resale on a nondiscriminatory basis.
02:37:08.660 --> 02:37:12.620
And this is a component that really needs
02:37:12.620 --> 02:37:17.020
to be available across all elements of our metric system.
02:37:18.430 --> 02:37:22.490
Finally, the decision includes a request by the rural,
02:37:23.867 --> 02:37:28.867
small LECs or an extension of their timing of submitting
02:37:28.940 --> 02:37:31.280
their subsequent GRSP application
02:37:32.240 --> 02:37:35.090
and essentially extends by one year
02:37:35.090 --> 02:37:38.250
and establishes specific groupings of
02:37:38.250 --> 02:37:40.260
how they will come in year after year.
02:37:41.670 --> 02:37:44.440
And it is a generous extension of time
02:37:44.440 --> 02:37:46.120
for a couple of them.
02:37:47.720 --> 02:37:50.970
So with that, based again on both federal
02:37:50.970 --> 02:37:54.420
and state law requiring us to do this together with
02:37:54.420 --> 02:37:58.020
the consumer protections that are put in as safeguards,
02:37:58.020 --> 02:38:01.420
I do ask for your support in this decision today.
02:38:01.420 --> 02:38:04.530
I also wanna thank my Berkeley partner,
02:38:04.530 --> 02:38:06.640
Commissioner Retchtschaffen and in particularly,
02:38:06.640 --> 02:38:09.040
his advisor, Simi George.
02:38:09.040 --> 02:38:12.630
I wanna thank the ALJs, Judge Colbert,
02:38:12.630 --> 02:38:14.980
Judge Fortune, Judge Wercinski.
02:38:15.840 --> 02:38:20.840
I wanna thank Legal Helen Savage, Cindy Yu, Lindsay Brown,
02:38:20.870 --> 02:38:22.620
and of course the excellent work
02:38:22.620 --> 02:38:24.730
of the communications division,
02:38:24.730 --> 02:38:29.730
Bravas Ones, Eva Hernandes, Felix Robles, Doris chow,
02:38:29.890 --> 02:38:33.230
Tannis Diner, Tasner Ramen.
02:38:33.230 --> 02:38:37.270
And finally my advisers, Jonathan Koltz, Stephani Crespin.
02:38:38.740 --> 02:38:39.930
So thank you very much
02:38:39.930 --> 02:38:44.033
and I'm happy answering questions on this decision.
02:38:46.030 --> 02:38:50.620
Does anyone have any questions of Martha or any comments
02:38:50.620 --> 02:38:53.310
to make on this item number 30?
02:38:54.720 --> 02:38:56.370
Yes, Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
02:39:01.720 --> 02:39:02.930
I think you're on mute.
02:39:04.490 --> 02:39:05.870
I apologize.
02:39:05.870 --> 02:39:09.570
I would like to thank Mrs. Guzman Aceves
02:39:09.570 --> 02:39:11.670
who I would be cade with on this proceeding
02:39:11.670 --> 02:39:14.330
and her advisors and judges and staff.
02:39:14.330 --> 02:39:19.330
And I think she said it, we're doing this consistent
02:39:19.970 --> 02:39:22.170
with legislative requirements.
02:39:22.170 --> 02:39:24.110
Make the decisions, strikes the right balance
02:39:24.110 --> 02:39:25.460
by advancing competition,
02:39:25.460 --> 02:39:30.210
but it also has many safe cards to ensure fairness,
02:39:30.210 --> 02:39:35.210
total quality of service and to safeguard consumer rights.
02:39:35.920 --> 02:39:38.280
And as Commissioner Guzman said
02:39:38.280 --> 02:39:40.440
that, mentioned that it's important to note
02:39:40.440 --> 02:39:42.820
that it will be additional locations,
02:39:42.820 --> 02:39:45.710
specific conditions to protect rate payers
02:39:45.710 --> 02:39:47.360
that can be developed
02:39:47.360 --> 02:39:50.820
in individual CLEC applications, if appropriate.
02:39:50.820 --> 02:39:52.970
I'll be voting and supportive of this item.
02:39:54.200 --> 02:39:55.110
Thank you.
02:39:55.110 --> 02:39:56.210
Commissioner Randolph.
02:39:59.530 --> 02:40:00.450
I think you're muted.
02:40:00.450 --> 02:40:01.750
What, I'm on mute too.
02:40:01.750 --> 02:40:03.890
We're a little rusty after that break.
02:40:06.040 --> 02:40:10.740
I just wanted to state my support for this decision as well.
02:40:12.070 --> 02:40:15.920
You know, wireless carriers can endue,
02:40:15.920 --> 02:40:18.560
to have competition in small ILEC territories.
02:40:18.560 --> 02:40:21.540
And this centrally allows wireline competitors
02:40:21.540 --> 02:40:26.540
the same opportunity and can benefit customers
02:40:27.390 --> 02:40:29.420
with the right protections in place.
02:40:29.420 --> 02:40:34.050
And I appreciate the fact that this decision lays out some
02:40:34.050 --> 02:40:39.050
of the basics and also ensures that some of these conditions
02:40:41.270 --> 02:40:44.430
and protections can be addressed in future proceedings.
02:40:44.430 --> 02:40:46.130
And I have one of those,
02:40:46.130 --> 02:40:47.700
I have an application of Comcast
02:40:47.700 --> 02:40:50.520
to enter a Ponderosa territory.
02:40:50.520 --> 02:40:55.520
And so, I appreciate the opportunity to be able to consider
02:40:57.300 --> 02:41:01.660
the local needs and the conditions as we evaluate
02:41:01.660 --> 02:41:03.310
that proceeding and decide
02:41:05.490 --> 02:41:09.030
what issues to deal with in that application.
02:41:09.030 --> 02:41:11.450
So thank you very much, Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
02:41:12.950 --> 02:41:14.340
Commissioner Shiroma.
02:41:15.490 --> 02:41:16.323
Thank you, President Batjer.
02:41:16.323 --> 02:41:18.310
Yes, I also want to add my thanks
02:41:18.310 --> 02:41:20.860
to Commissioner Guzman Aceves
02:41:20.860 --> 02:41:24.070
and Judges Fortune and Wercinski
02:41:25.460 --> 02:41:28.790
for this work putting forth the PD.
02:41:28.790 --> 02:41:33.790
I was very interested to learn that there hadn't been
02:41:34.000 --> 02:41:38.700
a competition allowed in these areas and that we, you know,
02:41:38.700 --> 02:41:40.450
we have millions of customers
02:41:40.450 --> 02:41:44.960
who rely on wireline phone service,
02:41:46.190 --> 02:41:50.030
and I appreciated that the Commission did a study
02:41:50.030 --> 02:41:54.380
to look up at impacts of competition
02:41:54.380 --> 02:41:55.830
in this service charge hurry.
02:41:57.117 --> 02:42:00.540
An independent consultant was hired and it showed
02:42:00.540 --> 02:42:01.940
that there is evidence based
02:42:04.360 --> 02:42:08.540
to decision-making opportunity for us here, based
02:42:08.540 --> 02:42:12.900
on those local conditions to provide for that competition
02:42:14.140 --> 02:42:18.560
and for the customers to have other offers
02:42:18.560 --> 02:42:19.560
to take a look at.
02:42:20.490 --> 02:42:23.560
And as Commissioner Guzman Aceves outlined,
02:42:24.583 --> 02:42:28.910
there are protections included in or opportunities,
02:42:28.910 --> 02:42:33.910
maybe I'll call them within the PD for the current carriers.
02:42:34.030 --> 02:42:36.670
There are consumer protection rules,
02:42:36.670 --> 02:42:39.690
and I'm pleased to support this proposed decision.
02:42:39.690 --> 02:42:40.523
Thank you.
02:42:43.150 --> 02:42:43.983
Thank you.
02:42:44.990 --> 02:42:47.480
I just have a couple of quick comments and I think
02:42:47.480 --> 02:42:50.190
the decision is a cautious step forward.
02:42:50.190 --> 02:42:53.810
I think it provides a path for the companies to provide
02:42:53.810 --> 02:42:56.250
a competitive wireline voice service
02:42:56.250 --> 02:42:59.770
in the historic small rural telephone company territories
02:42:59.770 --> 02:43:03.010
has just been well-stated, because this is while preserving
02:43:03.010 --> 02:43:06.440
the essential carrier of last resort duty
02:43:06.440 --> 02:43:08.550
that these companies perform.
02:43:08.550 --> 02:43:11.000
And as such, I will join my other Commissioners
02:43:11.000 --> 02:43:11.833
in supporting it.
02:43:11.833 --> 02:43:15.250
However, I'd like to note also that the program is focused
02:43:15.250 --> 02:43:18.964
on the wireline voice service and the internet era
02:43:18.964 --> 02:43:20.350
is our challenge.
02:43:20.350 --> 02:43:22.940
As the pandemic has accentuated,
02:43:22.940 --> 02:43:25.460
Californians need high speed broadband services.
02:43:25.460 --> 02:43:29.430
And I hope that the next phase of this receding
02:43:29.430 --> 02:43:31.020
that we can ensure that this program
02:43:31.020 --> 02:43:34.120
is meeting the broadband needs of Californians at service.
02:43:34.120 --> 02:43:36.550
And I note an agreement on that.
02:43:37.650 --> 02:43:41.950
And I noted too the very helpful information that came out
02:43:41.950 --> 02:43:42.783
of this study.
02:43:43.640 --> 02:43:47.030
Commissioner Shiroma, so thank you for mentioning that.
02:43:47.030 --> 02:43:49.450
And thank you Commissioner Guzman Aceves
02:43:49.450 --> 02:43:54.040
for all your hard work on this as well as the ALJs
02:43:54.040 --> 02:43:58.350
and the Communications division,
02:43:58.350 --> 02:44:00.250
all working very hard, of course.
02:44:00.250 --> 02:44:05.250
So with that, is there any other comment on item 30?
02:44:07.660 --> 02:44:09.480
Okay, seeing none, will
02:44:09.480 --> 02:44:11.380
the agenda clerk please call the roll.
02:44:12.340 --> 02:44:13.995
Commissioner Shiroma.
02:44:13.995 --> 02:44:15.360
Aye.
02:44:15.360 --> 02:44:17.630
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
02:44:17.630 --> 02:44:18.510
Aye.
02:44:18.510 --> 02:44:20.490
Commissioner Randolph.
02:44:20.490 --> 02:44:21.410
Yes.
02:44:21.410 --> 02:44:23.350
Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
02:44:23.350 --> 02:44:24.400
Yes.
02:44:24.400 --> 02:44:26.020
President Batjer.
02:44:26.020 --> 02:44:26.870
Yes.
02:44:26.870 --> 02:44:28.510
Thank you, the vote is unanimous.
02:44:28.510 --> 02:44:29.960
Turning now to item 31,
02:44:29.960 --> 02:44:33.210
which is, I am the assigned Commissioner of.
02:44:33.210 --> 02:44:36.430
Item 31 is the order extending statutory deadline
02:44:36.430 --> 02:44:40.980
for the rulemaking of 14-10-003,
02:44:40.980 --> 02:44:41.813
which is known as
02:44:41.813 --> 02:44:45.820
the integrated distributed energy resources proceeding
02:44:45.820 --> 02:44:48.790
or the IDER proceeding.
02:44:48.790 --> 02:44:51.310
This order extends the deadline for completion
02:44:51.310 --> 02:44:53.620
of this proceeding an additional six months,
02:44:53.620 --> 02:44:55.740
and until February, 2021.
02:44:57.550 --> 02:45:01.990
The Commission established the IDER proceeding in 2014
02:45:01.990 --> 02:45:04.490
in response to assembly bill 327,
02:45:04.490 --> 02:45:07.890
to explore the creation of a regulatory framework
02:45:07.890 --> 02:45:10.530
that would provide a consistent policy approach,
02:45:12.724 --> 02:45:16.510
for evaluating all the demand side resource programs.
02:45:16.510 --> 02:45:19.230
The proceeding has successfully established an approach
02:45:19.230 --> 02:45:21.760
for evaluating the cost effectiveness
02:45:21.760 --> 02:45:25.570
of the demand side programs that can be applied consistently
02:45:25.570 --> 02:45:27.940
across all technology types.
02:45:27.940 --> 02:45:31.550
This approach is ever evolving and is updated
02:45:31.550 --> 02:45:34.370
on a regular basis via this proceeding.
02:45:34.370 --> 02:45:36.330
Most recently, in April this year,
02:45:36.330 --> 02:45:40.940
we adopted updates to the avoided cost calculator that
02:45:40.940 --> 02:45:43.060
will allow the Commission to better align
02:45:43.060 --> 02:45:45.370
the distributed resource values
02:45:45.370 --> 02:45:49.520
with our integrated resource planning process.
02:45:49.520 --> 02:45:52.340
So today's extension would provide an additional timeframe
02:45:52.340 --> 02:45:55.100
to finalize a number of outstanding tasks,
02:45:55.100 --> 02:45:56.320
including work being done
02:45:56.320 --> 02:45:58.740
on the alternative sourcing mechanisms
02:45:58.740 --> 02:46:02.891
or the distributed energy resources.
02:46:02.891 --> 02:46:07.320
So with that, I ask your support for this extension.
02:46:07.320 --> 02:46:08.940
Thank you.
02:46:08.940 --> 02:46:10.390
Any comment on item 30?
02:46:11.610 --> 02:46:12.470
31, excuse me.
02:46:13.780 --> 02:46:15.550
Okay, seeing none, will the agenda clerk
02:46:15.550 --> 02:46:17.250
please call the roll.
02:46:17.250 --> 02:46:19.290
Commissioner Shiroma.
02:46:19.290 --> 02:46:20.123
Aye.
02:46:20.123 --> 02:46:21.970
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
02:46:21.970 --> 02:46:22.870
Aye.
02:46:22.870 --> 02:46:24.750
Commissioner Randolph.
02:46:24.750 --> 02:46:25.930
Yes.
02:46:25.930 --> 02:46:27.650
Commissioner Retchschaffen
02:46:27.650 --> 02:46:28.690
Yes.
02:46:28.690 --> 02:46:30.190
President Batjer.
02:46:30.190 --> 02:46:31.360
Yes.
02:46:31.360 --> 02:46:32.940
The vote is unanimous, thank you.
02:46:32.940 --> 02:46:34.540
Moving on to item 32,
02:46:34.540 --> 02:46:36.790
which is assigned to Commissioner Shiroma.
02:46:38.420 --> 02:46:40.120
Yes, thank you President Batjer.
02:46:41.191 --> 02:46:46.191
Item 32 is an extension order request for Radian
02:46:46.500 --> 02:46:49.850
versus Southern California Edison, it's complaint 1708007.
02:46:52.760 --> 02:46:56.480
I'm asking for an extension by six months
02:46:56.480 --> 02:46:58.930
to February 8th, 2021.
02:46:59.840 --> 02:47:02.270
This case has been on hold while
02:47:02.270 --> 02:47:06.230
the Commission considers changes to the ReMAT program,
02:47:06.230 --> 02:47:08.930
which is being done in a separate proceeding.
02:47:08.930 --> 02:47:12.610
The six month extension should allow adequate time
02:47:12.610 --> 02:47:16.540
for further consideration of the ReMAT program.
02:47:16.540 --> 02:47:19.280
And then for our Administrative Law Judge,
02:47:19.280 --> 02:47:22.540
to draft a presiding officer's decision,
02:47:22.540 --> 02:47:25.510
resolving this particular complaint.
02:47:25.510 --> 02:47:26.343
Thank you.
02:47:27.270 --> 02:47:28.430
Thank you, Commissioner Shiroma.
02:47:28.430 --> 02:47:31.010
Are there any questions on item 32?
02:47:32.540 --> 02:47:34.130
Okay, seeing none, will the agenda clerk
02:47:34.130 --> 02:47:35.540
please call the roll.
02:47:35.540 --> 02:47:37.510
Commissioner Shiroma.
02:47:37.510 --> 02:47:38.343
Aye.
02:47:38.343 --> 02:47:40.310
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
02:47:40.310 --> 02:47:41.143
Aye.
02:47:41.143 --> 02:47:42.400
Commissioner Randolph.
02:47:43.380 --> 02:47:44.260
Yes.
02:47:44.260 --> 02:47:46.160
Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
02:47:46.160 --> 02:47:46.993
Yeah.
02:47:46.993 --> 02:47:48.310
President Batjer.
02:47:48.310 --> 02:47:49.143
Yes.
02:47:49.143 --> 02:47:50.430
Thank you, the vote is unanimous.
02:47:50.430 --> 02:47:52.140
Moving on to item 33,
02:47:52.140 --> 02:47:54.490
which is also assigned to Commissioner Shiroma.
02:47:55.560 --> 02:47:57.260
Yes, thank you, President Batjer.
02:47:57.260 --> 02:48:00.590
Item 33 is A-19020004.
02:48:04.260 --> 02:48:08.410
It's a PTC permit to construct applications
02:48:08.410 --> 02:48:10.110
for their Humboldt Bay
02:48:10.110 --> 02:48:12.630
to Humboldt number one transmission line.
02:48:14.090 --> 02:48:19.090
I'm requesting an extension to November 8th, 2020.
02:48:22.580 --> 02:48:26.060
This proceeding has been going through the secret process
02:48:26.060 --> 02:48:29.430
and the final mitigated negative declaration was completed
02:48:29.430 --> 02:48:31.480
on April 17th, 2020,
02:48:32.510 --> 02:48:34.050
following the publication
02:48:34.050 --> 02:48:37.940
of the final mitigated negative declaration
02:48:37.940 --> 02:48:41.270
we held in the pre-hearing conference in may.
02:48:41.270 --> 02:48:45.600
It was slightly delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
02:48:46.490 --> 02:48:50.290
And in order to complete this process,
02:48:50.290 --> 02:48:51.770
we need a little more time.
02:48:51.770 --> 02:48:55.770
So I'm requesting your vote for a short extension.
02:48:55.770 --> 02:48:57.320
Thank you.
02:48:57.320 --> 02:49:00.240
Okay, are there any comments on item 33?
02:49:01.860 --> 02:49:03.690
Okay, seeing none, will be agenda clerk
02:49:03.690 --> 02:49:05.370
please call the roll.
02:49:05.370 --> 02:49:07.250
Commissioner Shiroma.
02:49:07.250 --> 02:49:08.140
Aye.
02:49:08.140 --> 02:49:10.300
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
02:49:10.300 --> 02:49:11.133
Aye.
02:49:11.133 --> 02:49:13.010
Commissioner Randolph.
02:49:13.010 --> 02:49:13.860
Yes.
02:49:13.860 --> 02:49:15.730
Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
02:49:15.730 --> 02:49:16.563
Yes.
02:49:16.563 --> 02:49:18.030
President Batjer.
02:49:18.030 --> 02:49:18.970
Yes.
02:49:18.970 --> 02:49:20.450
Thank you, the vote is unanimous.
02:49:20.450 --> 02:49:22.280
Moving now on to item 34,
02:49:22.280 --> 02:49:24.730
which is assigned to Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
02:49:26.160 --> 02:49:28.210
This is an extension order in
02:49:28.210 --> 02:49:33.210
the OII concerning 1 million new internet users.
02:49:33.570 --> 02:49:38.570
The OII was issued in July, 2018 to investigate
02:49:39.320 --> 02:49:41.030
whether the five organizations
02:49:41.030 --> 02:49:45.350
in this coalition misused grant funds.
02:49:45.350 --> 02:49:49.060
From February, 2019 through February, 2020,
02:49:49.060 --> 02:49:50.950
the respondents participated
02:49:50.950 --> 02:49:53.370
in alternative dispute resolution.
02:49:53.370 --> 02:49:56.500
Four of them reached agreement with our consumer protection
02:49:56.500 --> 02:50:00.120
and enforcement division to settle the action.
02:50:00.120 --> 02:50:03.410
One of them, Community Union, has not settled an intent
02:50:03.410 --> 02:50:07.030
to contest the allegations at an evidentiary hearing
02:50:07.030 --> 02:50:09.590
that is currently scheduled for the end of August.
02:50:10.870 --> 02:50:15.100
A deadline is needed to allow for a complete resolution
02:50:15.100 --> 02:50:16.560
of this investigation.
02:50:16.560 --> 02:50:19.310
And I ask for your support in extending the deadline
02:50:19.310 --> 02:50:21.390
to March, 2021.
02:50:23.060 --> 02:50:23.893
Wow.
02:50:26.340 --> 02:50:27.850
Hey, are there any questions?
02:50:30.440 --> 02:50:32.840
Seeing none, will the agenda clerk
02:50:32.840 --> 02:50:35.550
please call the role for item 34.
02:50:35.550 --> 02:50:37.550
Commissioner Shiroma.
02:50:37.550 --> 02:50:38.383
Aye.
02:50:38.383 --> 02:50:40.150
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
02:50:40.150 --> 02:50:41.600
Aye.
02:50:41.600 --> 02:50:43.040
Commissioner Randolph.
02:50:43.930 --> 02:50:44.990
Yes.
02:50:44.990 --> 02:50:46.830
Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
02:50:46.830 --> 02:50:47.760
Yes.
02:50:47.760 --> 02:50:49.330
President Batjer.
02:50:49.330 --> 02:50:50.540
Yes.
02:50:50.540 --> 02:50:52.100
The vote is unanimous.
02:50:52.100 --> 02:50:55.970
Moving on to item number 35 that is assigned
02:50:55.970 --> 02:50:57.170
to Commissioner Shiroma.
02:50:58.140 --> 02:51:00.120
Yes, thank you, President Batjer.
02:51:00.120 --> 02:51:03.890
So item 35 is a complaint case, C 1908011.
02:51:06.325 --> 02:51:10.830
It involved a complaint filed by James P Kern against
02:51:10.830 --> 02:51:13.150
the California-American Water Company or Cal-Am.
02:51:13.150 --> 02:51:15.990
or am seeking restoration of water service
02:51:15.990 --> 02:51:18.600
to Mr. Kern's property.
02:51:18.600 --> 02:51:21.670
I'm asking for your support to extend the deadline
02:51:21.670 --> 02:51:24.760
to May 19th of 2021.
02:51:24.760 --> 02:51:26.110
And here's the reasons why.
02:51:27.130 --> 02:51:28.590
The parties have been engaged
02:51:28.590 --> 02:51:30.490
in ongoing settlement discussions
02:51:30.490 --> 02:51:33.550
and have been filing periodic status reports
02:51:33.550 --> 02:51:35.810
regarding their settlement efforts.
02:51:35.810 --> 02:51:40.160
And now the parties have reached a settlement agreement with
02:51:40.160 --> 02:51:44.550
the condition to restore service to Mr. Kern's property.
02:51:44.550 --> 02:51:48.710
The parties also anticipate filing a stipulated motion
02:51:48.710 --> 02:51:52.100
to dismiss the complaint with the settlement agreement
02:51:52.100 --> 02:51:54.500
by the end of November, 2020.
02:51:56.150 --> 02:51:58.570
The new statutory deadline,
02:51:58.570 --> 02:52:00.970
should provides sufficient time for the parties
02:52:00.970 --> 02:52:03.390
to file their anticipated motion.
02:52:03.390 --> 02:52:07.970
Or if that ends up not happening, to litigate the case,
02:52:07.970 --> 02:52:09.570
if the conditions of the settlement
02:52:09.570 --> 02:52:11.650
are unable to be finalized.
02:52:11.650 --> 02:52:12.860
So with that in mind,
02:52:12.860 --> 02:52:16.670
I'm asking for an extension to may of 2021.
02:52:16.670 --> 02:52:17.503
Thank you.
02:52:19.190 --> 02:52:20.160
Okay.
02:52:20.160 --> 02:52:22.320
Any questions on item 35?
02:52:24.460 --> 02:52:27.370
Seeing none, will the agenda clerk please call the roll.
02:52:28.240 --> 02:52:30.180
Commissioner Shiroma.
02:52:30.180 --> 02:52:31.100
Aye.
02:52:31.100 --> 02:52:33.240
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
02:52:33.240 --> 02:52:34.073
Aye.
02:52:34.073 --> 02:52:35.560
Commissioner Randolph.
02:52:36.460 --> 02:52:37.410
Yes.
02:52:37.410 --> 02:52:39.190
Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
02:52:39.190 --> 02:52:40.160
Yes.
02:52:40.160 --> 02:52:41.670
President Batjer.
02:52:41.670 --> 02:52:42.600
Yes.
02:52:42.600 --> 02:52:44.580
Thank you, the vote is unanimous.
02:52:44.580 --> 02:52:46.210
Moving on to item 36,
02:52:46.210 --> 02:52:48.360
which is assigned to Commissioner Randolph.
02:52:50.252 --> 02:52:52.090
All right, thank you very much.
02:52:52.090 --> 02:52:55.170
Item 36 would extend the statutory deadline
02:52:55.170 --> 02:52:58.310
for a railroad crossing in the city of ION.
02:52:58.310 --> 02:53:00.650
This proceeding is complicated because the city built
02:53:00.650 --> 02:53:04.300
the crossing before it had Commissioned authority.
02:53:04.300 --> 02:53:07.340
So the proceeding is going to look at the safety of
02:53:07.340 --> 02:53:11.870
the crossing and whether or not the city should be penalized
02:53:11.870 --> 02:53:14.080
for building the crossing without authority.
02:53:15.160 --> 02:53:16.900
Fortunately, we are getting very close
02:53:16.900 --> 02:53:18.740
to being ready for this item.
02:53:18.740 --> 02:53:23.740
So this proposed extension would be only
02:53:24.070 --> 02:53:27.880
until November 20th, 2020.
02:53:27.880 --> 02:53:30.440
I ask for your support of this item.
02:53:30.440 --> 02:53:32.650
I liked when they don't go into 2021.
02:53:32.650 --> 02:53:34.120
(laughing)
02:53:34.120 --> 02:53:37.310
Does anyone have any comments on item 36?
02:53:39.820 --> 02:53:41.480
It's good.
02:53:41.480 --> 02:53:44.140
Will the agenda clerk please call the roll.
02:53:44.140 --> 02:53:46.160
Commissioner Shiroma.
02:53:46.160 --> 02:53:46.993
Aye.
02:53:46.993 --> 02:53:49.030
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
02:53:49.030 --> 02:53:49.870
Aye.
02:53:49.870 --> 02:53:51.250
Commissioner Randolph.
02:53:52.350 --> 02:53:53.280
Yes.
02:53:53.280 --> 02:53:55.140
Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
02:53:55.140 --> 02:53:55.973
Yeah.
02:53:55.973 --> 02:53:57.440
President Batjer.
02:53:57.440 --> 02:53:58.273
Yes.
02:53:58.273 --> 02:53:59.910
Thank you, the vote is unanimous.
02:53:59.910 --> 02:54:02.390
Moving now on to item 37,
02:54:02.390 --> 02:54:04.310
which is also Commissioner Randolph.
02:54:05.850 --> 02:54:10.850
And this one is going to extend beyond 2020,
02:54:11.000 --> 02:54:12.250
sorry President Batjer.
02:54:13.200 --> 02:54:15.480
This is an order extending statutory deadline
02:54:15.480 --> 02:54:17.350
on the Aliso Canyon OII.
02:54:18.980 --> 02:54:21.200
This is an investigation proceeding to determine
02:54:21.200 --> 02:54:23.480
the feasibility of minimizing or eliminating
02:54:23.480 --> 02:54:26.210
the use of the Aliso Canyon storage facility
02:54:26.210 --> 02:54:29.400
while maintaining reliability in the LA region
02:54:29.400 --> 02:54:31.560
and just in reasonable rates.
02:54:31.560 --> 02:54:33.300
The current deadline for the proceeding
02:54:33.300 --> 02:54:35.990
is August 8th, 2020.
02:54:35.990 --> 02:54:38.570
However, in order to complete phases two and three
02:54:38.570 --> 02:54:42.160
of the proceeding, which are highly technical in nature,
02:54:42.160 --> 02:54:45.380
we need to extend the deadline by 18 months
02:54:45.380 --> 02:54:49.140
to February 11th, 2022.
02:54:49.140 --> 02:54:52.310
That time period aligns with a duration of a contract
02:54:52.310 --> 02:54:53.560
that several weeks ago,
02:54:53.560 --> 02:54:57.190
we executed with an independent expert consultant
02:54:57.190 --> 02:54:59.420
who will develop scenarios that explore
02:54:59.420 --> 02:55:01.730
how to modify the existing system
02:55:01.730 --> 02:55:06.030
to replace Aliso Canyon and its entirety.
02:55:06.030 --> 02:55:07.490
That work is underway.
02:55:09.350 --> 02:55:11.260
My advisors and I had the opportunity
02:55:11.260 --> 02:55:14.180
to meet with the consulting team a few weeks ago.
02:55:14.180 --> 02:55:15.390
And as I mentioned in one of
02:55:15.390 --> 02:55:19.110
my recent Commissioner comments,
02:55:19.110 --> 02:55:24.000
we did have a workshop two weeks ago to go over
02:55:24.000 --> 02:55:27.980
some of the last of the hydraulic modeling.
02:55:27.980 --> 02:55:32.010
So we have one more tranche of modeling to finish analyzing
02:55:32.010 --> 02:55:34.290
the system as it currently exists.
02:55:34.290 --> 02:55:37.240
And fortunately, this independent consultant
02:55:37.240 --> 02:55:39.360
was brought on board in time to attend
02:55:39.360 --> 02:55:44.360
that workshop recently and is hard at work digesting
02:55:46.020 --> 02:55:48.830
the existing modeling that we've done and getting started
02:55:48.830 --> 02:55:52.060
on the analysis that they will do for phase three
02:55:52.060 --> 02:55:52.960
of the proceeding.
02:55:53.850 --> 02:55:56.000
So, thank you, and I ask for your support.
02:55:57.520 --> 02:55:58.540
I have a quick question.
02:55:58.540 --> 02:56:01.270
So the independent consultant
02:56:01.270 --> 02:56:03.960
which we have brought on FTI consulting,
02:56:04.860 --> 02:56:09.830
they will not be finished with their work until 2022?
02:56:13.340 --> 02:56:15.540
I think there'll be able to.
02:56:15.540 --> 02:56:17.490
As I understand their work plans,
02:56:17.490 --> 02:56:21.560
a significant amount of it will happen in 2021.
02:56:23.350 --> 02:56:26.840
But I think we wanna make sure that we have enough time
02:56:26.840 --> 02:56:29.650
for them to fully complete their analysis
02:56:29.650 --> 02:56:34.650
and present alternatives and have the parties comment
02:56:35.530 --> 02:56:38.560
on those alternatives and prepare a proposed decision.
02:56:38.560 --> 02:56:39.430
So we really, you know,
02:56:39.430 --> 02:56:43.580
the consultant is gonna be working with us throughout.
02:56:45.653 --> 02:56:49.077
So that 18 months is their entire retention.
02:56:51.290 --> 02:56:54.010
And so we want them to stay with us for
02:56:54.010 --> 02:56:57.570
the entire completion of the process.
02:56:57.570 --> 02:56:58.510
Do you see what I mean?
02:56:58.510 --> 02:57:03.360
So like their heavy lifting will be sooner than 2022.
02:57:03.360 --> 02:57:04.270
Yeah.
02:57:04.270 --> 02:57:06.900
Hopefully, I don't think I knew that timeframe
02:57:06.900 --> 02:57:08.820
when we brought them on board.
02:57:08.820 --> 02:57:09.653
Okay.
02:57:09.653 --> 02:57:12.300
Any other questions on item 37?
02:57:13.480 --> 02:57:16.180
Okay, seeing none, will the agenda clerk
02:57:16.180 --> 02:57:17.470
please call the roll.
02:57:17.470 --> 02:57:19.620
Commissioner Shiroma.
02:57:19.620 --> 02:57:20.453
Aye.
02:57:20.453 --> 02:57:22.350
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
02:57:22.350 --> 02:57:23.183
Aye.
02:57:23.183 --> 02:57:25.200
Commissioner Randolph.
02:57:25.200 --> 02:57:26.040
Yes.
02:57:26.040 --> 02:57:27.900
Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
02:57:27.900 --> 02:57:28.733
Yes.
02:57:28.733 --> 02:57:30.170
President Batjer.
02:57:30.170 --> 02:57:31.150
Yes.
02:57:31.150 --> 02:57:33.690
Item 37 passes unanimously.
02:57:33.690 --> 02:57:36.060
Let's turn in to item 38.
02:57:36.060 --> 02:57:37.890
This is assigned to me.
02:57:37.890 --> 02:57:40.290
This is an order extending statutory deadline.
02:57:40.290 --> 02:57:45.170
Is for the application of 18-07-013.
02:57:45.170 --> 02:57:48.670
Authorization to establish a Diablo Canyon DeCommissioning
02:57:48.670 --> 02:57:51.310
Planning Costs Memorandum Account.
02:57:51.310 --> 02:57:56.310
And consolidated application 18-12-008,
02:57:56.530 --> 02:57:59.850
PG&E is, 2018 Nuclear DeCommissioning
02:57:59.850 --> 02:58:02.280
Cost Trienniel Proceeding.
02:58:02.280 --> 02:58:05.300
In the application, PG&E sought to establish
02:58:05.300 --> 02:58:07.230
a memorandum account to track the cost
02:58:07.230 --> 02:58:08.970
of deCommissioning planning activities
02:58:08.970 --> 02:58:11.380
incremental to those reimbursable from
02:58:11.380 --> 02:58:14.800
the Diablo Canyon Nuclear DeCommissioning Trust Fund.
02:58:14.800 --> 02:58:17.700
Under the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's regulations,
02:58:17.700 --> 02:58:19.930
operators of nuclear power plants,
02:58:19.930 --> 02:58:24.930
they only withdraw up to 3% of the total funding amount
02:58:25.390 --> 02:58:28.870
of the trust fund to use for deCommissioning and planning.
02:58:28.870 --> 02:58:30.960
PG&E believes it will require more than
02:58:30.960 --> 02:58:35.670
the authorized 3% or 37.2 million,
02:58:35.670 --> 02:58:39.180
that NRC rules currently allow PG&E to withdraw
02:58:39.180 --> 02:58:42.340
for the accelerated pre-planning activities.
02:58:42.340 --> 02:58:46.397
PG&E requested, and the NRC granted the use of funds
02:58:48.260 --> 02:58:50.590
from Diablo Canyon nuclear deCommissioning press
02:58:50.590 --> 02:58:51.760
for deCommissioning planning
02:58:51.760 --> 02:58:56.760
above the 3% limitation specified in the NRC regulations.
02:58:56.800 --> 02:59:00.010
The interstate exception, allows for PG&E to withdraw
02:59:00.010 --> 02:59:05.010
up to 187.8 million on the pre-shutdown planning activities.
02:59:06.420 --> 02:59:10.170
And our C staff determined that the trust
02:59:10.170 --> 02:59:12.500
is adequately funded.
02:59:13.425 --> 02:59:15.200
And the withdrawal from the additional funds for
02:59:15.200 --> 02:59:18.700
the pre-planning activities would not adversely impact
02:59:18.700 --> 02:59:22.030
PG&E's ability to complete the deCommissioning process.
02:59:23.543 --> 02:59:28.520
On January 10th, 2020, a joint motion for adoption of
02:59:28.520 --> 02:59:31.120
the settlement agreement was filed by the majority
02:59:31.120 --> 02:59:31.953
of the parties in
02:59:31.953 --> 02:59:36.890
the 2018 Nuclear DeCommissioning Costs Triennial Proceeding.
02:59:36.890 --> 02:59:38.750
Administrative Law Judge Robert Hager
02:59:38.750 --> 02:59:39.900
is currently drafting
02:59:39.900 --> 02:59:43.570
a proposed decision that resolves both of these matters.
02:59:43.570 --> 02:59:46.280
An extension of the statutory deadline
02:59:46.280 --> 02:59:50.660
to December 13th, 2020, is necessary to allow enough time
02:59:50.660 --> 02:59:53.980
to issue a proposed decision for public review and comment,
02:59:53.980 --> 02:59:55.860
and to allow the Commission enough time
02:59:55.860 --> 02:59:59.320
to deliberate and issue its final decision.
02:59:59.320 --> 03:00:03.435
With that, I request your support for item 38.
03:00:03.435 --> 03:00:05.235
Are there any questions or thoughts?
03:00:06.850 --> 03:00:09.900
Seeing none, will the agenda clerk please call the roll.
03:00:09.900 --> 03:00:11.815
Commissioner Shiroma.
03:00:11.815 --> 03:00:12.990
Aye.
03:00:12.990 --> 03:00:14.890
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
03:00:14.890 --> 03:00:15.770
Aye.
03:00:15.770 --> 03:00:17.850
Commissioner Randolph.
03:00:17.850 --> 03:00:18.750
Yes.
03:00:18.750 --> 03:00:21.430
Commissioner Retchtschaffen.
03:00:21.430 --> 03:00:22.320
Yes.
03:00:22.320 --> 03:00:23.760
President Batjer.
03:00:23.760 --> 03:00:24.750
Yes.
03:00:24.750 --> 03:00:26.720
The vote is unanimous, thank you all.
03:00:26.720 --> 03:00:29.050
That completes the regular agenda items.
03:00:29.050 --> 03:00:32.710
We'll now move on to the management reports.
03:00:32.710 --> 03:00:36.620
There's no report for item 42,
03:00:36.620 --> 03:00:39.530
manager report on administrative activities.
03:00:39.530 --> 03:00:43.810
Item 41, report a discussion on recent consumer protections
03:00:43.810 --> 03:00:45.560
and safety activities.
03:00:45.560 --> 03:00:48.840
There is a presentation on the CPUC's oversight
03:00:48.840 --> 03:00:53.120
of the IOU preparation for the 2020 wild fire season
03:00:53.120 --> 03:00:56.920
and the Public Safety Power Shutoff.
03:00:56.920 --> 03:00:59.410
I will now turn to Rachel Peterson,
03:00:59.410 --> 03:01:01.190
deputy executive director of
03:01:01.190 --> 03:01:04.970
the Safety Enforcement and Policy to begin.
03:01:04.970 --> 03:01:06.700
Rachel, are you on the line?
03:01:08.170 --> 03:01:10.000
I am, President Batjer, thank you.
03:01:10.000 --> 03:01:11.350
Can you hear me?
03:01:11.350 --> 03:01:13.050
Yes, loud and clear, wonderful.
03:01:13.050 --> 03:01:13.883
Perfect!
03:01:13.883 --> 03:01:16.050
Wonderful!
All right.
03:01:16.050 --> 03:01:18.850
Good afternoon, President Batjer and Commissioners.
03:01:18.850 --> 03:01:22.430
Thank you very much for the opportunity to present
03:01:22.430 --> 03:01:26.440
to you today on the staff oversight
03:01:26.440 --> 03:01:30.260
of our electric utilities preparation for wildfire
03:01:30.260 --> 03:01:33.510
and Public Safety Power Shutoffs in 2020.
03:01:35.030 --> 03:01:36.190
I am Rachel Peterson.
03:01:36.190 --> 03:01:37.890
I'm the Deputy Executive Director
03:01:37.890 --> 03:01:41.010
for Safety Enforcement and Policy at the Commission.
03:01:41.010 --> 03:01:45.230
I'll be joined by my colleagues Lee Palmer,
03:01:45.230 --> 03:01:47.960
Director of the Safety and Enforcement Division
03:01:47.960 --> 03:01:49.670
and Caroline Thomas Jacobs,
03:01:49.670 --> 03:01:52.250
Director of the Wildfire Safety Division.
03:01:52.250 --> 03:01:53.340
Next slide please.
03:01:56.300 --> 03:02:01.300
So, what I'd like to cover today is the preparation
03:02:02.590 --> 03:02:07.560
that our staff is doing, broken into three parts.
03:02:07.560 --> 03:02:09.650
First, I'll go over the oversight
03:02:09.650 --> 03:02:12.290
that we've conducted leading up
03:02:12.290 --> 03:02:15.780
to the Public Safety Power Shutoff season,
03:02:15.780 --> 03:02:20.780
which generally we're all marking as September 1st, 2020.
03:02:21.350 --> 03:02:23.550
Although we know that some PSPS events
03:02:23.550 --> 03:02:24.800
have been called already.
03:02:25.780 --> 03:02:28.420
Then I'll turn it over to Lee Palmer who will talk
03:02:28.420 --> 03:02:33.390
about SED's enforcement and accountability work
03:02:33.390 --> 03:02:35.550
during the upcoming season.
03:02:35.550 --> 03:02:36.590
And then finally,
03:02:36.590 --> 03:02:40.690
Caroline Thomas Jacobs will speak about how we're looking
03:02:40.690 --> 03:02:45.640
to advance the maturity of the conduct of PSPS,
03:02:48.004 --> 03:02:49.850
excuse me, events over time,
03:02:49.850 --> 03:02:52.700
which generally means reducing their use
03:02:52.700 --> 03:02:53.810
and scope and impact.
03:02:54.940 --> 03:02:55.920
Next slide please.
03:02:58.560 --> 03:03:02.590
So, my first point is I just wanted to locate
03:03:02.590 --> 03:03:06.798
our oversight work in the broader California wildfire
03:03:06.798 --> 03:03:09.040
and PSPS framework.
03:03:09.040 --> 03:03:12.780
We are building on the work of the Commission
03:03:12.780 --> 03:03:17.280
on catastrophic wildfire cost and recovery recommendations.
03:03:17.280 --> 03:03:20.430
We see ourselves as implementing the statutory framework
03:03:20.430 --> 03:03:22.140
of this three significant laws
03:03:22.140 --> 03:03:25.280
that the legislature has passed,
03:03:25.280 --> 03:03:29.110
and the governor assigned to implement wildfire response
03:03:29.110 --> 03:03:34.097
in California, SB 901, AB 1054 and AB 111.
03:03:35.150 --> 03:03:38.310
And very importantly, we are implementing the decisions
03:03:38.310 --> 03:03:40.670
that you have voted on
03:03:40.670 --> 03:03:44.200
with two really core principles at their heart.
03:03:44.200 --> 03:03:46.740
The first is that the utilities themselves
03:03:46.740 --> 03:03:48.960
are operators of their systems.
03:03:48.960 --> 03:03:52.530
They are responsible for safe electric service
03:03:52.530 --> 03:03:56.760
and the safe execution of Public Safety Power Shutoff.
03:03:56.760 --> 03:04:00.240
And the second core principle being that PSPS
03:04:00.240 --> 03:04:03.820
is a wildfire risk mitigation tool of last resort.
03:04:05.080 --> 03:04:09.240
And so, the way we've approached this year is that
03:04:09.240 --> 03:04:14.240
we are looking to conduct oversight of their preparation
03:04:14.830 --> 03:04:18.930
before the season, hold them accountable during the season,
03:04:18.930 --> 03:04:22.690
and then work to advance the maturity of their execution
03:04:22.690 --> 03:04:24.340
of these events after the season.
03:04:25.760 --> 03:04:26.710
Next slide, please.
03:04:30.050 --> 03:04:33.720
I Put this slide in because I just wanted to show you
03:04:33.720 --> 03:04:38.040
the kind of global overview of all the different areas
03:04:38.040 --> 03:04:43.040
in which we're conducting oversight of the IOUs preparation.
03:04:43.470 --> 03:04:46.820
This list comes from the January,
03:04:46.820 --> 03:04:49.840
2020 ruling by President Batjer,
03:04:49.840 --> 03:04:54.020
specifically with respect to PG&E and they're reporting
03:04:54.020 --> 03:04:56.190
on their preparations for PSPS.
03:04:57.428 --> 03:05:00.560
But I have found it to be a very useful list
03:05:00.560 --> 03:05:04.057
in terms of addressing all the different facets
03:05:04.057 --> 03:05:08.830
of these types of events, that it's been helpful for us
03:05:08.830 --> 03:05:11.390
to work with, as far as looking at what
03:05:11.390 --> 03:05:13.530
the different electric IOUs are doing.
03:05:15.240 --> 03:05:16.240
Next slide, please.
03:05:19.240 --> 03:05:22.590
And, here's why I'd like to give a few examples
03:05:22.590 --> 03:05:26.890
of the staff oversight of how the utilities
03:05:26.890 --> 03:05:28.440
are getting prepared.
03:05:28.440 --> 03:05:29.580
As I start this slide,
03:05:29.580 --> 03:05:32.450
I actually wanted to address some of the comments
03:05:32.450 --> 03:05:35.600
that were made at the beginning of today's meeting
03:05:35.600 --> 03:05:39.320
by the commenters and what Commissioner Randolph referenced,
03:05:39.320 --> 03:05:42.490
specifically with respect to our work on ensuring
03:05:42.490 --> 03:05:44.990
the preparedness for persons and communities
03:05:44.990 --> 03:05:46.710
with access and functional needs.
03:05:48.290 --> 03:05:50.810
This actually applies to our work with respect
03:05:50.810 --> 03:05:54.410
to all six electric utilities, not just PG&E.
03:05:56.576 --> 03:06:01.576
Back last fall in 2019, as part of our AB 1054 response,
03:06:02.640 --> 03:06:06.310
we brought in our first ever AFN coordinator,
03:06:06.310 --> 03:06:08.140
David van Dyke is his name.
03:06:08.140 --> 03:06:13.140
And he has been our lead person in terms of connecting
03:06:13.240 --> 03:06:17.540
with people in communities with access and functional needs,
03:06:17.540 --> 03:06:19.310
and really becoming our point person,
03:06:19.310 --> 03:06:22.130
as far as reviewing electric utility action.
03:06:23.100 --> 03:06:24.480
Under your decisions,
03:06:24.480 --> 03:06:28.940
the utilities are under an obligation to consult
03:06:28.940 --> 03:06:33.120
with people in communities with access and functional needs,
03:06:33.120 --> 03:06:35.920
and directly incorporate their feedback
03:06:35.920 --> 03:06:38.600
into their PSPS protocols.
03:06:38.600 --> 03:06:40.160
And that's one of the key activities
03:06:40.160 --> 03:06:41.580
that David has been doing.
03:06:42.440 --> 03:06:44.050
To give you a few examples,
03:06:44.050 --> 03:06:49.050
he is a member of the joint IOU AFN advisory council.
03:06:50.090 --> 03:06:51.920
This is a statewide group that
03:06:51.920 --> 03:06:54.870
the IOUs put together somewhat in advance
03:06:54.870 --> 03:06:57.990
of your recent guidelines decision in May.
03:06:57.990 --> 03:07:01.780
And David is a member of that council along with groups like
03:07:01.780 --> 03:07:06.780
the center for independent living and Vince Taylor
03:07:06.920 --> 03:07:10.380
from the California governor's office of emergency services.
03:07:12.650 --> 03:07:15.740
Specific to the self generation incentive program,
03:07:15.740 --> 03:07:18.850
which a number of speakers mentioned this morning,
03:07:18.850 --> 03:07:22.743
David hosted a meeting last week with a number
03:07:22.743 --> 03:07:27.743
of AFN representatives of both individuals
03:07:28.170 --> 03:07:30.440
and organizations, as well as Cal OES,
03:07:31.358 --> 03:07:35.480
and really walked through a number of the SGA program rules,
03:07:35.480 --> 03:07:38.780
in order to both inform the participants
03:07:38.780 --> 03:07:41.470
as well as obtain feedback about the program.
03:07:42.410 --> 03:07:45.070
And then last, this is not just David,
03:07:45.070 --> 03:07:48.260
but actually across divisional team around the Commission.
03:07:48.260 --> 03:07:50.780
We'll be looking at the update reports
03:07:50.780 --> 03:07:53.950
that the utilities just filed on August 5th,
03:07:53.950 --> 03:07:58.130
also in compliance with your guidelines decision
03:07:58.130 --> 03:08:00.330
to specifically look at this question of
03:08:00.330 --> 03:08:02.900
how they've consulted with AFN communities
03:08:02.900 --> 03:08:04.740
and are incorporating that feedback
03:08:04.740 --> 03:08:07.310
into their PSPS protocols.
03:08:08.270 --> 03:08:10.680
So I hope that gives a little bit of context about the work
03:08:10.680 --> 03:08:14.670
that staff have been doing specific to AFN communities.
03:08:15.900 --> 03:08:19.050
And now just turn to this slide briefly to give
03:08:19.050 --> 03:08:21.260
a few examples of the work we've been doing
03:08:21.260 --> 03:08:23.220
with respect to PG&E.
03:08:23.220 --> 03:08:25.570
This is definitely the company with
03:08:25.570 --> 03:08:28.790
which staff has been spending by far the most time.
03:08:30.320 --> 03:08:34.000
And, just some of the examples I listed here,
03:08:34.000 --> 03:08:37.210
very early on this year, Caroline Thomas Jacob
03:08:37.210 --> 03:08:40.660
in particular urged that the company pivots
03:08:40.660 --> 03:08:43.790
to mobile intensive community research centers,
03:08:43.790 --> 03:08:47.050
because it looked like COVID-19 was going to be with us
03:08:47.050 --> 03:08:48.420
for a while, and sure enough
03:08:48.420 --> 03:08:53.120
that has turned out to be the unfortunate reality.
03:08:53.120 --> 03:08:56.320
We requested and California department of technology
03:08:56.320 --> 03:09:00.720
has conducted a very thorough review of PG&E upgrade
03:09:00.720 --> 03:09:01.650
of its website.
03:09:03.290 --> 03:09:07.130
Our teams and this includes our news and outreach team,
03:09:07.130 --> 03:09:09.930
under Terry Prosper have been observing
03:09:09.930 --> 03:09:12.820
the company's outreach to public safety partners
03:09:12.820 --> 03:09:16.000
at the local county and travel governments,
03:09:16.000 --> 03:09:17.820
as well as their community webinars that
03:09:17.820 --> 03:09:21.865
they've been hosting online because of the requirements
03:09:21.865 --> 03:09:23.860
of public health directive.
03:09:25.060 --> 03:09:28.210
This relationship I would point out is one of the ones
03:09:28.210 --> 03:09:33.210
that failed last year, and it will be the core
03:09:33.420 --> 03:09:36.900
of their success this upcoming season.
03:09:36.900 --> 03:09:39.450
So, we are definitely hoping that those new
03:09:39.450 --> 03:09:43.010
and emerging relationships are building well.
03:09:44.590 --> 03:09:46.884
Our staff tested the accuracy
03:09:46.884 --> 03:09:50.200
of their PSPS portal location information,
03:09:51.610 --> 03:09:54.080
especially for medical baseline customers
03:09:54.080 --> 03:09:58.300
who live behind master meters, such as in mobile home parks.
03:09:58.300 --> 03:10:02.130
So it was something our new GIS expert was able to do.
03:10:02.130 --> 03:10:03.820
And then we've been observing
03:10:03.820 --> 03:10:05.910
their three full-scale exercises
03:10:05.910 --> 03:10:09.500
that PG&E has been conducting along with colleagues
03:10:09.500 --> 03:10:11.420
from Cal OES and CAL FIRE.
03:10:13.350 --> 03:10:14.390
Next slide please.
03:10:17.130 --> 03:10:18.940
Turning to Edison.
03:10:20.230 --> 03:10:23.610
Some more examples of our oversight is that we are requiring
03:10:23.610 --> 03:10:25.790
that they conduct a test notification
03:10:25.790 --> 03:10:28.340
to communication service providers.
03:10:28.340 --> 03:10:31.500
We simply wanna make sure that the company has
03:10:31.500 --> 03:10:33.190
the correct email addresses
03:10:33.190 --> 03:10:35.300
and names of the operational folks
03:10:35.300 --> 03:10:39.120
at different communication service providers to ensure
03:10:39.120 --> 03:10:42.510
that they receive proper notification of the PSPS event.
03:10:43.940 --> 03:10:45.630
Similar to with PG&E,
03:10:45.630 --> 03:10:48.910
we've requested that the department of technology take
03:10:48.910 --> 03:10:51.140
a look at their website improvements,
03:10:51.140 --> 03:10:54.360
especially with respect to whether or not people will
03:10:54.360 --> 03:10:58.510
be able to access their information on their website
03:10:58.510 --> 03:11:01.040
at moments that they have low bandwidth
03:11:01.040 --> 03:11:02.870
or using only mobile phones.
03:11:04.620 --> 03:11:06.480
Specific to Edison as well,
03:11:06.480 --> 03:11:09.770
we have conducted some after action review meetings
03:11:09.770 --> 03:11:12.650
of their May and June near events.
03:11:12.650 --> 03:11:16.370
They notified public safety partners, but ultimately,
03:11:16.370 --> 03:11:18.020
thankfully didn't have to turn off
03:11:18.020 --> 03:11:21.950
the power in May and June, and with CAL FIRE and Cal OES,
03:11:21.950 --> 03:11:25.010
we've been looking back and discussing with the company,
03:11:25.010 --> 03:11:26.510
their decision making process.
03:11:27.800 --> 03:11:28.790
Next slide please.
03:11:30.740 --> 03:11:34.220
And then this is about the other four utilities,
03:11:34.220 --> 03:11:37.920
SDG&E, Bear Valley, Liberty and PacifiCorp.
03:11:37.920 --> 03:11:41.100
I wanna point out that we,
03:11:41.100 --> 03:11:43.260
one thing we did actually for all of them,
03:11:43.260 --> 03:11:46.460
but I put this only on this particular slide is
03:11:46.460 --> 03:11:51.430
that we had staff really talk in depth with all
03:11:51.430 --> 03:11:55.080
of the utilities to ensure that they know
03:11:55.080 --> 03:11:57.470
where their medical baseline customers are.
03:11:58.440 --> 03:12:02.560
Including those who live behind a master meter,
03:12:02.560 --> 03:12:06.740
that their notification tools work to notify those folks.
03:12:06.740 --> 03:12:11.740
And that they are working to create their notifications
03:12:12.250 --> 03:12:16.130
in appropriate languages across their service territories.
03:12:16.130 --> 03:12:19.190
And I just like to point out that doing that work,
03:12:19.190 --> 03:12:21.570
we really looked at three different decisions
03:12:21.570 --> 03:12:23.840
that you all voted on in the last few months.
03:12:24.870 --> 03:12:29.310
One on PSPS, the relevant languages decision
03:12:29.310 --> 03:12:31.940
from the wildfire mitigation plans
03:12:31.940 --> 03:12:34.870
and the disconnections and reconnection decision
03:12:34.870 --> 03:12:36.950
that you voted on not long ago.
03:12:38.210 --> 03:12:41.750
Right now there's a cross division step effort going on
03:12:41.750 --> 03:12:45.840
to review their websites to ensure that transparency
03:12:45.840 --> 03:12:47.710
and communication standards are met.
03:12:47.710 --> 03:12:49.720
So there's folks taking a close look
03:12:49.720 --> 03:12:53.180
at every utilities web pages to ensure
03:12:53.180 --> 03:12:55.210
that they discuss transparently,
03:12:55.210 --> 03:12:57.480
how they make their PSPS decisions.
03:12:59.320 --> 03:13:03.750
And then last, apart from PG&E, because PG&E
03:13:03.750 --> 03:13:06.980
is reporting every two weeks to us and to you
03:13:06.980 --> 03:13:10.320
about their PSPS preparations,
03:13:10.320 --> 03:13:15.320
our staff conducted thorough briefings back in early June,
03:13:15.720 --> 03:13:18.190
in which we ask them to brief us thoroughly
03:13:18.190 --> 03:13:19.700
on their preparations,
03:13:19.700 --> 03:13:24.320
alongside their adjustment for COVID-19 and links
03:13:24.320 --> 03:13:28.040
to those briefing decks are available on our PSPS page.
03:13:29.890 --> 03:13:31.190
Next slide, please.
03:13:32.830 --> 03:13:36.880
This is where I turn it over to Lee Palmer to talk about
03:13:36.880 --> 03:13:40.110
the work that his division will be doing
03:13:40.110 --> 03:13:41.760
during the upcoming season.
03:13:41.760 --> 03:13:42.810
Thanks Commissioners.
03:13:43.880 --> 03:13:44.860
Rachel, I don't know,
03:13:44.860 --> 03:13:47.380
are we gonna take questions after President Batjer,
03:13:47.380 --> 03:13:49.680
but I just had a couple of followup questions.
03:13:50.990 --> 03:13:52.280
I can go, however you'd like
03:13:52.280 --> 03:13:53.930
to answer, now or later.
03:13:57.280 --> 03:13:59.640
Okay, well, let me just ask a couple,
03:13:59.640 --> 03:14:02.900
which is on that local government in particular,
03:14:06.660 --> 03:14:11.250
you know, we have continued concerns coming in
03:14:11.250 --> 03:14:12.600
from local government.
03:14:12.600 --> 03:14:15.980
I just know of one particular letter from Lake County.
03:14:17.441 --> 03:14:21.923
And, I wonder, are we evaluating some sort
03:14:22.830 --> 03:14:27.360
of sub metrics under, you mentioned that we're participating
03:14:27.360 --> 03:14:31.760
in the sessions that utilities are having
03:14:31.760 --> 03:14:36.630
with the local government, but are we confirming
03:14:36.630 --> 03:14:41.630
or doing drills on that communication, you know,
03:14:42.440 --> 03:14:46.160
confirming, they've identified critical facilities,
03:14:46.160 --> 03:14:47.670
points of contact.
03:14:47.670 --> 03:14:49.440
And certainly one of the items raised
03:14:49.440 --> 03:14:52.360
in that Lake County letter in terms of backup generation?
03:14:54.830 --> 03:14:57.230
Yes, I can speak to some of that Commissioners.
03:14:57.230 --> 03:15:01.620
So, in the sense of drills, so first of all,
03:15:01.620 --> 03:15:05.940
in the PG&E's full-scale exercises,
03:15:05.940 --> 03:15:10.260
they have been running tests notifications in that
03:15:10.260 --> 03:15:14.300
they are both sending out to their email lists,
03:15:16.110 --> 03:15:19.790
test notifications of their simulations
03:15:19.790 --> 03:15:22.980
of what would be happening during an actual event.
03:15:22.980 --> 03:15:25.190
And as part of the after action review,
03:15:25.190 --> 03:15:28.020
one thing that we ask them is whether or not they know
03:15:28.020 --> 03:15:30.710
that those emails landed with the right people,
03:15:30.710 --> 03:15:33.890
especially at the local County and tribal levels.
03:15:33.890 --> 03:15:38.890
They invited every local county
03:15:39.490 --> 03:15:42.850
and tribal representative that they have been working
03:15:42.850 --> 03:15:44.760
with to those exercises.
03:15:44.760 --> 03:15:48.610
And so those representatives have been able to watch
03:15:48.610 --> 03:15:52.100
as observers because these are happening in
03:15:52.100 --> 03:15:55.900
a virtual environment, and then those folks can also see
03:15:55.900 --> 03:16:00.180
whether or not they received the simulated notifications.
03:16:01.230 --> 03:16:04.280
So, that's kind of specific to the question of whether
03:16:04.280 --> 03:16:06.050
or not their systems are working.
03:16:07.810 --> 03:16:11.880
PG&E also developed a PSPS portal,
03:16:11.880 --> 03:16:15.500
and that portal has the opportunity
03:16:15.500 --> 03:16:18.180
for government representatives,
03:16:18.180 --> 03:16:21.420
who are permitted to see confidential information,
03:16:21.420 --> 03:16:26.310
to sign up and become a validated user.
03:16:27.170 --> 03:16:28.930
That means that during an event,
03:16:28.930 --> 03:16:33.560
they would be able to use that portal to track the location
03:16:33.560 --> 03:16:37.970
of critical facilities and medical baseline customers
03:16:37.970 --> 03:16:40.370
on de-energized circuits.
03:16:40.370 --> 03:16:42.580
So they would receive the most detailed
03:16:42.580 --> 03:16:44.960
and confidential information.
03:16:44.960 --> 03:16:49.960
And PG&E has been doing webinars weekly at this point during
03:16:50.790 --> 03:16:53.720
all of July and probably into August to train people
03:16:53.720 --> 03:16:55.200
on how to use that portal.
03:16:56.110 --> 03:16:58.260
So those are a couple of examples.
03:16:58.260 --> 03:17:01.410
I would say the last piece is that basically every time
03:17:01.410 --> 03:17:03.670
we receive communication,
03:17:03.670 --> 03:17:07.670
say from Lake County or another county asking for,
03:17:07.670 --> 03:17:10.580
to be put in touch with the right person or to say,
03:17:10.580 --> 03:17:12.360
you know, that something is not quite going right,
03:17:12.360 --> 03:17:14.170
as far as the relationship,
03:17:14.170 --> 03:17:17.610
our staff has really endeavored to get them in touch with
03:17:17.610 --> 03:17:20.540
the right public safety specialist at the company
03:17:20.540 --> 03:17:24.320
and to make sure that those conversations occur.
03:17:27.360 --> 03:17:29.860
I hope I answered all parts of your questions but,
03:17:32.420 --> 03:17:33.370
let me know if not.
03:17:49.720 --> 03:17:51.870
I think the commisioner is dialing back in.
03:17:55.000 --> 03:17:56.640
That might take a few minutes 'cause she has
03:17:56.640 --> 03:17:57.630
to go through the operator.
03:17:57.630 --> 03:18:00.720
So maybe somebody else might wanna ask a question.
03:18:00.720 --> 03:18:01.920
Sure.
03:18:01.920 --> 03:18:05.740
Rachel, what do you see as the biggest execution risks
03:18:05.740 --> 03:18:08.730
in the upcoming fire season,
03:18:10.310 --> 03:18:11.310
especially for PG&E?
03:18:12.710 --> 03:18:14.640
Yeah, so, specific to PG&E,
03:18:14.640 --> 03:18:19.640
I think it actually is, that exact risk Commissioner.
03:18:19.670 --> 03:18:23.380
It's the risk of actual execution.
03:18:23.380 --> 03:18:28.380
So, what we have been tracking at the staff level is
03:18:28.440 --> 03:18:31.980
the improvement of many tools and processes,
03:18:32.911 --> 03:18:36.060
and the introduction of new people
03:18:36.060 --> 03:18:40.840
into this overall emergency response, essentially.
03:18:40.840 --> 03:18:44.190
So, let's say new weather stations, new cameras,
03:18:45.550 --> 03:18:47.590
new public safety specialists assigned
03:18:47.590 --> 03:18:49.340
to different counties.
03:18:49.340 --> 03:18:52.790
The PSPS portal alone is a brand new tool.
03:18:53.920 --> 03:18:56.140
All the sectionalization devices that
03:18:56.140 --> 03:18:57.760
the company has installed,
03:18:57.760 --> 03:19:00.650
and it's gonna continue installing on their grid.
03:19:00.650 --> 03:19:03.440
The question is, does all that come together,
03:19:03.440 --> 03:19:06.110
such that in their incident response,
03:19:06.110 --> 03:19:08.150
in their incident command room,
03:19:08.150 --> 03:19:10.340
they can draw on all those tools?
03:19:11.350 --> 03:19:13.700
Hopefully, protect some customers
03:19:13.700 --> 03:19:16.280
from actual de-energization because they know
03:19:16.280 --> 03:19:18.400
that sectionalizing devices working
03:19:18.400 --> 03:19:22.210
or temporary backup generation is located
03:19:22.210 --> 03:19:24.640
at a given critical facility.
03:19:24.640 --> 03:19:27.580
Can they bring all those tools together and execute
03:19:27.580 --> 03:19:30.730
a well done de-energization.
03:19:34.260 --> 03:19:35.093
Thank you.
03:19:43.430 --> 03:19:48.097
Are there are any other questions before we go to Lee?
03:19:50.130 --> 03:19:50.963
It looks like none.
03:19:50.963 --> 03:19:55.480
So, Lee, do you wanna discuss your division's work upcoming?
03:19:56.340 --> 03:19:57.310
Yes, excellent.
03:19:57.310 --> 03:19:58.143
Thank you very much.
03:19:58.143 --> 03:19:59.850
First of all, can everyone hear me okay?
03:20:00.830 --> 03:20:01.790
Right.
03:20:01.790 --> 03:20:04.010
Good afternoon, President Batjer and Commissioners.
03:20:04.010 --> 03:20:05.050
And thank you again.
03:20:05.050 --> 03:20:06.880
Just wanna big up Rachel here,
03:20:06.880 --> 03:20:09.720
thank you for your time and continued interest in
03:20:09.720 --> 03:20:14.120
what I myself and those with the most call in SED, consider
03:20:14.120 --> 03:20:17.580
a significant concern to the safety and delivery
03:20:17.580 --> 03:20:19.150
of reliable service of utilities
03:20:19.150 --> 03:20:21.170
to the people of California.
03:20:21.170 --> 03:20:23.880
The Wildfire Safety and Enforcement Branch consists
03:20:23.880 --> 03:20:27.300
of 14 staff led by program manager, Tony gnome.
03:20:27.300 --> 03:20:30.320
The staffs consists of public utility regulatory analyst,
03:20:30.320 --> 03:20:32.540
Purs and utility engineers.
03:20:32.540 --> 03:20:35.290
That's mainly scenery towed engineers
03:20:35.290 --> 03:20:36.730
with one utility engineer.
03:20:36.730 --> 03:20:38.970
And they are charged with conducting investigations
03:20:38.970 --> 03:20:41.680
and analysis of potential utility costs,
03:20:41.680 --> 03:20:44.240
wildfires and PSPS events,
03:20:44.240 --> 03:20:47.040
along with reviewing and enforcing regulations,
03:20:47.040 --> 03:20:49.370
policies and legislation designed
03:20:49.370 --> 03:20:50.960
to hold utilities accountable
03:20:50.960 --> 03:20:53.140
for providing California's act with the safe
03:20:53.140 --> 03:20:55.590
and reliable utility infrastructure and services.
03:20:57.102 --> 03:20:58.330
So just a little bit of history,
03:20:58.330 --> 03:21:00.180
the Wildfire Safety and Enforcement Branch,
03:21:00.180 --> 03:21:05.180
or a WSEB has been in development really since 2016,
03:21:05.530 --> 03:21:08.293
when the idea was first floated within SED.
03:21:08.293 --> 03:21:10.310
And that's really when, at least within SED,
03:21:10.310 --> 03:21:14.250
we were recognizing wildfires and later PSPS events and
03:21:14.250 --> 03:21:17.020
the danger that they pose a significant threat to the safety
03:21:17.020 --> 03:21:20.540
and reliability of utility service to all Californians.
03:21:21.500 --> 03:21:24.099
So, through the Wildfire Safety and Enforcement Branch,
03:21:24.099 --> 03:21:28.610
the CPUC and specifically SED now have a dedicated team with
03:21:28.610 --> 03:21:30.150
a specific mission focus
03:21:31.100 --> 03:21:33.720
of enforcing existing general orders,
03:21:33.720 --> 03:21:35.800
primarily GO 95 in our case
03:21:35.800 --> 03:21:38.430
and regulations public utility codes with regards
03:21:38.430 --> 03:21:40.760
to wildfires and PSPS events.
03:21:40.760 --> 03:21:43.380
Again, with the end goal being to not only mitigate
03:21:43.380 --> 03:21:46.380
the wildfire in the first place through proper enforcement,
03:21:46.380 --> 03:21:49.940
but also ensure that PSPS events or far in between
03:21:49.940 --> 03:21:52.490
and they're truly being used as a last resort.
03:21:53.610 --> 03:21:54.820
The establishment of
03:21:54.820 --> 03:21:57.760
the Wildfire Safety and Enforcement Branch gives SED both
03:21:57.760 --> 03:22:00.850
the capacity and flexibility to continue performing,
03:22:00.850 --> 03:22:03.920
regulatory required Electric sodi audits,
03:22:03.920 --> 03:22:07.220
conducted by ESRB, Electric Safety and Reliability Branch,
03:22:07.220 --> 03:22:11.320
non-fire investigations, and respond to consumer concerns
03:22:11.320 --> 03:22:12.840
while having a dedicated staff
03:22:12.840 --> 03:22:16.440
to investigate current wildfire and PSPS events so
03:22:16.440 --> 03:22:20.010
that we can do this in a more timely and consistent manner.
03:22:20.010 --> 03:22:23.360
Again, that is a goal of SED, we're trying to get to timely
03:22:23.360 --> 03:22:26.260
and consistent in both our investigations and enforcement.
03:22:28.450 --> 03:22:30.070
In the course of their numerous activities,
03:22:30.070 --> 03:22:31.760
the Wildfire Safety and Enforcerment Branch
03:22:31.760 --> 03:22:34.640
is positioned through existing and developing memorandums
03:22:34.640 --> 03:22:38.280
of understanding, and also nondisclosure agreements
03:22:38.280 --> 03:22:41.010
to work in contract with CAL FIRE, Cal OES
03:22:41.010 --> 03:22:43.090
and the Wildfire Safety Division,
03:22:43.090 --> 03:22:44.410
so they may provide and form
03:22:44.410 --> 03:22:47.120
a complete investigation report and findings.
03:22:47.120 --> 03:22:50.560
This collaboration includes sharing training,
03:22:50.560 --> 03:22:52.460
which I'll talk about a little bit later,
03:22:52.460 --> 03:22:53.760
sharing of information,
03:22:53.760 --> 03:22:55.180
which is vital for all of us in
03:22:55.180 --> 03:22:57.730
the wildfire and PSPS community,
03:22:57.730 --> 03:23:00.880
and the oversight investigation sites and other activities.
03:23:02.520 --> 03:23:05.350
So, to date wildfire safety enforcement staff,
03:23:05.350 --> 03:23:07.130
as well as other key staff in the safety
03:23:07.130 --> 03:23:09.190
and enforcement division have worked tirelessly
03:23:09.190 --> 03:23:12.110
to coordinate with its state partners and utilities
03:23:12.110 --> 03:23:15.490
to participate in utility organized PSPS exercises,
03:23:15.490 --> 03:23:17.310
which Rachel alluded to earlier.
03:23:17.310 --> 03:23:19.290
Wildfire mitigation plan would be used,
03:23:19.290 --> 03:23:22.320
which that was in contract with Caroline's group WSD.
03:23:23.393 --> 03:23:24.910
And mitigate impacts to both
03:23:24.910 --> 03:23:26.510
the state and local communities.
03:23:28.509 --> 03:23:29.659
And next slide, please.
03:23:32.820 --> 03:23:34.190
Within this toolbox,
03:23:34.190 --> 03:23:36.030
the Wildfire Safety and Enforcement Brands
03:23:36.030 --> 03:23:38.650
is a corporate staff that are being trained and some already
03:23:38.650 --> 03:23:41.410
are trained to be subject matter experts with regards
03:23:41.410 --> 03:23:42.860
to wildfires and PSPS events.
03:23:44.144 --> 03:23:46.540
The staff is learning from the experience of
03:23:46.540 --> 03:23:48.370
the SED during the Butte fire of 16,
03:23:48.370 --> 03:23:52.660
the North Bay fires of 17, the campfire of 2018,
03:23:52.660 --> 03:23:56.360
and the numerous PSPS events over the past two years.
03:23:56.360 --> 03:23:59.330
And it's gearing up to serve as the central CPUC and
03:23:59.330 --> 03:24:01.960
enforcement authority points of contact with regards
03:24:01.960 --> 03:24:03.520
to wildfires and PSPS events.
03:24:04.660 --> 03:24:06.920
This includes ongoing review and investigation
03:24:06.920 --> 03:24:09.690
of potential utility cost wildfire events,
03:24:09.690 --> 03:24:12.250
review of utility wildfire mitigation plans,
03:24:12.250 --> 03:24:15.500
and review of ongoing PSPS events, and the development
03:24:15.500 --> 03:24:18.880
of future wildfire and PSPS policies and regulations
03:24:18.880 --> 03:24:20.580
with the safety policies division.
03:24:22.490 --> 03:24:24.990
The staff of the Wildfire Safety Enforcement Branch,
03:24:24.990 --> 03:24:26.340
as well as key staff from SED
03:24:26.340 --> 03:24:30.290
is currently undergoing training and SEMS, ICS,
03:24:30.290 --> 03:24:33.330
and other emergency response protocols to ensure
03:24:33.330 --> 03:24:35.350
that we ourselves are equipped and prepared
03:24:35.350 --> 03:24:37.480
to effectively interact with Cal OES,
03:24:37.480 --> 03:24:40.540
CAL FIRE and the utility staff during
03:24:40.540 --> 03:24:42.770
and after their PSPS events, as well
03:24:42.770 --> 03:24:45.170
as any other future emergency event that comes up.
03:24:45.170 --> 03:24:46.800
I know this is mainly about PSPS,
03:24:46.800 --> 03:24:49.590
but this is gonna be an asset throughout the Commission
03:24:49.590 --> 03:24:51.540
if any other emergency event did arise.
03:24:53.500 --> 03:24:56.568
Wildfire Safety and Enforcement Branch staff,
03:24:56.568 --> 03:24:58.810
will co locate with the utility
03:24:58.810 --> 03:25:00.830
and their respective emergency operations center
03:25:00.830 --> 03:25:04.270
during PSPS events, to not only oversee the event
03:25:04.270 --> 03:25:06.390
in terms of regulatory authority,
03:25:06.390 --> 03:25:09.860
but also to provide support as required to the utility
03:25:09.860 --> 03:25:12.180
and Commission during the event.
03:25:12.180 --> 03:25:15.020
With this dedicated staff SED anticipates and expects
03:25:15.020 --> 03:25:18.950
to be intimately involved and engage in PSPS events,
03:25:18.950 --> 03:25:22.120
training, mitigation, and post event review.
03:25:23.040 --> 03:25:25.290
Additionally, the new branch is integrated
03:25:25.290 --> 03:25:27.130
with the utility PSPS planning
03:25:27.130 --> 03:25:29.360
and community outreach efforts.
03:25:29.360 --> 03:25:31.520
So, going back to an earlier question, we have,
03:25:31.520 --> 03:25:36.300
we attract any community concerns, whether it's by,
03:25:36.300 --> 03:25:39.810
you know, the local community or another state agency.
03:25:39.810 --> 03:25:42.100
And each one of them is ran down and we'll look
03:25:42.100 --> 03:25:43.550
into each one to ensure that one,
03:25:43.550 --> 03:25:45.090
the utility is following up and two,
03:25:45.090 --> 03:25:46.550
have we missed something ourselves.
03:25:46.550 --> 03:25:49.390
So when the next review comes, has this been captured?
03:25:50.290 --> 03:25:53.240
This will all lead to a more timely and transparent effort.
03:25:55.800 --> 03:25:58.370
Well, for Safety Enforcement Branch is additionally charged
03:25:58.370 --> 03:25:59.750
with the review and consumption
03:25:59.750 --> 03:26:02.970
of the utilities 10 day post PSPS event reports.
03:26:03.880 --> 03:26:08.430
Currently, there's an effort underway in reviewing both
03:26:08.430 --> 03:26:11.720
the pre and post event reporting and training requirements
03:26:11.720 --> 03:26:13.510
with the expectation to make the posted
03:26:13.510 --> 03:26:16.800
that reports both more transparent and also hold
03:26:16.800 --> 03:26:19.100
the IOUs more accountable to ensuring
03:26:19.100 --> 03:26:22.800
the PSPS event was appropriately executed and incorporated
03:26:22.800 --> 03:26:24.530
the safety needs and requirements
03:26:24.530 --> 03:26:26.330
of the communities that are affected
03:26:27.850 --> 03:26:28.800
Next slide, please.
03:26:32.330 --> 03:26:34.610
So, for the current wildfire and PSPS, then
03:26:34.610 --> 03:26:37.460
the Wildfire Safety Enforcement Branch continues staffing
03:26:37.460 --> 03:26:39.410
in the course of AB 1054,
03:26:39.410 --> 03:26:43.640
as well as its predecessors, SB 901 and SB 1028.
03:26:44.571 --> 03:26:47.510
As of today, WSEB has eight of 14 positions staffed
03:26:47.510 --> 03:26:50.190
with all remaining positions currently in the posting
03:26:50.190 --> 03:26:53.840
or hiring process in the constraint curvature guidelines,
03:26:53.840 --> 03:26:56.490
Additionally, WSEB is involved
03:26:56.490 --> 03:27:01.170
with ongoing PSPS wildfire event reviews and investigations
03:27:01.170 --> 03:27:03.420
and Commission proceedings involving wildfire
03:27:03.420 --> 03:27:05.790
and PSPS policy and execution.
03:27:05.790 --> 03:27:07.580
Again, with the end goal of making
03:27:07.580 --> 03:27:10.680
the post 10 day review process,
03:27:10.680 --> 03:27:14.650
more seamless, more transparent, but also applying metrics
03:27:14.650 --> 03:27:17.300
to, was it executed in an appropriate manner.
03:27:18.960 --> 03:27:19.800
Effective this year,
03:27:19.800 --> 03:27:21.540
the Wildfire Safety and Enforcement Branch
03:27:21.540 --> 03:27:23.940
has assumed primary investigative responsibility
03:27:23.940 --> 03:27:26.180
for all wildfire events potentially
03:27:26.180 --> 03:27:29.320
caused by utility infrastructure and current PSPS events.
03:27:30.580 --> 03:27:33.620
Since WSEB is still in the staffing process,
03:27:33.620 --> 03:27:36.630
its current staff will be augmented by existing staff from
03:27:36.630 --> 03:27:40.880
the Electric Safety and Reliability Branch, ESRB
03:27:40.880 --> 03:27:42.800
which has extensive knowledge and experience
03:27:42.800 --> 03:27:45.310
in investigating wildfires and PSPS events.
03:27:46.300 --> 03:27:48.710
This means that once a wildfire PSPS event
03:27:48.710 --> 03:27:51.430
is identified, over notified
03:27:51.430 --> 03:27:53.170
the Wildfire Safety Enforcement Branch
03:27:53.170 --> 03:27:54.770
will immediately coordinate with the WSEB
03:27:54.770 --> 03:27:57.490
to identify appropriate investigators dedicated
03:27:57.490 --> 03:27:58.470
to that event.
03:27:59.310 --> 03:28:03.170
These investigations include staff onsite investigations
03:28:03.170 --> 03:28:06.040
of the incident, the issuing of data requests
03:28:06.040 --> 03:28:08.690
to the involved utility, and most importantly,
03:28:08.690 --> 03:28:10.820
and coordinating with our sister state agencies
03:28:10.820 --> 03:28:12.720
and local communities to ensure
03:28:12.720 --> 03:28:14.850
that this current service being provided is
03:28:14.850 --> 03:28:16.130
both safe and reliable.
03:28:18.270 --> 03:28:19.900
In short, the establishment of
03:28:19.900 --> 03:28:21.530
the Wildfire Safety Enforcement Branch
03:28:21.530 --> 03:28:25.420
is a significant upgrade in the SED and CPUC toolbox
03:28:25.420 --> 03:28:27.270
in relation to holding utilities accountable
03:28:27.270 --> 03:28:29.670
for wildfire and PSPS events.
03:28:29.670 --> 03:28:32.150
As it again, provided dedicated staff
03:28:32.150 --> 03:28:34.578
who will be subject matter experts of PSPS
03:28:34.578 --> 03:28:37.350
and the wildfire policy and regulations.
03:28:37.350 --> 03:28:39.380
The WSEB work in coordination with
03:28:39.380 --> 03:28:41.050
the Wildfire Safety Division
03:28:41.050 --> 03:28:45.070
and it's other state partners provides dedicated trainings,
03:28:45.070 --> 03:28:47.570
trained staff who will assist the Commission
03:28:47.570 --> 03:28:50.180
and be more proactive to the mitigation of wildfires,
03:28:50.180 --> 03:28:53.940
and the review of PSPS events and will result in more timely
03:28:53.940 --> 03:28:56.490
and consistent enforcement to potential violations.
03:28:58.590 --> 03:29:00.010
That concludes my part.
03:29:00.010 --> 03:29:02.470
I just wanna see if there's any questions before I pass it
03:29:02.470 --> 03:29:04.550
on to Caroline to discuss the activities of
03:29:04.550 --> 03:29:06.000
the Wildfire Safety Division.
03:29:09.820 --> 03:29:11.370
Sorry, Commissioner Randolph.
03:29:13.080 --> 03:29:18.080
You mentioned more complete review of the 10 day reports.
03:29:18.560 --> 03:29:23.290
Do you have a target timeframe where you wanna turn
03:29:23.290 --> 03:29:25.410
those reports around in terms of review
03:29:26.270 --> 03:29:28.480
so that we ensure a timely review of those reports.
03:29:28.480 --> 03:29:30.990
Do you have a specific target you're trying to meet?
03:29:32.000 --> 03:29:33.720
Yes, thank you.
03:29:33.720 --> 03:29:36.190
So, initially there was no metric,
03:29:36.190 --> 03:29:38.600
there was no timeframe behind how long we had to review
03:29:38.600 --> 03:29:40.350
that 10 day report.
03:29:40.350 --> 03:29:43.080
And depending on the size of the event, the scale of it,
03:29:43.080 --> 03:29:44.930
how many communities were de-energized,
03:29:44.930 --> 03:29:47.790
that 10 day report could be anywhere from a few pages long
03:29:47.790 --> 03:29:50.110
to 20 to 30 pages long.
03:29:50.110 --> 03:29:52.610
And, initially the staff that was reviewing them
03:29:52.610 --> 03:29:55.360
were also tasked with other events as well,
03:29:55.360 --> 03:29:58.170
that may be outside that PSPS event.
03:29:58.170 --> 03:30:01.310
So now with the Wildfire Safety Enforcement Branch,
03:30:01.310 --> 03:30:03.480
the staff is there to be dedicated to that event
03:30:03.480 --> 03:30:06.860
so they can see it from a to Z in terms of completion.
03:30:06.860 --> 03:30:09.160
Once the utility provides a report in 10 days,
03:30:09.160 --> 03:30:12.250
it is my goal that the branch turning around
03:30:12.250 --> 03:30:14.610
within 15 days of receipt.
03:30:14.610 --> 03:30:18.630
In order to facilitate that, the program manager Tony Gnome,
03:30:18.630 --> 03:30:21.280
myself as well as others are currently looking at
03:30:21.280 --> 03:30:25.670
the review process and how the 10 day report is structured.
03:30:25.670 --> 03:30:27.620
And what we're attempting to do is come up
03:30:27.620 --> 03:30:30.600
with actual metrics and a more formalized way
03:30:30.600 --> 03:30:33.860
that the utilities provide inputs that tend to have report.
03:30:33.860 --> 03:30:37.190
So one, we can ensure that we're only reviewing
03:30:37.190 --> 03:30:40.160
what's vital in terms of safety and execution of
03:30:40.160 --> 03:30:44.500
the PSPS events, and two, make more streamlined process
03:30:44.500 --> 03:30:46.350
that's easier to bring other staff on board
03:30:46.350 --> 03:30:47.510
if a surge is needed.
03:30:48.580 --> 03:30:51.170
I'm hoping to have that new template by the end of August.
03:30:52.120 --> 03:30:53.570
Okay, thank you.
03:30:53.570 --> 03:30:54.970
You also mentioned making
03:30:54.970 --> 03:30:56.640
the reports more transparent.
03:30:56.640 --> 03:30:58.940
Is there anything else you can say about that?
03:31:00.170 --> 03:31:04.230
So, right now there is a PSPS webpage
03:31:04.230 --> 03:31:05.120
that is public.
03:31:06.320 --> 03:31:08.760
It is in the process of being updated,
03:31:08.760 --> 03:31:10.490
and maybe talk about, later on today.
03:31:10.490 --> 03:31:11.790
And if anyone wants to talk about, later,
03:31:11.790 --> 03:31:13.820
I'm more than happy to discuss.
03:31:13.820 --> 03:31:16.410
But, the sort of the bottom line up front here
03:31:16.410 --> 03:31:18.050
is we reviewed those reports.
03:31:18.050 --> 03:31:21.760
I wanna make sure that when we designed the new template,
03:31:21.760 --> 03:31:25.270
it's very clear exactly what SED was looking for in each
03:31:25.270 --> 03:31:27.260
of those sections of the template.
03:31:27.260 --> 03:31:28.240
There's no question of, well,
03:31:28.240 --> 03:31:31.910
how did SED decide this is why this was reasonable
03:31:31.910 --> 03:31:33.080
or this wasn't.
03:31:33.080 --> 03:31:35.480
I wanna have this measurable items in there
03:31:35.480 --> 03:31:36.620
so it's very transparent.
03:31:36.620 --> 03:31:38.180
This is how SED will reach
03:31:38.180 --> 03:31:40.880
the conclusion of this was reasonable,
03:31:40.880 --> 03:31:42.080
this was not reasonable.
03:31:43.490 --> 03:31:45.610
Did that answer your question Commissioner?
03:31:45.610 --> 03:31:46.460
Yes, thank you.
03:31:54.710 --> 03:31:57.390
Thanks lee that was really terrific, very helpful.
03:31:58.360 --> 03:31:59.193
Thank you, President Batjer.
03:31:59.193 --> 03:32:01.050
I'll be followed by Caroline with WSD.
03:32:01.970 --> 03:32:03.400
Sounds good, thank you.
03:32:05.120 --> 03:32:07.310
Great, thank you Lee and good afternoon,
03:32:07.310 --> 03:32:09.510
President Batjer and Commissioners.
03:32:09.510 --> 03:32:11.170
Thank you for the opportunity to present on
03:32:11.170 --> 03:32:14.050
a lot of our safety divisions continued work to ensure that
03:32:14.050 --> 03:32:15.890
the electrical corporations are executing
03:32:15.890 --> 03:32:19.300
on their wildfire safety and mitigation commitments.
03:32:19.300 --> 03:32:20.140
As you are aware,
03:32:20.140 --> 03:32:22.260
the Wildfire Safety Division was established as
03:32:22.260 --> 03:32:23.730
of January this year.
03:32:23.730 --> 03:32:25.380
And our first task was to evaluate
03:32:25.380 --> 03:32:28.300
the 2020 wildfire mitigation plans submitted by
03:32:28.300 --> 03:32:30.810
the eight electric corporations.
03:32:30.810 --> 03:32:33.440
The lots of which we reported out in
03:32:33.440 --> 03:32:35.160
the June 11th Commission meeting.
03:32:36.090 --> 03:32:37.280
And if you don't mind, if you can flip
03:32:37.280 --> 03:32:39.290
to the next slide, please.
03:32:39.290 --> 03:32:42.580
These plans for the first time require the utilities
03:32:42.580 --> 03:32:43.950
to articulate their plan,
03:32:43.950 --> 03:32:47.510
to reduce wildfire risk over a three year time period.
03:32:47.510 --> 03:32:49.740
From the moment the division was established
03:32:49.740 --> 03:32:52.640
however, we understood the urgency of the mission
03:32:52.640 --> 03:32:55.270
and that this year 2020 is a critical year
03:32:55.270 --> 03:32:57.940
to ensuring there is meaningful improvements
03:32:57.940 --> 03:33:01.010
in wildfire safety and Public Safety Power Shutoff.
03:33:01.010 --> 03:33:02.580
So to that end, in parallel
03:33:02.580 --> 03:33:05.000
to conducting our formal evaluation of
03:33:05.000 --> 03:33:07.270
the 2020 wildfire mitigation plans,
03:33:07.270 --> 03:33:10.210
we immediately began working in close collaboration with
03:33:10.210 --> 03:33:12.670
the Safety Enforcement Division on overseeing
03:33:12.670 --> 03:33:15.660
the utility's near term actions to reduce wildfire risk,
03:33:15.660 --> 03:33:18.580
and reduce the scope and scale of potential PSPS events.
03:33:19.950 --> 03:33:22.490
In late March, with the ever emerging impact
03:33:22.490 --> 03:33:24.780
of COVID-19 on daily life,
03:33:24.780 --> 03:33:27.780
the division alongside CAL FIRE and Cal OES,
03:33:27.780 --> 03:33:29.190
issued a letter to the utilities,
03:33:29.190 --> 03:33:32.390
reaffirming our expectations that they maintain a clear
03:33:32.390 --> 03:33:35.680
and persistent focus on wildfire mitigation activities
03:33:35.680 --> 03:33:37.900
while closely coordinating with local jurisdictions
03:33:37.900 --> 03:33:39.630
to minimize the impact
03:33:39.630 --> 03:33:41.850
of potential associated planned outages.
03:33:42.950 --> 03:33:45.950
The division's near term actions fall into three categories.
03:33:46.830 --> 03:33:50.090
Initiating field inspections and compliance audit,
03:33:50.090 --> 03:33:52.660
driving resolution on the conditions we set in
03:33:52.660 --> 03:33:55.460
the WMP approvals, and incorporating updates
03:33:55.460 --> 03:33:59.220
to the 2021 guidelines, and conducting thorough reviews
03:33:59.220 --> 03:34:01.330
of requests for state certificates, and establishing
03:34:01.330 --> 03:34:03.530
the new safety culture assessment processes.
03:34:04.630 --> 03:34:05.950
As of early May,
03:34:05.950 --> 03:34:09.240
the division's compliance branch is staffed and equipped
03:34:09.240 --> 03:34:12.050
and been out in the field conducting field inspections
03:34:12.050 --> 03:34:13.940
on wildfire mitigation activities,
03:34:13.940 --> 03:34:16.610
including enhanced vegetation management activities,
03:34:16.610 --> 03:34:19.070
system hardening, PSPS projects,
03:34:19.070 --> 03:34:21.400
and associated GO 95 requirements.
03:34:22.470 --> 03:34:27.470
Today we've completed over 1,470 inspection activities.
03:34:27.640 --> 03:34:30.210
And in that have identified 57 defects.
03:34:31.100 --> 03:34:35.020
As we're prioritizing inspection locations
03:34:35.020 --> 03:34:37.620
by considering the fire risk area classification,
03:34:37.620 --> 03:34:39.740
so tier two and tier three areas,
03:34:39.740 --> 03:34:42.300
the type of wildfire mitigation activity
03:34:42.300 --> 03:34:46.120
and the related historic IOU performance with that activity,
03:34:46.120 --> 03:34:49.240
the duration of the activities by the location and
03:34:49.240 --> 03:34:51.610
the efficiency and safety of inspection scheduling.
03:34:51.610 --> 03:34:56.590
So this is specific to the COVID-19 restrictions on travel.
03:34:56.590 --> 03:35:00.540
So we're not having any of our inspectors travel by plane
03:35:00.540 --> 03:35:03.580
at this point, but within driving distance.
03:35:03.580 --> 03:35:06.320
And then also the number of completed inspections
03:35:06.320 --> 03:35:09.150
by territory and activity type to ensure that we have
03:35:09.150 --> 03:35:12.830
a balanced spread across the electrical corporations in
03:35:12.830 --> 03:35:14.720
the types of wildfire mitigation activities
03:35:14.720 --> 03:35:15.920
that they're conducting.
03:35:17.380 --> 03:35:20.930
So the defects we've identified to date include things
03:35:20.930 --> 03:35:23.740
such as poor poll conditions, clearance issues,
03:35:23.740 --> 03:35:26.080
and object contact.
03:35:26.080 --> 03:35:30.250
As of yesterday, of the 57 defects identified, 18 defects
03:35:30.250 --> 03:35:33.420
have been closed and 39 remain open.
03:35:33.420 --> 03:35:34.660
And we are driving the utilities
03:35:34.660 --> 03:35:37.310
to resolve these open defects as quickly as possible.
03:35:39.150 --> 03:35:40.560
In addition to the inspection work,
03:35:40.560 --> 03:35:43.450
we are maintaining a focus on the utilities resolution to
03:35:43.450 --> 03:35:45.490
the conditions we set in the approval
03:35:45.490 --> 03:35:47.200
of their wildfire mitigation plan.
03:35:48.650 --> 03:35:50.170
Last week we received,
03:35:51.468 --> 03:35:54.770
each utilities required remedial compliance plan,
03:35:55.650 --> 03:35:57.370
which articulate their approach
03:35:57.370 --> 03:35:59.980
to resolving the class aide deficiencies,
03:36:01.072 --> 03:36:02.430
that were identified by our team
03:36:02.430 --> 03:36:05.230
in the wildfire mitigation plan evaluations.
03:36:05.230 --> 03:36:08.570
The team is beginning to digest those RCP now, and we are,
03:36:08.570 --> 03:36:10.280
we'll be incorporating public comments
03:36:10.280 --> 03:36:12.510
that is received by Monday, August 10th.
03:36:12.510 --> 03:36:14.750
So that's open for public comment right now,
03:36:14.750 --> 03:36:16.180
and we'll be providing our assessment
03:36:16.180 --> 03:36:18.060
of those RCP soon thereafter.
03:36:19.850 --> 03:36:23.140
We've also received, active safety certificate requests
03:36:23.140 --> 03:36:25.920
from Bear Valley on June 5th, San Diego Gas
03:36:25.920 --> 03:36:29.230
and Electric on June 16th, California Edison
03:36:29.230 --> 03:36:33.290
on June 19th and PG&E on July 29th.
03:36:33.290 --> 03:36:35.470
And those are all under consideration.
03:36:35.470 --> 03:36:38.930
And we also have a public workshop scheduled next week
03:36:38.930 --> 03:36:42.620
to discuss our initial draft staff proposals on
03:36:42.620 --> 03:36:44.440
the annual safety culture assessment,
03:36:44.440 --> 03:36:47.480
as well as the data standardization
03:36:47.480 --> 03:36:50.400
and taxonomy schema that we've proposed.
03:36:51.740 --> 03:36:52.690
Next slide, please.
03:36:55.210 --> 03:36:56.680
One of the cornerstones
03:36:56.680 --> 03:37:01.360
of our new 2020 wildfire mitigation plan guidelines was
03:37:01.360 --> 03:37:05.820
to drive a forward looking focus on the guidelines.
03:37:05.820 --> 03:37:08.180
If you could skip to the next slide, please.
03:37:10.300 --> 03:37:12.100
We did this through implementation of
03:37:12.100 --> 03:37:16.350
a new utility wildfire mitigation maturity model.
03:37:16.350 --> 03:37:17.770
The model provides a framework
03:37:17.770 --> 03:37:20.980
to assess utilities across 10 Gatorade categories
03:37:20.980 --> 03:37:23.120
and 52 specific capabilities.
03:37:24.995 --> 03:37:26.650
Each utility is assessed as to
03:37:26.650 --> 03:37:30.070
how their wildfire mitigation plan initiatives will mature
03:37:30.070 --> 03:37:31.840
these capabilities over time.
03:37:33.140 --> 03:37:36.260
13 of which, which are highlighted on this slide
03:37:36.260 --> 03:37:39.100
are directly related to PSPS operations.
03:37:40.040 --> 03:37:43.180
By directing their attention to specific areas,
03:37:43.180 --> 03:37:46.770
we can help the utility self identify opportunities
03:37:46.770 --> 03:37:48.880
for continuous improvement and
03:37:48.880 --> 03:37:50.030
where they should be investing
03:37:50.030 --> 03:37:53.710
their wildfire mitigation plan focus over the course
03:37:53.710 --> 03:37:56.550
of the three year plan time period.
03:37:56.550 --> 03:37:59.190
We've already seen the results of this in
03:37:59.190 --> 03:38:00.850
the data governance categories
03:38:00.850 --> 03:38:03.740
with utilities reporting that completing the maturity model,
03:38:03.740 --> 03:38:05.740
highlighted opportunities for them
03:38:05.740 --> 03:38:08.800
to strengthen focus on improving their data capabilities.
03:38:11.640 --> 03:38:12.590
Next slide, please.
03:38:15.070 --> 03:38:17.440
As we begin to think through how we want to evolve
03:38:17.440 --> 03:38:20.450
the 2021 Wildfire Mitigation Plan guidelines,
03:38:20.450 --> 03:38:22.420
we've identified three key objectives.
03:38:23.450 --> 03:38:25.250
To increased standardization,
03:38:25.250 --> 03:38:27.370
continue to increase standardization across
03:38:27.370 --> 03:38:30.090
how we're assessing the utility as
03:38:30.090 --> 03:38:31.440
a wildfire mitigation plan.
03:38:32.400 --> 03:38:34.120
Improving the structure in
03:38:34.120 --> 03:38:37.580
which they're submitting those plans, to facilitate
03:38:37.580 --> 03:38:42.200
the assessment and review of those plans, and updating
03:38:42.200 --> 03:38:44.750
the performance metrics and the data.
03:38:44.750 --> 03:38:47.450
As you may remember from my previous reports,
03:38:47.450 --> 03:38:52.130
one of the fundamental goals of the 2020 guidelines was
03:38:52.130 --> 03:38:56.560
to leverage data in our decision making and gather data
03:38:56.560 --> 03:38:57.840
to ensure that the utilities
03:38:57.840 --> 03:39:01.590
are supporting their initiatives with data,
03:39:01.590 --> 03:39:02.800
in terms of how they're deciding
03:39:02.800 --> 03:39:04.300
where to focus their energies.
03:39:05.910 --> 03:39:07.040
By continuing to evolve
03:39:07.040 --> 03:39:09.310
the guidelines across these three areas,
03:39:09.310 --> 03:39:11.570
we aim to increase our ability to consistently
03:39:11.570 --> 03:39:14.590
and constantly drive the utility accountability
03:39:14.590 --> 03:39:17.460
to reduce utility wildfire and PSPS risk.
03:39:18.950 --> 03:39:21.590
I thank you for your time today and thank you
03:39:21.590 --> 03:39:23.990
to the Safety Enforcement and Policy Division,
03:39:23.990 --> 03:39:25.810
as well as CAL FIRE and Cal OES to
03:39:25.810 --> 03:39:29.130
the continued close collaboration on our shared mission
03:39:29.130 --> 03:39:33.250
to reduce the utility related wildfire and PSPS threat.
03:39:33.250 --> 03:39:35.090
Pending questions, I will turn it back
03:39:35.090 --> 03:39:37.850
to Deputy Executive Director Peterson to close us out.
03:39:39.060 --> 03:39:41.570
Okay, I have, oh, go ahead, Martha.
03:39:42.750 --> 03:39:44.800
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
03:39:44.800 --> 03:39:46.105
Okay, thank you.
03:39:46.105 --> 03:39:49.124
I'm sorry though.
03:39:49.124 --> 03:39:51.400
I thank you for the presentation Caroline.
03:39:51.400 --> 03:39:55.220
I know I've sent you a couple of complaints
03:39:55.220 --> 03:39:58.160
that have come our way from folks on concerns
03:39:58.160 --> 03:40:03.160
with hazard vegetation, hazards and other examples
03:40:03.300 --> 03:40:08.300
and, I wonder if it's kind of a two part question.
03:40:08.380 --> 03:40:11.720
One is, are there now again,
03:40:11.720 --> 03:40:13.470
established point of contacts
03:40:13.470 --> 03:40:16.570
for those types of issues locally?
03:40:16.570 --> 03:40:20.610
I know that was a area of deficiency before,
03:40:20.610 --> 03:40:25.160
and it's related to the earlier conversation on,
03:40:26.060 --> 03:40:30.170
some of the communications
03:40:30.170 --> 03:40:32.380
that you guys have been overseeing.
03:40:32.380 --> 03:40:35.600
And so, that's the first part is,
03:40:35.600 --> 03:40:39.680
is there now greater clarity for local,
03:40:39.680 --> 03:40:43.240
especially local government on who they can go to
03:40:43.240 --> 03:40:47.280
for these types of identification of local hazards?
03:40:48.720 --> 03:40:51.760
And second part, and maybe this is a question
03:40:51.760 --> 03:40:54.270
that you can think about and maybe a question for all three
03:40:54.270 --> 03:40:57.940
of you is, if you had an opportunity to review
03:40:57.940 --> 03:41:00.990
the regionalization application from PG&E,
03:41:00.990 --> 03:41:05.990
to see how that may improve some of the performance
03:41:06.860 --> 03:41:09.660
that we're looking for in all of these areas?
03:41:12.070 --> 03:41:12.970
Thank you for the question.
03:41:12.970 --> 03:41:14.640
So, in regards to the first one,
03:41:14.640 --> 03:41:18.530
in terms of local contact, that and this refers back
03:41:18.530 --> 03:41:21.030
to a comment, I believe Rachel made too on
03:41:21.030 --> 03:41:23.970
the PSPS contacts for the County.
03:41:23.970 --> 03:41:27.390
So I would say there has been improvement with communication
03:41:27.390 --> 03:41:30.230
of having a single point of contact
03:41:30.230 --> 03:41:35.230
for the counties individually, for PSPS related matters.
03:41:35.970 --> 03:41:38.970
I know that PG&E specifically has it broken down
03:41:38.970 --> 03:41:42.730
into their public safety specialist position,
03:41:42.730 --> 03:41:46.800
and then there's also their general jurisdiction contact
03:41:48.340 --> 03:41:50.620
for sort of all other matters.
03:41:50.620 --> 03:41:53.520
So I do believe that there's been improvement there.
03:41:53.520 --> 03:41:55.930
What I can also say is that within the Commission
03:41:55.930 --> 03:41:58.740
with us standing up our compliance branch,
03:41:58.740 --> 03:42:01.940
we've also established a coordination
03:42:01.940 --> 03:42:05.050
with our consumer affairs branch that
03:42:05.050 --> 03:42:08.580
when we get escalations of issues,
03:42:08.580 --> 03:42:10.560
in addition to those issues being
03:42:10.560 --> 03:42:12.560
as per standard protocol passed along
03:42:12.560 --> 03:42:14.190
to the utilities directly,
03:42:14.190 --> 03:42:17.700
my team is also getting those customer escalations so
03:42:17.700 --> 03:42:20.950
that we can then incorporate them as appropriately
03:42:20.950 --> 03:42:24.250
into our inspection protocols, so that we can try
03:42:24.250 --> 03:42:26.280
and follow up and make sure that the utilities
03:42:26.280 --> 03:42:28.830
are responding to those in a timely manner as well.
03:42:31.680 --> 03:42:33.910
Does that answer your first question?
03:42:33.910 --> 03:42:36.550
And then I'll move on to your second question.
03:42:36.550 --> 03:42:38.840
Yes, I'm very glad to hear you're incorporating
03:42:38.840 --> 03:42:41.010
into your inspection protocol.
03:42:41.010 --> 03:42:42.200
Yes, yeah.
03:42:42.200 --> 03:42:44.850
And then in terms of the regionalization I would say,
03:42:45.960 --> 03:42:47.280
absolutely that's something we're looking at.
03:42:47.280 --> 03:42:48.740
I can't say that we fully digested
03:42:48.740 --> 03:42:50.530
what that will mean as we're looking
03:42:50.530 --> 03:42:52.570
at updating the 2021 guidelines.
03:42:52.570 --> 03:42:54.190
Certainly that's something that we're looking at on
03:42:54.190 --> 03:42:57.230
how we would incorporate that into our evaluations,
03:42:57.230 --> 03:42:59.950
but it's something that we're still processing.
03:42:59.950 --> 03:43:01.450
I guess it's probably the best way to put it.
03:43:01.450 --> 03:43:05.520
I can't say yet how I think that will have a direct impact,
03:43:05.520 --> 03:43:07.170
but it's certainly something that we wanna look
03:43:07.170 --> 03:43:10.130
at really carefully in terms of ensuring
03:43:10.130 --> 03:43:14.850
that it is supporting a positive improvement in executing
03:43:14.850 --> 03:43:17.420
on their individual wildfire mitigation activities.
03:43:19.390 --> 03:43:20.340
Great, thank you.
03:43:26.110 --> 03:43:27.160
Any other question?
03:43:28.044 --> 03:43:30.050
Yes, Commissioner Shiroma
03:43:30.050 --> 03:43:32.030
Yes, thank you President Batjer,
03:43:32.030 --> 03:43:34.900
Caroline and the whole team,
03:43:34.900 --> 03:43:38.470
it's tremendous in a central work, you know,
03:43:38.470 --> 03:43:42.960
one of our commenters today, Holian Dellel
03:43:42.960 --> 03:43:46.290
and she described her experience,
03:43:47.800 --> 03:43:52.800
plus her difficulties getting access to the STR program
03:43:54.780 --> 03:43:58.370
by virtue of not living in a high fire zone,
03:43:58.370 --> 03:44:02.060
but having experienced a PSPS last year.
03:44:03.350 --> 03:44:05.620
And I'm just wondering if,
03:44:07.970 --> 03:44:10.900
perhaps someone can connect
03:44:10.900 --> 03:44:15.290
with her to learn more about what happened
03:44:15.290 --> 03:44:18.820
and what can be done for this coming season
03:44:18.820 --> 03:44:22.460
to not repeat the experience.
03:44:25.320 --> 03:44:26.590
Commissioner Shiram--
03:44:28.690 --> 03:44:30.210
So, thank you.
03:44:30.210 --> 03:44:32.140
That was really it.
Sure.
03:44:32.140 --> 03:44:33.940
Yes, point taken Commissioners Shiroma
03:44:33.940 --> 03:44:35.660
this is Rachel and I will,
03:44:37.227 --> 03:44:39.340
I believe that people from energy division
03:44:39.340 --> 03:44:41.390
have actually been in touch with her,
03:44:41.390 --> 03:44:43.540
but I will follow up on that and make sure.
03:44:44.690 --> 03:44:45.930
Thank you.
03:44:45.930 --> 03:44:47.390
I was just gonna add,
03:44:47.390 --> 03:44:49.570
I had the same question and also ask people
03:44:49.570 --> 03:44:52.970
from energy division to also follow up with Richard gap,
03:44:52.970 --> 03:44:56.990
who raised issues about the accessibility of SGIP.
03:44:56.990 --> 03:45:01.570
And I wanna just mention two things in particular response
03:45:01.570 --> 03:45:03.620
to the point you just made Commissioner Shiroma
03:45:03.620 --> 03:45:07.260
and then Holian made, I think,
03:45:07.260 --> 03:45:11.520
there is some boundary drawing of how much exposure
03:45:11.520 --> 03:45:14.110
to a PSPS event or a wildfire event you need
03:45:14.110 --> 03:45:19.110
to have in order to get the full complete SGIP subsidy,
03:45:19.890 --> 03:45:23.130
the most generous subsidy that we set out for,
03:45:24.410 --> 03:45:26.030
for medically vulnerable customers,
03:45:26.030 --> 03:45:29.400
low income customers in high fire zone, right?
03:45:29.400 --> 03:45:31.780
I think we need to look at whether
03:45:31.780 --> 03:45:34.160
or not we need to tweak that.
03:45:34.160 --> 03:45:37.270
So there's someone in her area where she has
03:45:37.270 --> 03:45:39.920
a real threat, or there might've been a wildfire,
03:45:39.920 --> 03:45:43.390
if we can liberalize that a little bit.
03:45:43.390 --> 03:45:47.290
And we are working with staff on a proposed decision
03:45:47.290 --> 03:45:51.790
that may tee that up for further consideration.
03:45:51.790 --> 03:45:54.960
I don't think it will help this fire season cause we have
03:45:54.960 --> 03:45:56.370
to change the rules.
03:45:56.370 --> 03:45:57.820
We're experimenting with the rules.
03:45:57.820 --> 03:46:00.950
We're trying to benefit a lot of people
03:46:00.950 --> 03:46:02.100
but not get over run.
03:46:02.100 --> 03:46:04.300
And there's a lot of adjusting on the flight.
03:46:04.300 --> 03:46:06.390
And then the second point we did adopt
03:46:07.370 --> 03:46:12.370
a decision about three weeks ago, which addresses,
03:46:12.590 --> 03:46:14.320
I think one of the points is the staff,
03:46:14.320 --> 03:46:16.970
where people can't afford to make an upfront payment.
03:46:18.170 --> 03:46:21.400
And, developers are now, especially,
03:46:21.400 --> 03:46:23.870
I don't know if this is an alternate to it but, I know
03:46:23.870 --> 03:46:28.590
for PG&E, if a developer wants to get incentives up upfront,
03:46:28.590 --> 03:46:31.690
then they cannot require any kind of down payment
03:46:33.680 --> 03:46:34.650
from a customer.
03:46:34.650 --> 03:46:37.760
So that addresses the concern that customers don't have,
03:46:37.760 --> 03:46:41.070
the ability, they're low income or disadvantaged
03:46:41.070 --> 03:46:42.810
to make an upfront payment.
03:46:42.810 --> 03:46:44.450
This gives the developers money up front
03:46:44.450 --> 03:46:46.990
and definitely they don't, they're not allowed to ask
03:46:46.990 --> 03:46:50.300
for payments upfront from the customer.
03:46:50.300 --> 03:46:51.590
Those are two small changes.
03:46:51.590 --> 03:46:54.850
I figured very important as you suggest for the staff
03:46:54.850 --> 03:46:56.150
to continue to engage.
03:46:57.040 --> 03:46:58.830
This community, from what Rachel said,
03:46:58.830 --> 03:47:01.930
it sounds like that's was done at a workshop last week
03:47:01.930 --> 03:47:03.180
with David and others.
03:47:03.180 --> 03:47:05.280
And it's critical that we keep doing that.
03:47:10.630 --> 03:47:12.410
Any other questions or comments?
03:47:13.560 --> 03:47:16.630
I have one, quick one Caroline, sort of down in the weeds,
03:47:16.630 --> 03:47:21.200
but when you were talking about the field inspections
03:47:21.200 --> 03:47:25.770
and, you said there were 57 defects out of the, I didn't get
03:47:25.770 --> 03:47:30.730
the, it was 1,050, I think it was, you said, um.
03:47:30.730 --> 03:47:32.610
1,470.
03:47:32.610 --> 03:47:33.760
470, thank you.
03:47:36.580 --> 03:47:40.590
Are those numbers all the IOUs or is just PG&E?
03:47:40.590 --> 03:47:41.890
I'm sorry if I missed it.
03:47:43.210 --> 03:47:44.590
So, it's all of
03:47:44.590 --> 03:47:45.900
the inspections that we've done.
03:47:45.900 --> 03:47:48.620
Right now, we've focused our inspections on PG&E,
03:47:48.620 --> 03:47:50.370
the majority of our PG&E,
03:47:50.370 --> 03:47:52.940
but we have begun inspections at California Edison,
03:47:52.940 --> 03:47:55.520
as well as San Diego, and then we'll be bringing in
03:47:55.520 --> 03:47:57.220
the smalls as well.
03:47:57.220 --> 03:47:59.770
So right now it is statewide, but on the big three.
03:48:01.501 --> 03:48:04.070
This is for least that's doing this, right?
03:48:04.070 --> 03:48:05.120
Correct.
03:48:05.120 --> 03:48:05.953
Okay.
03:48:05.953 --> 03:48:07.570
Just so that my fellow Commissioners know,
03:48:07.570 --> 03:48:11.870
we've been contacted with following this work.
03:48:12.870 --> 03:48:14.140
Okay.
03:48:14.140 --> 03:48:17.710
Well done as always, Caroline, thank you so much,
03:48:18.990 --> 03:48:23.040
Rachel and Lee, very thorough, very helpful.
03:48:23.040 --> 03:48:24.660
I always, whenever we do these,
03:48:24.660 --> 03:48:29.520
I just keep thinking of living over SOC last fall,(laughing)
03:48:29.520 --> 03:48:31.370
day in and day out, and just hoping
03:48:31.370 --> 03:48:33.810
that we really don't have the situation.
03:48:33.810 --> 03:48:38.810
And thank you, Mrs. Shiroma and Mr. Retchtschaffen
03:48:39.240 --> 03:48:43.140
for mentioning what Hollins Delle talked about
03:48:43.140 --> 03:48:45.800
and what Richard Skaff talked about.
03:48:45.800 --> 03:48:48.220
I think we do need to get some followups.
03:48:48.220 --> 03:48:53.200
I suspect that they have been working with David in safety.
03:48:55.500 --> 03:48:56.890
But we do need to follow up.
03:48:56.890 --> 03:48:58.850
I was particularly concerned about
03:48:58.850 --> 03:49:03.360
the difficulties they're having with vendors,
03:49:03.360 --> 03:49:07.720
on accessing the SGIP and trying to get battery backup.
03:49:07.720 --> 03:49:09.440
And I think you're absolutely right how Lynn haug,
03:49:09.440 --> 03:49:12.330
I think lives in Santa Rosa, as I recall,
03:49:12.330 --> 03:49:15.950
but at any rate there is I think that that tweak that needs
03:49:15.950 --> 03:49:19.370
to be made between the high fire area and then the area
03:49:19.370 --> 03:49:21.490
where people are de-energized.
03:49:23.089 --> 03:49:24.450
A lot of folks are de-energized
03:49:24.450 --> 03:49:26.910
and don't live in high fire or in three or two.
03:49:28.440 --> 03:49:30.520
Anyway, thank you all very, very much.
03:49:30.520 --> 03:49:32.760
Really appreciate the briefing
03:49:32.760 --> 03:49:37.520
and I'm really looking forward to the workshops next week.
03:49:38.790 --> 03:49:39.623
So, thank you.
03:49:40.687 --> 03:49:41.590
President Batjer, it's Rachel.
03:49:41.590 --> 03:49:44.450
Yes, you click to the next slide.
03:49:44.450 --> 03:49:47.860
You'll just see, we included information about
03:49:47.860 --> 03:49:49.990
the public briefings that are happening next week at
03:49:49.990 --> 03:49:53.570
which the companies will provide you with a very thorough
03:49:53.570 --> 03:49:55.920
and forthright update about their preparations.
03:49:57.100 --> 03:50:00.610
And thank you all for the opportunity to present today.
03:50:00.610 --> 03:50:02.160
Sounds terrific, thank you very much.
03:50:02.160 --> 03:50:03.337
Thank you.
03:50:03.337 --> 03:50:05.400
Thanks everybody again.
03:50:05.400 --> 03:50:06.233
Okay.
03:50:13.959 --> 03:50:17.470
Hang on while I get back to my agenda, you guys. (laughing)
03:50:17.470 --> 03:50:20.560
I've torn apart my book,
03:50:20.560 --> 03:50:24.050
so I could look at the presentation more easily.
03:50:26.090 --> 03:50:26.923
Okay.
03:50:28.650 --> 03:50:29.483
All right.
03:50:29.483 --> 03:50:33.700
So, I think that we're now moving on from
03:50:33.700 --> 03:50:38.520
the management reports to the Commissioners reports.
03:50:39.870 --> 03:50:41.420
Would anybody like to go first?
03:50:44.250 --> 03:50:45.700
Oh yes, Commissioner Shiroma.
03:50:48.830 --> 03:50:49.663
Thank you.
03:50:49.663 --> 03:50:53.060
I know we've had a long and very excellent meeting today,
03:50:53.060 --> 03:50:57.100
but I do wanna report out on three topic areas.
03:50:57.100 --> 03:50:59.740
Microgrids, PPH's and
03:50:59.740 --> 03:51:02.140
the upcoming low income oversight board meeting.
03:51:03.090 --> 03:51:07.620
We heard commenters today about the microgrid workshop,
03:51:07.620 --> 03:51:09.410
which has held yesterday.
03:51:09.410 --> 03:51:12.340
I'll speak briefly about that.
03:51:12.340 --> 03:51:16.140
But first, before attending the workshop,
03:51:16.140 --> 03:51:19.890
I spoke at a climate center summit
03:51:19.890 --> 03:51:22.220
on community energy resiliency.
03:51:22.220 --> 03:51:23.670
And the summit was focused on ways
03:51:23.670 --> 03:51:26.220
to ensure equitable access
03:51:26.220 --> 03:51:28.510
to resiliency solutions across California.
03:51:28.510 --> 03:51:32.150
It was interesting because one of the presenters presented
03:51:32.150 --> 03:51:35.580
the UCLA study on,
03:51:37.290 --> 03:51:42.140
who has access to solar, who is paying for solar.
03:51:42.140 --> 03:51:44.300
And I think folks may be familiar with that study,
03:51:44.300 --> 03:51:46.020
which says that,
03:51:48.390 --> 03:51:52.680
households that can afford solar,
03:51:52.680 --> 03:51:55.800
of course, substantially outnumber the households
03:51:55.800 --> 03:51:57.606
that cannot afford it.
03:51:57.606 --> 03:52:02.440
And that the households that could afford the solar
03:52:02.440 --> 03:52:06.110
are being subsidized by those who cannot afford it.
03:52:07.040 --> 03:52:12.040
And, meanwhile, I shared about our programs
03:52:12.540 --> 03:52:16.160
for low income and disadvantaged communities.
03:52:16.160 --> 03:52:19.650
I also covered our Microgrid Proceeding and
03:52:19.650 --> 03:52:24.650
the end, Commissioner's Retchtschaffen SGIP program in terms
03:52:25.220 --> 03:52:30.220
of the synergies towards providing core resiliency options
03:52:31.030 --> 03:52:34.590
for low income customers and disadvantaged communities.
03:52:34.590 --> 03:52:39.390
Yesterday, we had our workshop on track two,
03:52:39.390 --> 03:52:41.300
The staff proposal and concept paper,
03:52:41.300 --> 03:52:44.210
we had close to 200 attendees.
03:52:44.210 --> 03:52:47.380
There is an interest, a passion,
03:52:47.380 --> 03:52:51.750
a hunger for a microgrid development
03:52:51.750 --> 03:52:53.220
for a whole host of reasons.
03:52:54.790 --> 03:52:59.790
The staff went through and described that in terms
03:53:00.230 --> 03:53:02.890
of commercializing market grids.
03:53:02.890 --> 03:53:05.230
You know, whether it is market grids,
03:53:05.230 --> 03:53:06.870
whether it's a new product,
03:53:06.870 --> 03:53:10.540
whatever, it might be an unfamiliar with this from my time
03:53:10.540 --> 03:53:14.210
at snug, you know, that there are horror stages
03:53:14.210 --> 03:53:16.000
to commercialization.
03:53:16.000 --> 03:53:20.170
Surely, research and development, technology innovation,
03:53:20.170 --> 03:53:22.900
market testing, and pilot projects,
03:53:22.900 --> 03:53:27.200
pilot projects, market testing, and pilot projects,
03:53:27.200 --> 03:53:30.220
early commercialization, early adoption,
03:53:30.220 --> 03:53:34.290
and then scalable or mass production adoption by the market.
03:53:34.290 --> 03:53:36.850
I mean these are standard steps.
03:53:36.850 --> 03:53:41.850
They're taking overlay that with the requirement for safety
03:53:41.930 --> 03:53:46.533
and affordability, it was very interesting to hear comments,
03:53:48.760 --> 03:53:51.630
really diverse viewpoints about what does it mean
03:53:51.630 --> 03:53:53.230
to not have cost shifting?
03:53:53.230 --> 03:53:55.610
Some were saying it's simply a concept,
03:53:55.610 --> 03:53:57.590
it's not a strict requirement.
03:53:57.590 --> 03:54:00.056
Others were saying, it's a strict requirement.
03:54:00.056 --> 03:54:04.210
And we need to have a consultant from the assembly
03:54:04.210 --> 03:54:07.900
who had worked on the original legislation that
03:54:07.900 --> 03:54:10.790
from the Senate, this was from the assembly.
03:54:10.790 --> 03:54:13.660
And she was very emphatic that
03:54:13.660 --> 03:54:18.660
that language of costs do not cost shift is absolute.
03:54:20.390 --> 03:54:23.920
So, I emphasize to,
03:54:23.920 --> 03:54:25.470
the folks in the staff emphasize
03:54:25.470 --> 03:54:27.740
that here's a staff proposal
03:54:28.930 --> 03:54:32.030
on turf commercialization, so forth.
03:54:32.030 --> 03:54:33.560
The technical requirements that are needed
03:54:33.560 --> 03:54:38.290
for successful commercialization, islanding,
03:54:38.290 --> 03:54:41.440
municipal low income communities and so forth.
03:54:42.340 --> 03:54:47.340
And if they could have other ideas, send them in.
03:54:48.010 --> 03:54:50.170
You know, submit the documents in the docket,
03:54:50.170 --> 03:54:53.780
because otherwise we won't know if,
03:54:53.780 --> 03:54:57.220
the alternative have good veracity.
03:54:57.220 --> 03:55:00.300
But it was an all day workshop it was really good.
03:55:00.300 --> 03:55:01.133
And then of course,
03:55:01.133 --> 03:55:05.380
we have our upcoming workshop on August 25th on
03:55:05.380 --> 03:55:07.380
the alternatives to diesel.
03:55:07.380 --> 03:55:09.060
And we will be hearing from vendors
03:55:09.060 --> 03:55:12.490
and other organizations about alternatives.
03:55:13.510 --> 03:55:16.600
Hopefully, they are feasible alternatives.
03:55:16.600 --> 03:55:21.600
I think we encountered a misunderstanding that, you know,
03:55:21.900 --> 03:55:23.980
recently in my article and certainly,
03:55:23.980 --> 03:55:26.360
it's pretty much common knowledge.
03:55:26.360 --> 03:55:27.720
There are thousands
03:55:27.720 --> 03:55:31.580
of backup diesel generators across California.
03:55:31.580 --> 03:55:34.660
I mean, there are 25,000 in the five largest
03:55:34.660 --> 03:55:35.880
or Corgan management districts.
03:55:35.880 --> 03:55:38.280
I think there's been a misunderstanding that somehow
03:55:38.280 --> 03:55:40.950
they come under our jurisdiction and they do not.
03:55:40.950 --> 03:55:43.060
They come under the jurisdiction of
03:55:43.060 --> 03:55:45.600
the air quality management districts
03:55:45.600 --> 03:55:50.450
and under the umbrella rubric of the air resources board.
03:55:50.450 --> 03:55:53.780
Now, I'm hopeful that the alternative that we see
03:55:53.780 --> 03:55:57.580
for you till the scale diesel backup, you know,
03:55:57.580 --> 03:56:01.180
alternative diesel backup will help inform
03:56:01.180 --> 03:56:05.240
and spark a dialogue on these generators
03:56:05.240 --> 03:56:07.670
that have been around for decades.
03:56:09.167 --> 03:56:11.670
And so there there's that microgrid.
03:56:11.670 --> 03:56:14.340
Now, I had another set
03:56:14.340 --> 03:56:17.940
of public participation hearings earlier this week.
03:56:17.940 --> 03:56:21.470
They were on Cal-Am's proposed acquisition
03:56:21.470 --> 03:56:26.060
of the East Pasadena water district.
03:56:26.060 --> 03:56:28.130
It was a smaller,
03:56:28.130 --> 03:56:33.130
but very vociferous set of customers who called in.
03:56:35.665 --> 03:56:39.960
I mentioned how unhappy a lot of water customers are.
03:56:39.960 --> 03:56:44.350
And we heard viewpoints from far and wide, you know,
03:56:44.350 --> 03:56:48.020
from Cal OES and existing customers.
03:56:48.020 --> 03:56:49.860
These are very tough times.
03:56:50.950 --> 03:56:54.790
The PPHs are really providing, these virtual PPH
03:56:54.790 --> 03:56:57.370
are providing an excellent opportunity
03:56:57.370 --> 03:56:59.260
for customers to call in.
03:56:59.260 --> 03:57:01.580
We had one in the afternoon, one in the evenings.
03:57:01.580 --> 03:57:03.750
And then I'll end with saying
03:57:03.750 --> 03:57:07.220
that our low income oversight board is holding
03:57:07.220 --> 03:57:11.150
its next quarterly meeting on September 17th over WebEx,
03:57:11.150 --> 03:57:13.420
folks can participate virtually.
03:57:13.420 --> 03:57:15.850
And we will hear from our sister agency,
03:57:15.850 --> 03:57:18.160
the California Conservation Corps
03:57:18.160 --> 03:57:20.840
about their work on energy efficiency.
03:57:20.840 --> 03:57:23.090
They have about a thousand core members.
03:57:24.520 --> 03:57:29.520
40% Latino, Latin X, 30% African American.
03:57:31.630 --> 03:57:34.920
40% of their core members start
03:57:34.920 --> 03:57:37.230
without a high school degree.
03:57:37.230 --> 03:57:40.080
They work on receiving their high school degree.
03:57:40.080 --> 03:57:43.040
And the whole point is to prepare these young adults,
03:57:43.040 --> 03:57:47.880
18 to 24 years old, to go out into the workforce.
03:57:47.880 --> 03:57:51.480
So we will be hearing from the CCC
03:57:51.480 --> 03:57:54.480
at our September board meeting.
03:57:54.480 --> 03:57:56.430
Thank you, thank you, President Batjer.
03:58:00.740 --> 03:58:02.670
Thank you, Commissioner Shiroma.
03:58:02.670 --> 03:58:04.070
Anybody else wanna go next?
03:58:06.230 --> 03:58:09.460
Okay, I have a brief report that I will make.
03:58:09.460 --> 03:58:13.090
In June, I informed you that the Commission established
03:58:13.090 --> 03:58:16.170
a diversity equity and inclusion working group to advise
03:58:16.170 --> 03:58:19.020
the CPUC on organizational changes,
03:58:19.020 --> 03:58:21.740
aim to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion
03:58:21.740 --> 03:58:25.750
as cultural and institutional imperative here
03:58:25.750 --> 03:58:27.010
at the Commission.
03:58:27.010 --> 03:58:29.720
The working group had its inaugural meeting early this week.
03:58:29.720 --> 03:58:33.080
I am excited by the energy of the current members
03:58:33.080 --> 03:58:33.913
of the working group.
03:58:33.913 --> 03:58:37.000
And I look forward to working with them on ways,
03:58:37.000 --> 03:58:40.800
we all do, on ways to better foster diversity,
03:58:40.800 --> 03:58:43.895
equity and inclusion here at the CPUC.
03:58:43.895 --> 03:58:46.130
In addition to working on governance structure,
03:58:46.130 --> 03:58:48.600
the working group will also examine new avenues
03:58:48.600 --> 03:58:52.310
and processes for raising awareness and sharing knowledge
03:58:52.310 --> 03:58:55.550
to make the cultural shifts a consistent part
03:58:56.579 --> 03:58:58.690
of the CPUC's work.
03:58:58.690 --> 03:59:03.690
And, as I said before, we will be adding more members
03:59:04.260 --> 03:59:06.690
to the working group as we progress
03:59:06.690 --> 03:59:11.090
and as we identify the agenda more specifically.
03:59:11.090 --> 03:59:12.940
The Commissioners and I are committed
03:59:14.390 --> 03:59:16.300
to ensuring this organization,
03:59:16.300 --> 03:59:19.300
their work place, where the values of diversity, inclusion
03:59:19.300 --> 03:59:21.430
and equity are infused
03:59:21.430 --> 03:59:24.700
to our internal culture and practices.
03:59:24.700 --> 03:59:28.550
We know that real and lasting change will take time
03:59:28.550 --> 03:59:32.690
and is always and very important ongoing endeavor.
03:59:33.670 --> 03:59:37.530
So I believe that finishes the, oh, I'm sorry, Martha.
03:59:37.530 --> 03:59:39.960
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
03:59:39.960 --> 03:59:41.890
Thank you, I have a very brief update.
03:59:41.890 --> 03:59:45.890
I just wanted to share that I have hired a new AGPA
03:59:45.890 --> 03:59:48.760
in my classroom at our office.
03:59:48.760 --> 03:59:53.530
She will be my deputy chief of staff and,
03:59:55.325 --> 03:59:57.590
her name is Pilar Manriquez.
03:59:57.590 --> 04:00:01.780
She has a BA in Chicano studies and with an emphasis
04:00:01.780 --> 04:00:04.550
in public policy from UC Berkeley.
04:00:04.550 --> 04:00:06.050
Before joining us here,
04:00:06.050 --> 04:00:09.410
she participated as an executive fellow at
04:00:09.410 --> 04:00:11.860
the California Energy Commission
04:00:11.860 --> 04:00:14.610
with the Office of Commissioner Monahan.
04:00:14.610 --> 04:00:17.570
She's a native from Helm, California,
04:00:17.570 --> 04:00:22.570
and she strived bringing the bridge for community members
04:00:23.020 --> 04:00:26.390
who have political and economic advocacy.
04:00:26.390 --> 04:00:29.190
She has herself dramatically benefited
04:00:29.190 --> 04:00:31.310
from public service programs.
04:00:31.310 --> 04:00:32.640
And for that reason,
04:00:32.640 --> 04:00:35.550
she wants to be involved in policy making on issues
04:00:35.550 --> 04:00:38.690
that impact the people of California.
04:00:38.690 --> 04:00:40.560
She was raised in this part
04:00:40.560 --> 04:00:43.200
of rural Southwest Fresno County,
04:00:43.200 --> 04:00:45.940
and she's dedicated much of her time,
04:00:45.940 --> 04:00:48.490
In training for cross country, volleyball,
04:00:48.490 --> 04:00:50.950
soccer and softball, and she intends
04:00:50.950 --> 04:00:54.810
to join local intramural sports here in Sacramento.
04:00:54.810 --> 04:00:58.020
She's a gardening enthusiast and had hoped
04:00:58.020 --> 04:01:00.850
to engage in self sustainable practices
04:01:00.850 --> 04:01:03.410
by creating community gardens.
04:01:03.410 --> 04:01:05.390
She was very excited to work with us here.
04:01:05.390 --> 04:01:07.980
So please join me in welcoming her to the--
04:01:07.980 --> 04:01:10.470
Is she gonna start till next week, right?
04:01:10.470 --> 04:01:12.800
That's terrific, Martha that sounds
04:01:12.800 --> 04:01:15.650
like a wonderful addition to your staff.
04:01:15.650 --> 04:01:18.400
Look forward to meeting her.
04:01:18.400 --> 04:01:21.100
Anybody else have any management reports
04:01:21.100 --> 04:01:22.600
they'd like to make?
04:01:22.600 --> 04:01:23.433
Okay.
04:01:25.410 --> 04:01:30.410
With that, and I've lost my page (laughing)
04:01:30.540 --> 04:01:32.150
of where we're going here.
04:01:32.150 --> 04:01:34.550
I think we are finished.
04:01:36.250 --> 04:01:39.960
Yes, with that the public meeting is now adjourned
04:01:39.960 --> 04:01:44.960
and we will all log off our computers and get prepared
04:01:45.620 --> 04:01:48.260
for the closed session on legal matters.
04:01:48.260 --> 04:01:49.590
We'll do that in five.
04:01:50.820 --> 04:01:52.550
Give five minutes.
04:01:52.550 --> 04:01:55.870
It's, let's say it's two,
04:01:55.870 --> 04:02:00.040
let's call it 2:10 and let's be back on by 2:15.
04:02:00.970 --> 04:02:01.803
Thank you.