WEBVTT
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The feed for this streaming event
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brought to you by adminmonitor.com
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will begin momentarily.
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Thank you for...
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Welcome to the California
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Public Utilities Commission on this day,
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Thursday, March 4th, 2021.
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President Batjer, you may begin.
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Thank you very much, Operator
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and good morning, everyone.
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We need to establish a quorum.
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Will the agenda clerk please call the roll?
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Commissioner Houck?
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Here.
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Commissioner Shiroma?
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Present.
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Commissioner Rechtschaffen?
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Here.
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Commissioner Guzman Aceves?
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Here.
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President Batjer?
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Here, thank you, we have established a quorum.
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Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission.
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I'm calling this meeting of March 4th, 2021,
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Public Agenda 3480 to order.
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Due to the coronavirus pandemic
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and the shelter-in-place order,
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we are conducting today's business meeting online
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and by remote participation.
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The meeting is livestreamed through the CPUC's website.
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You can view the meeting at ww.adminmonitor.com/CA/CPUC.
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Admin monitor is one word.
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Closed captioning is available in English and Spanish
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through the webcast.
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You can click on the green button
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to select your language of choice.
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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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please dial into (800) 857-1917
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and enter passcode 9899501 and press star one.
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You will be placed into a queue and the operator
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will take your name and information.
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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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If you encounter difficulty into the calling
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into the public telephone line, please email
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votingmeetinghelp@cpuc.ca.gov,
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votingmeetinghelp@cpuc.ca.gov.
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Before we commence with public comment,
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I would like to welcome to the virtual diocese
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and back to the CPUC our newest Commissioner Darcy Houk.
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Commissioner Houk was most recently chief counsel
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at the California Energy Commission.
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Prior to that, she served as an Administrative Law Judge
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here at the CPUC, a role in which many of you
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have had the opportunity to work with her before.
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Commissioner Houk brings with her a wealth of knowledge.
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And we welcome her back and we are very glad
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to have her with us for her first voting meeting.
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Commissioner Houk, I would like to invite you
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to make any opening comments, if you would like
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Thank you, President Batjer
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for the warm welcome back to the Commission.
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I wanna thank Governor Newsome for this opportunity
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to serve California in my new role as a Commissioner.
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I appreciate all the support and kind words
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from so many people since returning last week.
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And I'm excited to work with each of you
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in meeting the Commission's goals of ensuring safe,
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reliable and affordable services for all Californians.
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And doing so, I understand the importance
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of being a collaborative partner with our sister agencies
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and engaging with the public.
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I look forward to working on the many energy issues
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before the Commission increasing broadband access
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to our most vulnerable communities, water affordability
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and transportation safety.
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I hope to contribute to improving access
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to an information regarding Commission processes
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to underrepresented rural and tribal communities.
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This includes how best to implement the Commissions
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tribal land transfer policy and realigning our policies
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to address COVID and post COVID pandemic issues
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such as disconnections and arrearages.
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I'm ready for the challenge and plan to do my part
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along with my fellow Commissioners,
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the Governor's office, the legislature
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and our sister agencies to create programs and policies
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that benefit and protect California.
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So thank you and I'm looking forward
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to working with all of you as a Commissioner.
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Thank you Commissioner Houk.
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With you joining us today, we returned to having
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four of the five Commissioners seats filled by women.
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I think this is especially noteworthy
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given March is women's history month.
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This month allows us the opportunity
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to celebrate the contributions of women
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that women have made to the United States
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and of course, to California.
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We must recognize the countless women
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who have demonstrated leadership in small and large ways,
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many times unseen and often unappreciated,
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but we're persevered and whose wisdom and determination
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have shaped every aspect of our lives today.
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With the arrival of the month of March,
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I would also like to recognize it is been almost one year
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since many at the Commission have been working virtually
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because of the global pandemic.
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Last week, the United States reached over 500,000 deaths
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resulting from COVID-19.
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And we as a state have lost 52,000 California souls.
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That is 500,000 people who were somebody's family member,
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friend, coworker, or neighbor.
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As President Biden said, we must resist
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becoming numb to the sorrow.
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It's important to remember how we have persisted this year
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but always also to remain steadfast
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in our commitment to overcoming this deadly virus.
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I remain hopeful that the resilience
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of our collective spirits will help us
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weather this trying time.
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I'm especially proud, especially proud of all of the work
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we as a Commission have accomplished over this last year
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mostly working remotely with a core staff
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who have continued to provide essential services
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in the office and are all
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under such stressful circumstances.
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Thank you to all the CPUC staff who have worked
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so diligently to continue serving the people of California
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over the last year as we have all sheltered in place
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and learn to adapt to a new way of working.
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Thank you all for what you have done
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and please keep up the good work.
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We're almost there.
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I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
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Okay, we will now turn to public comment.
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If you wish to make a public comment
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and you have already dialed
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into the public comment telephone line,
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please press star one to get into the public comment queue.
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CPUC rules do not allow for comments
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for parties in proceedings to speak about open proceedings.
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The public can make comments addressing items
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on the consent and regular agenda
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and including items not on today's agenda.
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Please note that there will not be public comment
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on item 33 and all items on the closed session agenda.
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You will have two minutes to speak.
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You will hear a bell sound.
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You will hear a bell sound when your time is up.
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Please be mindful of other speakers in the queue.
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And please keep to your lot at time.
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With that guidance in mind, I welcome today's speakers.
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I will now turn to the operator for the public comments.
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Operator.
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The first comment is from Patrick Kerns.
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Your line is now open.
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The first comment is from Patrick Kerns.
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Your line is now open.
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Mr. Kerns, please check your mute button.
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I'm not on mute.
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We can hear you now Mr. Kerns, go ahead.
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Thank you, madam president and Commissioners.
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(indistinct) is grateful for the powerful leadership
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from the CPUC and highlighting the pandemic
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and ways that we can protect our community.
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I am presenting the basis
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for South Bay Water Utility Repairs Assertion
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that the Commission's culture has been transformed
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to an adversarial for judicial process
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and anathema to a transparent rate payer friendly
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regulatory process.
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We do acknowledge the value and action
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of the executive director, Rachel Peterson
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in denying the extension of the deadline for application
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to set cost of capital for Class A water utility.
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Secondly, rate withes to compare the CPUC actions
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to follow up audit CT and D sailors perform
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Woodland maintenance to reduce fire danger
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and requiring action based on that follow-up audit.
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Rates compares this to San Jose water company's compliance
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with Commission orders from the last year CRC 2018.
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And understaffed follow-up audit failed to reveal
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the slight of hand used by San Jose water
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to manipulate and subvert the intent
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and understanding of the Commission's orders.
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The Commission ordered and authorized an increase of 4.55%
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in decision 1811025.
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Yet residential customers have ended up paying 15.3%
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based on selective charges to different categories.
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Residential customers have been assessed as 15.3%
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which subsidizes other categories.
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Other classes of customers for San Jose water company
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which have actually had a reduction rate
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of increase up to 13% reduction.
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The CPUC has been cited on it's lack of audit
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and rate is requesting a fiduciary audit
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be contemplated with any future requests
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for increase in funds to detect post-talk.
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Thank you very much.
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Thank you, Mr. Kerns.
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Operator, the next caller, please.
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The next caller is Dr. Jim Stewart.
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Your line is now open.
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Well, welcome Commissioner Houk.
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We are certainly depending on you to uphold equity
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and justice for all.
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And a part of that includes addressing the issue
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of our high electricity rates.
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They're the highest in the country, except for Hawaii.
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But as you know, Hawaii has much higher rooftop
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solar penetration than does California.
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And part of the reason for that is that California
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almost uniquely among the states adds over 2 cents
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a kilowatt hour transmission access charge
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to every kilowatt hour,
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whether they use the transmission system or not.
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And this is expensive as last week's
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on bonk revealed was that there are billions of dollars
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of investment by the utilities into these transmission lines
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and 60% of them or solar self approved.
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So we don't even get you the Commissioners
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to approve whether or not they're adding
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excess transmission or not.
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This is inexcusable.
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And if you want to help the Governor
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in a potential recall election, you will address this issue
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of the fact that the transmission access charge
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and the whole transmission is way out of control
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and you need to reign it in.
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And a good example is just look at the municipal utilities.
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They don't add that charge to people who don't use it.
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So fix it now.
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Thank you very much.
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Thank you, Dr. Stewart.
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Operators, the next caller, please.
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The next caller is resident
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of Palm Springs, California.
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Your line is now open.
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Good morning, my name is Joan Taylor.
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I live in the desert Palm Springs.
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I would like to echo Dr. Stewart's comments
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about the self approved projects, it's outrageous.
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Also the transmission costs are already extraordinarily high
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and will certainly spiral out of control
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in this energy efficiency and especially distributed energy
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resources are compensated fairly.
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Compensation for those resources
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should include the values of resilience,
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avoided transmission costs
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and also customers that are self-generating energy
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since stopped being charged the TAC.
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Thank you for your time.
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Thank you, Ms. Taylor.
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Operator, the next caller, please.
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The next caller, Claire Broom.
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Your line is now open.
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Good morning, President Batjer
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and welcome to Commissioner Houk.
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My name is Claire Broom,
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I'm a professor of public health
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and I'm a resident of California, rate payer.
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I congratulate the Commission on last week's on bunk.
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It was a potential opportunity to be forward looking
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and visionary.
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As Anthony Kinslow told you in the final panel,
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the future is not centralized generation.
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The answer to affordable energy and we're talking energy,
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we're talking electricity and methane gas
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and gasoline, affordable energy for households
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requires the Commission to look at flexible
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community-based solutions.
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Solar and storage in front of the meter,
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behind the meter and flexible demand management.
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That's the answer that also permits a focus on equity.
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Please compensate DERs fairly.
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You've heard about correcting the distortion
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of the transmission access charge which the CPUC
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has the power to do.
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Also compensating DERs for resiliency.
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We all want reliable power.
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Why don't we pay DERs to provide it
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instead of encouraging use of diesel generators.
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And finally, please look at real answers
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to controlling costs of transmission,
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which was demonstrated to be the most rapidly
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rising part of our bills.
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Ignore the utilities campaign against rooftop solar.
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Their purported cost shift is a diversionary tactic.
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So thank you for being visionary and looking ahead
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to true solutions for reliable, affordable, clean energy
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which will prevent the climate crisis.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Operator next, please.
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The next caller is Lee Miller.
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Your line is now open.
00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:13.750
I'm Lee Miller, a rooftop solar owner in Sacramento.
00:17:13.750 --> 00:17:16.690
California monopolies oppose rooftop solar
00:17:16.690 --> 00:17:19.720
for one reason, every electron I generate
00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:21.870
is one they cannot sell me.
00:17:21.870 --> 00:17:25.680
The result is an aggressive spin campaign
00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:27.720
to crush net metering.
00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:29.630
Utilities have been raising rates,
00:17:29.630 --> 00:17:33.800
destroying our environment and causing California wildfires.
00:17:33.800 --> 00:17:36.090
They blame rooftop solar, but the problem
00:17:36.090 --> 00:17:39.710
is they're overspending on power lines,
00:17:39.710 --> 00:17:41.550
failure to maintain those lines
00:17:42.925 --> 00:17:44.920
while getting a guaranteed profit.
00:17:44.920 --> 00:17:48.300
Last summer state officials begged us to share
00:17:48.300 --> 00:17:50.000
our battery power.
00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:54.150
Over 30,000 solar battery customers answered the call.
00:17:54.150 --> 00:17:58.120
We delivered as much as 310 megawatts of electricity
00:17:58.120 --> 00:18:00.743
to the grid on August 15th alone.
00:18:02.110 --> 00:18:06.290
Dr. Baker, deputy director of for energy justice
00:18:06.290 --> 00:18:10.140
at the U.S. Department of Energy said in a recent interview,
00:18:10.140 --> 00:18:12.470
rooftop solar isn't the insult,
00:18:12.470 --> 00:18:15.100
the insult is placing fossil fuel generation
00:18:15.100 --> 00:18:19.940
in communities of color, the insult is disproportionate
00:18:19.940 --> 00:18:22.750
burden that the low and moderate income homes
00:18:22.750 --> 00:18:24.620
are paying for electricity.
00:18:24.620 --> 00:18:27.800
Electricity rate design is regressive.
00:18:27.800 --> 00:18:30.430
That means poorest people are paying more
00:18:30.430 --> 00:18:34.130
of their overall income just to keep the lights on,
00:18:34.130 --> 00:18:36.060
that's the insult.
00:18:36.060 --> 00:18:39.890
The issue that the utilities should be tackling
00:18:39.890 --> 00:18:42.560
rather than trying to end rooftop solar,
00:18:42.560 --> 00:18:44.870
which actually lowers emissions
00:18:44.870 --> 00:18:47.830
in the very communities that they care about.
00:18:47.830 --> 00:18:49.930
The utilities are using their influence
00:18:49.930 --> 00:18:53.320
to derail beneficial aspects of net metering.
00:18:53.320 --> 00:18:56.840
This isn't the time to slow down rooftop solar,
00:18:56.840 --> 00:19:00.850
please resist the efforts, keep net metering and tac
00:19:02.376 --> 00:19:04.810
while strengthening it to help more middle
00:19:04.810 --> 00:19:09.170
and low income people get solar plus battery installations.
00:19:09.170 --> 00:19:10.003
Thank you.
00:19:11.060 --> 00:19:11.893
Thank you.
00:19:13.220 --> 00:19:15.710
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:19:15.710 --> 00:19:17.400
The next caller is Bianca Tylek.
00:19:17.400 --> 00:19:19.203
Your line is now open.
00:19:21.710 --> 00:19:23.890
Hello, my name is Bianca Tylek.
00:19:23.890 --> 00:19:26.360
I am the executive director at Worth Rises
00:19:26.360 --> 00:19:30.670
and representing here today Californians for jail
00:19:30.670 --> 00:19:33.180
and prison phone justice.
00:19:33.180 --> 00:19:34.630
Wanting to make a quick comment.
00:19:34.630 --> 00:19:37.470
Thank you very much to all the Commissioners
00:19:37.470 --> 00:19:40.894
regarding a public hearing that will be held
00:19:40.894 --> 00:19:45.894
on April 28th and 29th that is regarding the rates of prison
00:19:50.690 --> 00:19:55.660
and jail phone calls and perhaps regulatory efforts
00:19:55.660 --> 00:19:57.000
that might be taken there.
00:19:57.000 --> 00:19:59.670
We really wanna commend the Commission
00:19:59.670 --> 00:20:04.670
for making an intentional effort to have incarcerated people
00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:07.550
who are actually directly impacted
00:20:07.550 --> 00:20:10.080
by whatever regulation the Commission takes
00:20:10.080 --> 00:20:13.750
voices heard during the actual hearing.
00:20:13.750 --> 00:20:15.320
But we do have some concerns
00:20:15.320 --> 00:20:18.630
that we would like to Commissioners to consider
00:20:18.630 --> 00:20:21.060
and the staff at the Commission to consider.
00:20:21.060 --> 00:20:23.670
And that is really twofold.
00:20:23.670 --> 00:20:25.770
One is about privacy.
00:20:25.770 --> 00:20:30.770
There are serious concerns among the incarcerated advocates
00:20:31.060 --> 00:20:34.240
about retaliation or retribution for speaking up
00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:36.030
during the public hearings.
00:20:36.030 --> 00:20:37.860
So there's questions about whether or not
00:20:37.860 --> 00:20:42.860
anonymity can be guaranteed, can people the perhaps recorded
00:20:44.950 --> 00:20:48.640
offline but without their names actually being stated
00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:50.510
during the public hearing.
00:20:50.510 --> 00:20:54.410
Various different options that might be available,
00:20:54.410 --> 00:20:56.830
we understand this is a completely new thing.
00:20:56.830 --> 00:20:59.810
So just wanting to make sure we really think
00:20:59.810 --> 00:21:03.520
about people's safety as we ask people
00:21:04.624 --> 00:21:06.920
to participate in the hearings.
00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:11.410
Secondly, is that the logistical aspect
00:21:11.410 --> 00:21:13.680
of actually having people from inside call
00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:15.920
is not very straightforward.
00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:17.397
Folks from inside have to call
00:21:17.397 --> 00:21:21.020
and that call has to be accepted by a person.
00:21:21.020 --> 00:21:23.810
It actually will not work for somebody
00:21:23.810 --> 00:21:26.750
from inside a prison or jail facility to call
00:21:26.750 --> 00:21:30.480
in a number that is answered by an automated message.
00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:35.480
And not somebody has to actively accept the call.
00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:38.130
So just thinking about how that is,
00:21:38.130 --> 00:21:40.400
like how these calls are gonna be accepted
00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:43.300
and if there's a way to prioritize those
00:21:43.300 --> 00:21:45.720
because there are long lines inside
00:21:45.720 --> 00:21:48.004
and they only have a few minutes.
00:21:48.004 --> 00:21:49.400
So just wanted to raise those two things.
00:21:49.400 --> 00:21:51.560
Thank you very much for your time.
00:21:51.560 --> 00:21:53.510
Thank you for calling.
00:21:53.510 --> 00:21:55.210
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:21:56.350 --> 00:21:58.280
The next caller is Fatima Malik,
00:21:58.280 --> 00:21:59.763
your line is now open.
00:22:01.720 --> 00:22:03.420
Good morning Commissioners.
00:22:03.420 --> 00:22:05.670
My name is Fatima Malik and I'm a resident
00:22:05.670 --> 00:22:08.200
of a disadvantaged community of Del Paso Heights
00:22:08.200 --> 00:22:09.653
in North Sacramento.
00:22:10.830 --> 00:22:14.550
I became a solar customer in 2016
00:22:14.550 --> 00:22:18.060
and I became an electric vehicle driver in 2018.
00:22:18.060 --> 00:22:20.800
My desire to save the planet from the devastating impacts
00:22:20.800 --> 00:22:23.340
of climate change recognize the value and benefits
00:22:23.340 --> 00:22:26.190
that our natural world provide to all life
00:22:26.190 --> 00:22:28.990
and living things, plants, people, and animals.
00:22:28.990 --> 00:22:32.940
Today, I asked the CPUC to support the variety of benefits
00:22:32.940 --> 00:22:35.440
provided by solar and keep rooftop solar
00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:38.370
and battery storage growing in California.
00:22:38.370 --> 00:22:41.040
Last year, California suffered from record shattering
00:22:41.040 --> 00:22:43.620
climate change induced extreme heat waves,
00:22:43.620 --> 00:22:46.110
over 800,000 people without power.
00:22:46.110 --> 00:22:49.110
This is preventable and can be avoided in the future
00:22:49.110 --> 00:22:50.890
by strengthening net metering
00:22:50.890 --> 00:22:53.410
so that millions of California can make, store
00:22:53.410 --> 00:22:55.530
and share solar energy.
00:22:55.530 --> 00:23:00.200
Please do not slow down so rooftop solar or net metering,
00:23:00.200 --> 00:23:02.450
I request that you continue to support
00:23:02.450 --> 00:23:06.170
and strengthen the benefits and value of net metering.
00:23:06.170 --> 00:23:09.640
And I encourage you to promote more virtual net metering.
00:23:09.640 --> 00:23:12.730
In summary, I urge you to promote more net metering
00:23:12.730 --> 00:23:13.730
not less.
00:23:13.730 --> 00:23:18.730
to address climate change resiliency and social equity,
00:23:18.900 --> 00:23:21.570
net metering is a valuable tool and resource
00:23:21.570 --> 00:23:24.840
to further advance your mission of increasing safe,
00:23:24.840 --> 00:23:29.340
reliable and affordable access to services in California.
00:23:29.340 --> 00:23:32.870
As the president mentioned, it's been a year since COVID
00:23:32.870 --> 00:23:35.040
and this is a new reality.
00:23:35.040 --> 00:23:38.240
Many people are on the verge of having their lights
00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:41.290
turned off on April 1st if they are not able
00:23:41.290 --> 00:23:43.070
to pay up their bills.
00:23:43.070 --> 00:23:45.680
And so I really encourage to think
00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:48.080
about how we must continue to change
00:23:48.080 --> 00:23:51.720
the way we do business that is better for the planet,
00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:54.890
people and especially in disadvantaged communities
00:23:54.890 --> 00:23:58.220
so that all living plants and animals can thrive.
00:23:58.220 --> 00:24:00.050
I encourage you to support equity
00:24:00.050 --> 00:24:03.680
and justice for all, especially for vulnerable populations
00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:05.500
and disadvantaged communities.
00:24:05.500 --> 00:24:07.990
I echo the sentiment that has already been shared
00:24:07.990 --> 00:24:09.683
around a lot of different funds.
00:24:11.170 --> 00:24:13.130
And I thank you very much for your time
00:24:13.130 --> 00:24:14.743
and consideration today.
00:24:16.200 --> 00:24:18.060
Thank you for your call.
00:24:18.060 --> 00:24:20.470
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:24:20.470 --> 00:24:22.790
The next caller is Leslie Sal.
00:24:22.790 --> 00:24:24.253
Your line is now open.
00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:28.250
Hi, can you hear me?
00:24:28.250 --> 00:24:30.360
Yes, we can please go ahead.
00:24:30.360 --> 00:24:31.640
Great, thank you.
00:24:31.640 --> 00:24:33.690
I'm calling from Ventura
00:24:33.690 --> 00:24:37.680
and I would just like to support the last speaker.
00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:41.870
I thought she was very eloquent in her delivery
00:24:41.870 --> 00:24:43.770
in the points that she made.
00:24:43.770 --> 00:24:47.103
So as well as some of the earlier speakers.
00:24:48.650 --> 00:24:52.380
I think we need to look at distributed energy resources,
00:24:52.380 --> 00:24:55.040
local energy production.
00:24:55.040 --> 00:24:59.940
We certainly experienced the Thomas fire now here
00:24:59.940 --> 00:25:04.380
that was a real issue for our power
00:25:04.380 --> 00:25:08.910
and having a lot more local production micro grids
00:25:10.350 --> 00:25:14.550
could benefit the communities all up and down California.
00:25:14.550 --> 00:25:18.730
And we have a lot more available now
00:25:18.730 --> 00:25:22.460
in terms of battery storage, reliability.
00:25:22.460 --> 00:25:25.850
And we have community choice energy here
00:25:25.850 --> 00:25:30.850
that we've voted to have at 100% as our basic default.
00:25:36.270 --> 00:25:40.170
So we need we need to facilitate more rooftop,
00:25:40.170 --> 00:25:44.000
more commercial, more parking lot, solar,
00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:45.050
municipal buildings.
00:25:45.050 --> 00:25:48.190
There are any number of ways this could be done
00:25:48.190 --> 00:25:53.060
very quickly if the will and the structure,
00:25:53.060 --> 00:25:55.963
the economic structure was made available.
00:25:56.970 --> 00:25:59.420
So I hope you all will work in that direction.
00:25:59.420 --> 00:26:01.340
I just wanted to mention that film I saw
00:26:01.340 --> 00:26:04.380
yesterday evening, 2040.
00:26:04.380 --> 00:26:05.980
It was very interesting.
00:26:05.980 --> 00:26:08.860
The filmmaker went around to different parts of the world
00:26:09.760 --> 00:26:14.200
and demonstrated these local solar,
00:26:14.200 --> 00:26:18.810
even very very small grids that were producing energy
00:26:18.810 --> 00:26:21.720
for people in different parts of the world.
00:26:21.720 --> 00:26:26.720
And Paul Hawkin was also featured, and he mentioned
00:26:26.930 --> 00:26:30.670
that during one of the Northern California wildfires,
00:26:30.670 --> 00:26:34.430
the only people that had energy was a local tribe
00:26:34.430 --> 00:26:36.610
that had a micro grid.
00:26:36.610 --> 00:26:40.710
So I would like to put that out there too
00:26:40.710 --> 00:26:44.600
that these micro grids are in the local production
00:26:44.600 --> 00:26:46.198
is where we need to go.
00:26:46.198 --> 00:26:47.420
Thank you.
00:26:47.420 --> 00:26:48.940
Thank you for calling.
00:26:48.940 --> 00:26:51.380
Operator, next caller, please.
00:26:51.380 --> 00:26:53.530
The next caller is Barry Toronto.
00:26:53.530 --> 00:26:55.063
Your line is now open.
00:26:56.720 --> 00:26:58.850
Yes, hi, I'm Barry Toronto.
00:26:58.850 --> 00:27:03.850
I am a taxi driver and want to refer to item number 11
00:27:05.110 --> 00:27:08.700
on the consent calendar regarding the wheelchair
00:27:08.700 --> 00:27:10.380
accessible vehicles.
00:27:10.380 --> 00:27:14.790
I see a lot of contradictions in the documents
00:27:14.790 --> 00:27:19.390
and the filing, a colleague of mine who drives
00:27:19.390 --> 00:27:23.960
a ramp taxi regularly named Jessica Felix.
00:27:23.960 --> 00:27:26.840
She mentioned that the entire reason for the regulation
00:27:26.840 --> 00:27:30.410
and the fund was established to create on-demand service
00:27:30.410 --> 00:27:32.410
for wheelchair users.
00:27:32.410 --> 00:27:35.610
The ramp taxis in San Francisco the only on demand service
00:27:35.610 --> 00:27:36.750
in San Francisco.
00:27:36.750 --> 00:27:39.030
If you're gonna make it a requirement
00:27:39.030 --> 00:27:43.420
that only CPUC permitted vehicles are allowed,
00:27:43.420 --> 00:27:45.710
then there are a lot of questions to be asked.
00:27:45.710 --> 00:27:47.110
What do you charge?
00:27:47.110 --> 00:27:50.090
If you're gonna use the TNC method,
00:27:50.090 --> 00:27:52.970
then you're using a soft meter
00:27:53.840 --> 00:27:56.300
and what are they using a flat rate?
00:27:56.300 --> 00:27:59.460
Because TCP carriers are supposed to have
00:28:01.060 --> 00:28:04.620
particular listed rates and not go by a meter.
00:28:04.620 --> 00:28:09.620
So is there any way that ramp taxis can have access
00:28:09.730 --> 00:28:12.010
to a CPUC permit?
00:28:12.010 --> 00:28:15.400
Because in San Francisco they provide the service
00:28:15.400 --> 00:28:17.260
and they also get the proper training
00:28:17.260 --> 00:28:19.200
and the proper inspections.
00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:23.040
And so it's kind of ludicrous to leave out ramp taxis
00:28:23.040 --> 00:28:24.910
and not have access to this fund
00:28:25.860 --> 00:28:28.230
in order to provide the service to the people.
00:28:28.230 --> 00:28:31.410
They buy their own vehicles, they get the proper training
00:28:31.410 --> 00:28:35.070
and they develop relationships with the wheelchair users.
00:28:35.070 --> 00:28:37.470
And all of these wheelchair users are not able
00:28:37.470 --> 00:28:41.300
to use an app or use an app on a smartphone
00:28:41.300 --> 00:28:44.430
due to their disabilities.
00:28:44.430 --> 00:28:48.630
So I'm very much concerned about how this was written
00:28:48.630 --> 00:28:52.780
and how this was set up to block ramp taxis
00:28:52.780 --> 00:28:55.183
from being able to take advantage of the fund.
00:28:56.050 --> 00:29:01.050
I appreciate that maybe you misinterpreted SB 1376
00:29:01.060 --> 00:29:03.980
and I'm hoping that this one of the Commissioners
00:29:03.980 --> 00:29:06.060
can take this out of consent calendar
00:29:06.060 --> 00:29:10.150
and have further exploration as to what is going on here.
00:29:10.150 --> 00:29:12.020
Thank you very much.
00:29:12.020 --> 00:29:13.220
Thank you for calling.
00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:15.940
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:19.560
The next caller is Paul Briley.
00:29:19.560 --> 00:29:21.113
Your line is now open.
00:29:23.260 --> 00:29:25.040
Hello, my name is Paul Briley.
00:29:25.040 --> 00:29:27.600
I'm a regional coordinator for All of Us or None.
00:29:27.600 --> 00:29:29.700
We advocate for the civil and human rights.
00:29:29.700 --> 00:29:33.020
So formerly and currently incarcerated individuals.
00:29:33.020 --> 00:29:36.200
I would like to echo one of the callers earlier,
00:29:36.200 --> 00:29:37.940
and I just would like to know how is the Commission
00:29:37.940 --> 00:29:40.960
planning to handle issues of privacy
00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:43.290
right by incarcerated people and their families
00:29:43.290 --> 00:29:47.400
who are experiencing some fear of retaliation or retribution
00:29:47.400 --> 00:29:49.800
for speaking up at public hearings,
00:29:49.800 --> 00:29:54.150
specifically the hearing scheduled on April 28th and 29th.
00:29:54.150 --> 00:29:57.550
And secondly, how is the Commission prepared to identify
00:29:57.550 --> 00:30:00.800
and prioritize calls coming from incarcerated people
00:30:00.800 --> 00:30:03.950
who have limited time and access to communication
00:30:03.950 --> 00:30:06.340
joining the public participation hearings
00:30:06.340 --> 00:30:09.090
on April 28th and April 29th.
00:30:09.090 --> 00:30:12.030
Lastly, how does the Commission plan to notice
00:30:12.030 --> 00:30:14.300
incarcerated people and their families
00:30:14.300 --> 00:30:17.530
of the privacy protocols that would be put in place
00:30:17.530 --> 00:30:19.670
as well as the participation protocols
00:30:19.670 --> 00:30:21.770
for incarcerated and detained people
00:30:21.770 --> 00:30:24.840
to speak up at the public participation hearings.
00:30:24.840 --> 00:30:26.460
Thank you.
00:30:26.460 --> 00:30:28.780
Thank you for your call.
00:30:28.780 --> 00:30:30.630
Operator, the next caller, please.
00:30:30.630 --> 00:30:33.600
The next caller is Laura Rosenberger Hyder.
00:30:33.600 --> 00:30:34.863
Your line is now open.
00:30:41.648 --> 00:30:45.648
This is Laura, a recent LA Times story
00:30:47.740 --> 00:30:51.480
repeated that she thinks national greenhouse gas goals
00:30:52.420 --> 00:30:55.980
with a grid that strategically increased
00:30:55.980 --> 00:31:00.980
distributed energy resources would be $473 billion
00:31:01.360 --> 00:31:06.000
cheaper than relying on central generation
00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:09.300
that would avoid transmission costs.
00:31:09.300 --> 00:31:12.967
And the Commission should also scrutinize
00:31:12.967 --> 00:31:15.900
the transmission projects that they think
00:31:15.900 --> 00:31:18.700
they're paying too much for those projects
00:31:18.700 --> 00:31:21.343
and maybe some mismanagement of money there.
00:31:22.850 --> 00:31:24.580
All right, thank you.
00:31:24.580 --> 00:31:26.860
Thank you for your call.
00:31:26.860 --> 00:31:29.350
Operator, next caller please.
President Batjer.
00:31:29.350 --> 00:31:30.183
Yes.
00:31:30.183 --> 00:31:31.460
I'm sorry to interrupt the flow.
00:31:31.460 --> 00:31:34.440
I just wanted to encourage the callers
00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:38.100
related to the incarcerated people workshop
00:31:38.100 --> 00:31:39.640
to reach out to our office.
00:31:39.640 --> 00:31:43.130
Our contact information is on our website.
00:31:43.130 --> 00:31:45.670
And just to note that we are looking at these issues
00:31:45.670 --> 00:31:48.320
and we'll welcome a follow-up conversation with them.
00:31:49.517 --> 00:31:50.350
Thank you.
00:31:50.350 --> 00:31:51.190
Thank you Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
00:31:51.190 --> 00:31:52.780
That's very helpful information
00:31:52.780 --> 00:31:54.967
for the two callers that have called in
00:31:54.967 --> 00:31:56.120
and those that are listening.
00:31:56.120 --> 00:31:57.770
Thank you for that clarification.
00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:02.553
Okay, operator next caller, please.
00:32:03.430 --> 00:32:04.590
There are no more speakers
00:32:04.590 --> 00:32:07.093
on the public comment telephone line.
00:32:09.210 --> 00:32:11.063
Okay, thank you operator.
00:32:12.730 --> 00:32:14.860
With no more callers on the line,
00:32:14.860 --> 00:32:17.860
the public comment period is now closed.
00:32:17.860 --> 00:32:20.760
Thank you all who called in, appreciate it.
00:32:20.760 --> 00:32:25.760
Before I read the whole list for today from the agenda,
00:32:26.350 --> 00:32:29.140
I understand that Commissioner Guzman Aceves
00:32:29.140 --> 00:32:31.962
would like to make a motion to hold an item.
00:32:31.962 --> 00:32:34.109
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
00:32:34.109 --> 00:32:35.431
Thank you, President Batjer.
00:32:35.431 --> 00:32:38.343
I would like to request a hold on item 12,
00:32:39.420 --> 00:32:41.333
the microgrid proceeding.
00:32:43.630 --> 00:32:48.630
Okay, we will need a motion and a second.
00:32:51.901 --> 00:32:52.803
So moved.
00:32:54.500 --> 00:32:57.200
Okay, Martha yours was a motion, correct,
00:32:57.200 --> 00:32:58.100
in your statement?
00:32:59.590 --> 00:33:00.550
Yes, thank you.
00:33:00.550 --> 00:33:01.610
Okay, thank you.
00:33:01.610 --> 00:33:05.420
We have a motion and a second to hold item number 12,
00:33:05.420 --> 00:33:07.180
and I believe you wanna hold it,
00:33:07.180 --> 00:33:10.110
we will hold it for one meeting under our rules.
00:33:10.110 --> 00:33:13.530
That would be March 18th of 2021.
00:33:13.530 --> 00:33:15.680
Will the agenda court please call the roll.
00:33:17.400 --> 00:33:19.550
Commissioner Houk.
00:33:19.550 --> 00:33:20.383
Yes.
00:33:21.850 --> 00:33:23.790
Commissioner Shiroma.
00:33:23.790 --> 00:33:24.623
Aye.
00:33:25.540 --> 00:33:27.866
Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
00:33:27.866 --> 00:33:28.699
Yes.
00:33:29.670 --> 00:33:31.911
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
00:33:31.911 --> 00:33:32.744
Aye.
00:33:33.754 --> 00:33:34.587
President Batjer.
00:33:34.587 --> 00:33:35.420
Yes.
00:33:35.420 --> 00:33:38.920
The vote to hold item number 12
00:33:38.920 --> 00:33:43.920
to the March 18th, 2021 meeting is approved unanimously.
00:33:46.030 --> 00:33:50.247
Okay, I will move now onto those changes
00:33:52.500 --> 00:33:54.923
to the agenda items.
00:33:56.220 --> 00:33:58.480
These are the following changes.
00:33:58.480 --> 00:34:03.153
Item two will be held until the March 18th, 2021 meeting.
00:34:04.030 --> 00:34:08.343
Item seven, we will take up with a regular agenda today.
00:34:09.210 --> 00:34:14.050
Item 28 will be held until 18th 2021 meeting
00:34:15.580 --> 00:34:20.580
and item 12 will be held until the March 18th,
00:34:21.150 --> 00:34:22.083
2021 meetings.
00:34:24.050 --> 00:34:27.520
Okay, we will now take up the consent items.
00:34:27.520 --> 00:34:28.673
Is there a motion?
00:34:30.650 --> 00:34:32.100
So moved.
00:34:32.100 --> 00:34:33.440
And second
00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:34.892
Thank you.
00:34:34.892 --> 00:34:37.690
We have a motion and a second on the Consent Agenda items.
00:34:37.690 --> 00:34:39.840
Will the agenda clerk please call the role?
00:34:41.090 --> 00:34:42.870
Commissioner Houck.
00:34:42.870 --> 00:34:43.703
Yes.
00:34:44.670 --> 00:34:46.430
Commissioner Shiroma.
00:34:46.430 --> 00:34:47.263
Aye.
00:34:48.160 --> 00:34:50.090
Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
00:34:50.090 --> 00:34:50.923
Yes.
00:34:52.210 --> 00:34:54.592
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
00:34:54.592 --> 00:34:55.425
Aye.
00:34:56.440 --> 00:34:57.812
President Batjer.
00:34:57.812 --> 00:34:58.645
Aye.
00:34:58.645 --> 00:35:03.645
The Consent Agenda has been approved unanimously
00:35:04.180 --> 00:35:05.620
Commissioner Guzman Aceves,
00:35:05.620 --> 00:35:08.933
I believe you have a remark to make on item 13.
00:35:10.530 --> 00:35:12.480
Yeah, thank you President Batjer.
00:35:12.480 --> 00:35:16.000
Just to highlight and thank all of the team
00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:19.090
that's been working on the California Ground Service Fund.
00:35:19.090 --> 00:35:21.820
As you know, this is our largest infrastructure fund
00:35:21.820 --> 00:35:25.470
for broadband and we had a couple of provisions
00:35:25.470 --> 00:35:26.800
in this decision.
00:35:26.800 --> 00:35:31.500
One really improving some of the data requirements
00:35:31.500 --> 00:35:35.720
for actually knowing the state of hairs in our areas
00:35:35.720 --> 00:35:39.600
of being unserved and some of the investments
00:35:39.600 --> 00:35:41.810
that some of the carriers are actually making.
00:35:41.810 --> 00:35:45.430
So this is really a transparency provision
00:35:45.430 --> 00:35:48.650
that I'm glad to have received your support on today.
00:35:48.650 --> 00:35:51.120
And the other very important provision
00:35:51.120 --> 00:35:55.500
was actually something that was in place previously
00:35:55.500 --> 00:35:59.180
and reinstated here of an open access requirement
00:35:59.180 --> 00:36:02.280
with these publicly funded infrastructure projects.
00:36:02.280 --> 00:36:05.550
And I can't tell you how much, how important this is
00:36:05.550 --> 00:36:07.930
particularly for the middle mile investments
00:36:07.930 --> 00:36:11.330
to have this non-discriminatory provision.
00:36:11.330 --> 00:36:13.673
Sorry, my son is yelling at our new puppy.
00:36:15.310 --> 00:36:19.630
but it really has led to successful projects
00:36:19.630 --> 00:36:20.803
throughout the state.
00:36:21.741 --> 00:36:23.320
I wanna just highlight the city of Gonzalez
00:36:23.320 --> 00:36:26.210
being one that actually provides universal service
00:36:26.210 --> 00:36:27.253
to the entire town.
00:36:28.220 --> 00:36:30.930
Largely far more than town only made possible
00:36:30.930 --> 00:36:33.470
because they have this non-discriminatory access
00:36:33.470 --> 00:36:34.860
to the middle mile.
00:36:34.860 --> 00:36:37.975
So I thank you for your support on that.
00:36:37.975 --> 00:36:41.440
Again, also wanting to thank this incredible team
00:36:41.440 --> 00:36:45.690
that I had the privilege of working with for four years
00:36:45.690 --> 00:36:48.040
under the leadership of Celina Juan
00:36:49.000 --> 00:36:51.750
and all the great legal contribution
00:36:51.750 --> 00:36:56.750
particularly from (indistinct) and I can go on and on
00:36:57.260 --> 00:36:59.940
with all the folks in the communications division.
00:36:59.940 --> 00:37:04.720
So for this particular decision, Lou Fisher and James Tang
00:37:04.720 --> 00:37:07.640
and of course our judge Joanna Guvman.
00:37:07.640 --> 00:37:10.680
I wanna thank them for this and I wanted to just share
00:37:10.680 --> 00:37:15.680
that after this decision, and of course, President Batjer,
00:37:16.030 --> 00:37:18.360
your partnership, your Bagley King partnerships
00:37:18.360 --> 00:37:21.423
and particularly your staff, Michael Malaney.
00:37:22.410 --> 00:37:24.810
But as we finish up this decision,
00:37:24.810 --> 00:37:27.210
this proceeding will be now in the hands
00:37:27.210 --> 00:37:31.450
of Commissioner Houck, which I have complete confidence in.
00:37:31.450 --> 00:37:35.310
She will be doing much more to expand all the work
00:37:35.310 --> 00:37:37.830
under this proceeding and getting further
00:37:37.830 --> 00:37:40.640
on our universal broadband access goals.
00:37:40.640 --> 00:37:42.960
So thank you for letting me share that
00:37:42.960 --> 00:37:45.420
and for your support on this item today
00:37:47.260 --> 00:37:49.450
Thank you, Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
00:37:49.450 --> 00:37:51.210
I believe that Commissioner Shiroma
00:37:51.210 --> 00:37:54.413
will make a remark on item 11.
00:37:56.290 --> 00:37:58.845
Yes, thank you, President Batjer.
00:37:58.845 --> 00:38:03.520
I wanted to take a moment to highlight the track three
00:38:03.520 --> 00:38:06.040
wheelchair accessible vehicles decision
00:38:06.040 --> 00:38:07.440
that we just voted out.
00:38:07.440 --> 00:38:08.283
Thank you.
00:38:09.120 --> 00:38:13.580
I would like to note for our commentary today
00:38:13.580 --> 00:38:18.580
that the legislature saw fit or a few years ago
00:38:19.410 --> 00:38:24.410
to have a taxis regulated by local jurisdictions
00:38:27.240 --> 00:38:30.163
rather than the CPUC.
00:38:31.090 --> 00:38:34.660
But meanwhile the Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle Program
00:38:34.660 --> 00:38:38.320
was created by the TNC Assets For All Act
00:38:38.320 --> 00:38:41.983
NC 1376 by Senator Hill in 2018.
00:38:43.993 --> 00:38:47.540
At this time there are TNC companies
00:38:47.540 --> 00:38:50.930
providing wheelchair accessible service,
00:38:50.930 --> 00:38:54.270
but this decision works towards ensuring
00:38:54.270 --> 00:38:59.270
that that service receives continuously improved
00:38:59.363 --> 00:39:03.130
reliable and available service.
00:39:03.130 --> 00:39:06.260
And this decision we have created refinements
00:39:06.260 --> 00:39:09.160
to the requirements for wheelchair accessible
00:39:09.160 --> 00:39:13.840
vehicle service providers to receive a financial offsets
00:39:13.840 --> 00:39:17.280
for the incremental cost they incurred that are grounded
00:39:17.280 --> 00:39:20.670
in improving service and expanding access.
00:39:20.670 --> 00:39:23.510
And this includes benchmarks to ensure that transportation
00:39:23.510 --> 00:39:27.900
that were companies that are providing services
00:39:27.900 --> 00:39:31.330
continues to grow and also improve
00:39:31.330 --> 00:39:35.060
in terms of response times and so forth
00:39:35.060 --> 00:39:38.753
that are similar to non wheelchair users.
00:39:39.700 --> 00:39:43.280
Mission to the TNC is providing these services
00:39:43.280 --> 00:39:47.950
with this position is also creating opportunities
00:39:47.950 --> 00:39:50.800
for other regulated transportation providers
00:39:50.800 --> 00:39:53.750
such as (indistinct) transit to be able to access
00:39:53.750 --> 00:39:56.940
these funds to safely expand access
00:39:56.940 --> 00:40:00.230
to wheelchair accessible vehicles for more Californians.
00:40:00.230 --> 00:40:03.920
Now having what did out this track three decision,
00:40:03.920 --> 00:40:07.440
I anticipate issuing a stopping memo very soon
00:40:07.440 --> 00:40:12.010
for our track four, where we will continue to expand
00:40:12.010 --> 00:40:15.200
transmission access to those with access
00:40:15.200 --> 00:40:18.930
and functional needs beyond wheelchair access.
00:40:18.930 --> 00:40:22.280
I do wanna thank the team that has been working on this,
00:40:22.280 --> 00:40:25.200
Administrative Law Judge, Debbie Shift,
00:40:25.200 --> 00:40:29.320
Supervisor Jared Curtis, analysts Anna Chu,
00:40:29.320 --> 00:40:32.440
Reagan Rocksford, our trainee Tricia Buckley,
00:40:32.440 --> 00:40:35.200
my former advisor, Karen Schia who is now
00:40:35.200 --> 00:40:37.140
the water division director
00:40:38.160 --> 00:40:38.993
and my chief of staff (indistinct).
00:40:40.000 --> 00:40:41.700
Again, thank you for your support.
00:40:42.700 --> 00:40:44.900
Thank you very much, Commissioner Shiroma.
00:40:45.820 --> 00:40:49.480
Okay, no other comments on the consent calendar,
00:40:49.480 --> 00:40:52.423
we'll move on to the regular agenda item.
00:40:53.510 --> 00:40:57.147
The first item is number seven (indistinct).
00:40:58.880 --> 00:41:01.463
Item to discuss and present.
00:41:03.020 --> 00:41:03.990
Thank you.
00:41:03.990 --> 00:41:08.990
This item and the resolution is the culmination
00:41:09.130 --> 00:41:14.130
of a several year effort to revise the PUC's rules
00:41:14.810 --> 00:41:17.160
of procedure and practice.
00:41:17.160 --> 00:41:22.160
Our goal has been to achieve greater transparency,
00:41:22.410 --> 00:41:23.690
greater effectiveness
00:41:24.570 --> 00:41:27.733
and more accessibility in our proceeding.
00:41:28.752 --> 00:41:30.930
And of course, these rules of practice and procedure
00:41:30.930 --> 00:41:34.320
will govern how utilities advocacy groups
00:41:34.320 --> 00:41:39.103
and others participate in our decision-making process.
00:41:39.990 --> 00:41:44.860
So this resolution actually is the last step in our process
00:41:44.860 --> 00:41:48.810
before the state office of administrative law
00:41:48.810 --> 00:41:51.133
reviews the proposed rules.
00:41:51.970 --> 00:41:55.130
We adopted by Commission vote an earlier version
00:41:55.130 --> 00:41:58.780
of these rules changes in September
00:41:58.780 --> 00:42:01.340
and this resolution contained some relatively
00:42:01.340 --> 00:42:06.340
minor revisions to improve the clarity of the rules.
00:42:06.370 --> 00:42:08.100
So I'll just take a step back and highlight
00:42:08.100 --> 00:42:11.930
a few of the big changes that this rules reform
00:42:11.930 --> 00:42:14.863
package accomplishes.
00:42:16.070 --> 00:42:18.370
We've integrated through these rules
00:42:18.370 --> 00:42:23.170
the new catastrophic wildfire proceeding category
00:42:23.170 --> 00:42:27.220
and it's expedited schedule throughout the rules.
00:42:27.220 --> 00:42:31.840
This is of course mandated by the legislature in AB 1054.
00:42:31.840 --> 00:42:34.860
We've also created a new rule
00:42:34.860 --> 00:42:37.400
for other expedited proceedings
00:42:38.240 --> 00:42:42.310
establishing a streamlined process
00:42:42.310 --> 00:42:45.190
for a limited category of applications
00:42:45.190 --> 00:42:49.760
Those that concern exceptionally time-sensitive matters
00:42:49.760 --> 00:42:53.793
with a public safety or financial impact.
00:42:54.970 --> 00:42:57.370
We want to improve accessibility to do that,
00:42:57.370 --> 00:42:59.860
the rules provide that our proceedings
00:42:59.860 --> 00:43:03.410
should include the option for remote participation
00:43:03.410 --> 00:43:04.700
whenever possible.
00:43:04.700 --> 00:43:06.890
We want to extend the lessons we've learned
00:43:06.890 --> 00:43:10.253
through the pandemic to the post pandemic period.
00:43:11.490 --> 00:43:15.910
We revised the structure of a subset of our proceedings,
00:43:15.910 --> 00:43:18.420
quasi legislative proceedings
00:43:18.420 --> 00:43:20.030
so that they're better defined
00:43:20.030 --> 00:43:22.510
and so that we can distinguish these matters
00:43:23.400 --> 00:43:26.453
from other types of Commission proceedings.
00:43:28.032 --> 00:43:30.850
The rules go on to identify the tools
00:43:30.850 --> 00:43:32.740
that we should presumptively use
00:43:32.740 --> 00:43:36.850
in quasi legislative proceedings for engaging the public.
00:43:36.850 --> 00:43:41.100
And these include tools like staff reports, workshops
00:43:41.100 --> 00:43:43.320
and public outreach.
00:43:43.320 --> 00:43:48.220
We've also clarified how members of the public
00:43:48.220 --> 00:43:51.420
who are not formal parties to our proceedings
00:43:51.420 --> 00:43:54.600
can nonetheless comment on these formal proceedings
00:43:54.600 --> 00:43:58.270
and we've indicated how their comments may be reflected
00:43:58.270 --> 00:43:59.510
in our decisions.
00:43:59.510 --> 00:44:03.520
So those are just some of the highlights of this package.
00:44:03.520 --> 00:44:05.040
Next steps.
00:44:05.040 --> 00:44:06.760
The office of administrative law
00:44:08.201 --> 00:44:09.930
will review the proposed changes,
00:44:09.930 --> 00:44:12.440
which hopefully we'll adapt today.
00:44:12.440 --> 00:44:14.750
And if they're approved, the normal schedule
00:44:14.750 --> 00:44:16.640
would be for them to go into effect
00:44:16.640 --> 00:44:19.690
by July 1st of this year.
00:44:19.690 --> 00:44:23.380
We intend to request an earlier effective date
00:44:23.380 --> 00:44:27.243
of May 1st so that we can get these rules in place.
00:44:28.230 --> 00:44:30.700
I gave a lot of thanks the last time
00:44:30.700 --> 00:44:33.790
these rules were before us, but I wanna reiterate.
00:44:33.790 --> 00:44:37.260
My many thanks to the numerous stakeholders
00:44:37.260 --> 00:44:39.220
who've engaged throughout this process,
00:44:39.220 --> 00:44:42.250
including our workshops and public hearings
00:44:42.250 --> 00:44:46.830
and to the mini Commission staff members who worked on this.
00:44:46.830 --> 00:44:51.720
I wanna especially single out judges Park and Yacktman
00:44:51.720 --> 00:44:53.660
for their institutional knowledge
00:44:53.660 --> 00:44:57.450
and for very skillfully managing our filings
00:44:57.450 --> 00:45:00.140
with the office of administrative law.
00:45:00.140 --> 00:45:03.330
I wanna give a shout out to former Commissioner
00:45:03.330 --> 00:45:04.510
Leanne Randolph.
00:45:04.510 --> 00:45:08.650
She co-led this initiative during her term
00:45:08.650 --> 00:45:13.440
and her chair and co-chair stints
00:45:13.440 --> 00:45:15.870
on the policy and governance committee,
00:45:15.870 --> 00:45:19.330
as well as the many staff who worked on this
00:45:19.330 --> 00:45:24.330
in our offices, Sean Simon, and Sydney George in my staff
00:45:24.570 --> 00:45:29.490
and in conditional Randolph Staff, Suzanne Kasasa
00:45:29.490 --> 00:45:30.487
and Annan Basila.
00:45:32.550 --> 00:45:35.003
So with that, I asked for your support.
00:45:36.710 --> 00:45:38.287
Thank you very much Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
00:45:38.287 --> 00:45:41.690
And I just want to add my voice to that of yours
00:45:41.690 --> 00:45:42.920
in thanking the staff.
00:45:42.920 --> 00:45:45.260
This was an incredible undertaking
00:45:45.260 --> 00:45:50.260
and people talk all the time about our archaic processes
00:45:50.492 --> 00:45:52.311
and that we need to streamlining
00:45:52.311 --> 00:45:55.360
and we need to be more accessible and indeed more effective.
00:45:55.360 --> 00:46:00.360
And all of the hard work that you and Commissioner Randolph
00:46:00.430 --> 00:46:03.830
put in along with the staff was really quite tremendous
00:46:03.830 --> 00:46:06.110
and really moved our meter forward.
00:46:06.110 --> 00:46:08.040
So I wanna thank you very much,
00:46:08.040 --> 00:46:12.030
and I'm excited about these changes.
00:46:12.030 --> 00:46:16.300
And as you mentioned in the post pandemic era,
00:46:16.300 --> 00:46:19.130
we've really made strides during the pandemic
00:46:19.130 --> 00:46:21.300
and these changes will continue
00:46:21.300 --> 00:46:25.927
and it's a positive thoughtful approach
00:46:27.300 --> 00:46:28.960
to doing some streamlining
00:46:28.960 --> 00:46:30.690
and making our processes more effective.
00:46:30.690 --> 00:46:34.083
So thank you and I certainly will have my support.
00:46:36.310 --> 00:46:38.773
Any other comments on item number seven?
00:46:40.970 --> 00:46:43.760
Okay, see none, will the agenda clerk please call the role.
00:46:43.760 --> 00:46:45.874
President Batjer, sorry.
00:46:45.874 --> 00:46:46.707
Unfortunately--
00:46:46.707 --> 00:46:48.706
(distorted sound)
00:46:48.706 --> 00:46:49.539
Sorry, Martha, I can't see you.
00:46:49.539 --> 00:46:52.480
So either way everybody just speak up if you want.
00:46:54.497 --> 00:46:56.500
Mrs. Guzman Aceves.
00:46:56.500 --> 00:46:59.750
Thank you Commissioner Rechtschaffen
00:46:59.750 --> 00:47:04.563
has been a tremendous amount of work and interesting,
00:47:06.020 --> 00:47:09.230
some of the clarifications I think no language
00:47:09.230 --> 00:47:11.090
are even clear.
00:47:11.090 --> 00:47:16.090
I want to maybe go back to an item on page 17,
00:47:16.870 --> 00:47:20.640
the striking of the reference to the tribal land policy
00:47:20.640 --> 00:47:23.830
and implementing guidelines and request
00:47:23.830 --> 00:47:27.243
if it's not a issue with any the timing,
00:47:29.860 --> 00:47:34.080
a friendly amendment here to strike that provision.
00:47:34.080 --> 00:47:36.980
I know at the time we had assessed
00:47:36.980 --> 00:47:41.980
that given that we had yet to adopt the guidelines,
00:47:43.140 --> 00:47:48.140
it was like many of these changes, you said something
00:47:48.170 --> 00:47:51.000
and we miss an opportunity for a new change.
00:47:51.000 --> 00:47:56.000
So just to see your thoughts on the ability to strike that
00:47:56.100 --> 00:47:58.850
now that the guidelines have been formally adopted.
00:48:03.810 --> 00:48:06.410
I'm gonna try to pull up the reference.
00:48:06.410 --> 00:48:10.380
Unfortunately, what I'm worried about is that any change
00:48:10.380 --> 00:48:14.240
at this slight late date might disrupt our process
00:48:14.240 --> 00:48:16.540
since we have been working closely
00:48:16.540 --> 00:48:18.680
with the office of administrative law
00:48:18.680 --> 00:48:23.630
to make sure that we're copacetic with their suggestions.
00:48:23.630 --> 00:48:28.630
I'm leery about even introducing anything even minor
00:48:28.700 --> 00:48:33.260
because if we delay the time of submission,
00:48:33.260 --> 00:48:35.450
we get off their six month calendar,
00:48:35.450 --> 00:48:37.080
we might have to start from scratch.
00:48:37.080 --> 00:48:40.910
So, that's my concern.
00:48:40.910 --> 00:48:43.660
I'm a little bit worried about doing anything.
00:48:43.660 --> 00:48:45.270
I'm risk averse.
00:48:45.270 --> 00:48:49.050
Yeah, I share that concern, Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
00:48:49.050 --> 00:48:51.290
I take your point well, Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
00:48:51.290 --> 00:48:55.480
However a minor change can put us back off calendar
00:48:55.480 --> 00:48:59.550
as well as back out for a 15 day comment if not 45,
00:48:59.550 --> 00:49:04.550
depending on how the office of administrative law
00:49:05.300 --> 00:49:06.467
sees the change.
00:49:13.940 --> 00:49:16.110
Maybe it's another additional,
00:49:16.110 --> 00:49:18.940
I mean, we will continue reforms,
00:49:18.940 --> 00:49:20.340
we must continue reform.
00:49:20.340 --> 00:49:24.830
So perhaps we can take that particular concern up
00:49:24.830 --> 00:49:29.830
in our next processes of change and reform.
00:49:34.156 --> 00:49:35.210
Well, we certainly can do that.
00:49:35.210 --> 00:49:39.570
And as you say, we've grouped a bunch of changes
00:49:39.570 --> 00:49:42.630
in this package, but it's not the end of the story.
00:49:42.630 --> 00:49:44.983
And there are things we never got to
00:49:44.983 --> 00:49:46.943
that we hope to get to going forward.
00:49:54.450 --> 00:49:57.760
President Batjer, I did have some comments for this item.
00:49:57.760 --> 00:50:00.010
I'm gonna defer to Commissioner Rechtschaffen
00:50:00.010 --> 00:50:03.240
on the issue regarding the tribal land policy
00:50:03.240 --> 00:50:04.380
so that it's not delayed.
00:50:04.380 --> 00:50:06.740
And I don't think that it prevents us
00:50:06.740 --> 00:50:11.260
from further considering it or implementing the policy
00:50:11.260 --> 00:50:13.093
with the current regulations.
00:50:14.040 --> 00:50:16.120
But I did have some brief comments.
00:50:16.120 --> 00:50:17.383
Sure, go ahead please.
00:50:20.120 --> 00:50:21.750
So I wanted to thank Commissioner Rechtschaffen
00:50:21.750 --> 00:50:23.720
and former Commissioner Randolph for all the work
00:50:23.720 --> 00:50:26.150
and leading this effort to revise the rules of practice
00:50:26.150 --> 00:50:27.153
and procedure.
00:50:28.010 --> 00:50:30.690
The amendments will ensure consistency
00:50:30.690 --> 00:50:32.250
with the statutory requirements
00:50:32.250 --> 00:50:34.280
and enhanced transparency and effectiveness
00:50:34.280 --> 00:50:36.820
of the process and echo Commissioner Rechtschaffen's
00:50:36.820 --> 00:50:39.730
thanks to everyone that was part of this initiative
00:50:39.730 --> 00:50:42.540
including the stakeholders, ALJ and legal divisions
00:50:42.540 --> 00:50:45.480
and the many PUC staff who worked on the project,
00:50:45.480 --> 00:50:47.780
specifically recognizing the contributions
00:50:47.780 --> 00:50:49.990
of the lead drafters and ALJ division
00:50:49.990 --> 00:50:53.470
Judge Jackman and Judge Park, as well as Christine Powell
00:50:53.470 --> 00:50:57.430
my interim chief of staff and my advisors, Suzanne Kasasa
00:50:57.430 --> 00:50:59.870
who supported Commissioner Randolph in this effort.
00:50:59.870 --> 00:51:02.653
And I'm supporting moving this forward.
00:51:05.140 --> 00:51:09.280
Okay, I'm going to ask Anne if we need to take
00:51:09.280 --> 00:51:13.370
any formal action on Commissioner Guzman Aceves'
00:51:13.370 --> 00:51:16.483
suggestion on a friendly amendment.
00:51:17.600 --> 00:51:21.870
Do we need to literally have a motion for that
00:51:21.870 --> 00:51:23.323
and then vote on it?
00:51:24.830 --> 00:51:28.010
President Batjer, you don't need a motion.
00:51:28.010 --> 00:51:30.480
You could consider it as part of the discussion
00:51:30.480 --> 00:51:34.330
unless Commissioner Guzman Aceves wants to make a motion
00:51:34.330 --> 00:51:36.300
and then you would vote separately
00:51:36.300 --> 00:51:39.763
on the proposed amendment and then on the main item.
00:51:40.680 --> 00:51:43.166
Thank you for that clarification.
00:51:43.166 --> 00:51:46.420
Commissioner Guzman Aceves, did you want something
00:51:46.420 --> 00:51:49.080
It didn't sound like Commissioner Rechtschaffen
00:51:49.080 --> 00:51:50.050
wants to risk that.
00:51:50.050 --> 00:51:52.810
So I will no make a motion.
00:51:52.810 --> 00:51:55.440
Okay, thank you Commissioner.
00:51:55.440 --> 00:51:58.060
Okay, with that, I will ask the agenda clerk
00:51:58.060 --> 00:52:01.413
to please call the roll in this item number seven.
00:52:04.040 --> 00:52:05.690
Commissioner Houck.
00:52:05.690 --> 00:52:06.523
Yes.
00:52:08.460 --> 00:52:09.720
Commissioner Shiroma.
00:52:09.720 --> 00:52:10.553
Aye.
00:52:12.070 --> 00:52:13.890
Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
00:52:13.890 --> 00:52:14.723
Yes.
00:52:16.020 --> 00:52:18.309
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
00:52:18.309 --> 00:52:19.142
Aye.
00:52:20.085 --> 00:52:21.150
President Batjer.
00:52:21.150 --> 00:52:21.990
Aye.
00:52:21.990 --> 00:52:23.870
The vote is unanimous.
00:52:23.870 --> 00:52:25.000
Thank you.
00:52:25.000 --> 00:52:29.100
We're moving on now to item number 27,
00:52:29.100 --> 00:52:32.160
the order instituting rulemaking to update
00:52:32.160 --> 00:52:35.203
the surcharge mechanism for the public purpose program.
00:52:36.140 --> 00:52:39.610
Director Rob Osborn and Felix Robert
00:52:41.749 --> 00:52:44.983
from the communications division will give the presentation.
00:52:46.210 --> 00:52:48.533
We will take a vote after the presentation.
00:52:51.481 --> 00:52:52.620
Thank you, President Batjer.
00:52:52.620 --> 00:52:53.810
Can you hear me?
00:52:53.810 --> 00:52:55.793
Yes, we can hear you fine, Rob.
00:52:57.210 --> 00:52:59.900
Thank you for your time today, Commissioners
00:52:59.900 --> 00:53:00.960
in allowing me to present.
00:53:00.960 --> 00:53:02.177
I'm joined by Felix Roblis,
00:53:02.177 --> 00:53:05.020
the program and project supervisor of the high cost
00:53:05.020 --> 00:53:07.970
fund A and B and surcharge collection.
00:53:07.970 --> 00:53:10.840
I have four slides to present and falling that,
00:53:10.840 --> 00:53:13.730
Felix and I are available for questions.
00:53:13.730 --> 00:53:16.330
The purpose of this OIR and maybe we could pull
00:53:16.330 --> 00:53:20.123
the slides up or the presentation.
00:53:21.300 --> 00:53:24.070
If we could go back to the first line before we go on this,
00:53:24.070 --> 00:53:25.640
thank you.
00:53:25.640 --> 00:53:27.900
The purpose of this OIR is to address the need
00:53:27.900 --> 00:53:31.570
for sustainable and cost-effective methods for funding
00:53:31.570 --> 00:53:35.470
the state's universal service, public purpose programs.
00:53:35.470 --> 00:53:37.760
The current funding mechanism is based
00:53:37.760 --> 00:53:39.980
on a percentage surcharge applied
00:53:39.980 --> 00:53:43.990
to intrastate telecommunication services revenue
00:53:43.990 --> 00:53:46.860
and it's not sustainable due to the continuing decline
00:53:46.860 --> 00:53:49.640
of interest state revenue billing base
00:53:49.640 --> 00:53:52.160
reported by service providers.
00:53:52.160 --> 00:53:55.190
This rulemaking seeks to implement a straightforward
00:53:55.190 --> 00:53:57.030
and flexible structure for providers
00:53:57.030 --> 00:53:59.190
to collect and remit surcharges
00:53:59.190 --> 00:54:01.490
to support the public purpose programs
00:54:01.490 --> 00:54:03.690
while also collecting user fees.
00:54:03.690 --> 00:54:06.770
We see very significant upsides for consumers,
00:54:06.770 --> 00:54:08.730
carriers and the state.
00:54:08.730 --> 00:54:11.020
For consumers, it's more equitable
00:54:11.020 --> 00:54:13.330
because there will no longer be differences
00:54:13.330 --> 00:54:17.060
based on technology where a traditional landline customer
00:54:17.060 --> 00:54:20.350
pays two to 10 times more than a wireless
00:54:20.350 --> 00:54:22.560
or a VIP customer.
00:54:22.560 --> 00:54:25.064
For carriers, a flat rate mechanism or a per connection
00:54:25.064 --> 00:54:28.900
surcharge is easier to calculate and remit
00:54:28.900 --> 00:54:31.170
than calculating interest state revenue.
00:54:31.170 --> 00:54:33.610
And for the state, a per connection surcharges
00:54:33.610 --> 00:54:36.940
is easier to track and audit and it provides a more reliable
00:54:36.940 --> 00:54:39.500
and predictable revenue base for the PUC to plan
00:54:39.500 --> 00:54:42.250
and fund universal service programs.
00:54:42.250 --> 00:54:45.480
This OIR would be separated into two phases.
00:54:45.480 --> 00:54:48.630
Phase one would consider reforming the surcharge mechanism
00:54:48.630 --> 00:54:51.240
as it is today and the user fee
00:54:51.240 --> 00:54:53.100
from the existing revenue based approach
00:54:53.100 --> 00:54:56.500
to a per access line flat rate and user mechanism
00:54:56.500 --> 00:54:59.170
by January, 2022.
00:54:59.170 --> 00:55:01.650
Phase two would review the reasonableness
00:55:01.650 --> 00:55:04.120
of the surcharges and user fees,
00:55:04.120 --> 00:55:06.700
the telecommunications service providers impose
00:55:06.700 --> 00:55:08.820
on end-users as well as additional taxes
00:55:08.820 --> 00:55:11.420
fees and surcharges assessed by federal state
00:55:11.420 --> 00:55:13.310
and local governments.
00:55:13.310 --> 00:55:18.100
Governor Newsome's 2021/2022 budget highlights the effect
00:55:18.100 --> 00:55:21.970
of hidden fees and surcharges on broadband service.
00:55:21.970 --> 00:55:24.960
It said even for those with an available connection
00:55:24.960 --> 00:55:26.840
broadband service can still be out of reach
00:55:26.840 --> 00:55:28.710
because it is on affordable.
00:55:28.710 --> 00:55:30.610
Hidden fees and expensive devices
00:55:30.610 --> 00:55:32.980
can make access unattainable.
00:55:32.980 --> 00:55:36.280
An estimated 31% of Californians with internet access
00:55:36.280 --> 00:55:39.770
have not adopted broadband had benchmark speeds.
00:55:39.770 --> 00:55:40.900
And the national model review
00:55:40.900 --> 00:55:43.110
stated that the federal universal service fund
00:55:43.110 --> 00:55:48.070
contribution factor which 31.8% for the first quarter
00:55:48.070 --> 00:55:51.380
of 2021 and the widespread recognition
00:55:51.380 --> 00:55:53.010
of broadband as an essential service,
00:55:53.010 --> 00:55:55.350
particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic
00:55:55.350 --> 00:55:57.130
may prove to be the tipping point
00:55:57.130 --> 00:55:59.890
on universal service contribution reform.
00:55:59.890 --> 00:56:00.943
Next slide, please.
00:56:02.410 --> 00:56:05.810
The billing base is the total of interest state revenue
00:56:05.810 --> 00:56:08.007
reported by all the authorized carriers
00:56:08.007 --> 00:56:10.750
and the data is collected and maintained
00:56:10.750 --> 00:56:13.500
through the Commissions telecommunication
00:56:13.500 --> 00:56:17.780
user fee filing system, otherwise known as TUFS.
00:56:17.780 --> 00:56:21.040
This graph shows the declining reported intrastate
00:56:21.040 --> 00:56:23.450
billing base against which the state's universal
00:56:23.450 --> 00:56:25.940
service program surcharges are assessed.
00:56:25.940 --> 00:56:27.560
You can see there's a downward trend
00:56:27.560 --> 00:56:30.770
that has been continuing since 2012.
00:56:30.770 --> 00:56:32.720
In a later slide, I'll show some examples
00:56:32.720 --> 00:56:35.880
of how the surcharges vary by technology.
00:56:35.880 --> 00:56:39.460
You can see the yellow up above the wireless
00:56:40.410 --> 00:56:42.570
is declining rather rapidly.
00:56:42.570 --> 00:56:44.760
And there's several reasons for that.
00:56:44.760 --> 00:56:48.200
So for wireless, which is also mobile service,
00:56:48.200 --> 00:56:50.400
text messaging and data are classified
00:56:50.400 --> 00:56:55.052
as information services effective December 12th, 2018
00:56:55.052 --> 00:56:59.150
pursuant to the FCC and are not subject to CPC surcharges.
00:56:59.150 --> 00:57:01.730
This contributed to an immediate and sizable decline
00:57:01.730 --> 00:57:04.640
in wireless intrastate revenue reporting.
00:57:04.640 --> 00:57:06.780
Also competition amongst cellular providers
00:57:06.780 --> 00:57:09.670
have driven down the cost of retail monthly service plans
00:57:09.670 --> 00:57:12.410
for end users resulting in decreased intrastate
00:57:12.410 --> 00:57:14.196
revenue reporting.
00:57:14.196 --> 00:57:16.790
Voicemail services are also classified
00:57:16.790 --> 00:57:18.090
as information services.
00:57:18.090 --> 00:57:21.520
So that's not no longer included in intrastate revenue.
00:57:21.520 --> 00:57:24.560
And then finally, as we're all aware the subscribership
00:57:24.560 --> 00:57:27.630
for plain old telephone service for your land line
00:57:28.667 --> 00:57:29.500
is declining gradually as well.
00:57:29.500 --> 00:57:31.050
And you'll see that on the blue graph
00:57:31.050 --> 00:57:33.290
in the reported revenue intrastate revenue
00:57:33.290 --> 00:57:35.470
for wireline is declining.
00:57:35.470 --> 00:57:36.583
Next slide, please.
00:57:38.220 --> 00:57:41.700
The graph at the center shows how the Commission
00:57:41.700 --> 00:57:43.900
has had to raise surcharges over time
00:57:43.900 --> 00:57:48.020
as the reported intrastate revenue has declined.
00:57:48.020 --> 00:57:51.190
So you can see in 2012, the total surcharges
00:57:51.190 --> 00:57:55.050
for all six programs was 2.27%
00:57:55.050 --> 00:57:59.930
and it has gone up to 7.749% in 2020.
00:58:00.800 --> 00:58:03.710
The table at the top shows the current surcharges
00:58:03.710 --> 00:58:07.970
and just going from the left, we have the ULTS,
00:58:07.970 --> 00:58:10.230
which is the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service,
00:58:10.230 --> 00:58:14.010
4.75 DDTP is Deaf and Disabled Program.
00:58:14.010 --> 00:58:17.013
That surcharge is set in statute at 0.5%.
00:58:18.360 --> 00:58:20.550
High cost fund aid, California High Cost Fund A,
00:58:20.550 --> 00:58:24.700
CHCF A is 0.7, High Cost Fund B is currently zero.
00:58:24.700 --> 00:58:29.100
And that we reduced that to zero back in 2014
00:58:29.100 --> 00:58:32.260
because we had an abundance of money in that account
00:58:32.260 --> 00:58:34.930
and we wanted to spend down the balance.
00:58:34.930 --> 00:58:38.020
California Teleconnect CTF is 0.78%,
00:58:38.020 --> 00:58:42.610
and the California Events Services Fund is 1.019%
00:58:42.610 --> 00:58:44.513
totaling 7.749%.
00:58:46.170 --> 00:58:47.093
Next slide please.
00:58:48.970 --> 00:58:51.290
So this slide shows specific examples
00:58:51.290 --> 00:58:54.070
of how public purpose program surcharges are assessed
00:58:54.070 --> 00:58:56.560
on different kinds of telephone service.
00:58:56.560 --> 00:58:59.490
At the top, we have an example from a traditional AT&T
00:58:59.490 --> 00:59:02.830
of landline bill, and this bill is from 2018.
00:59:02.830 --> 00:59:04.840
So you'll see that the surcharge total
00:59:04.840 --> 00:59:09.130
which is in the first, sorry, just to the left
00:59:09.130 --> 00:59:13.730
of the first red box, which says 6.94%.
00:59:13.730 --> 00:59:17.610
That's below the current rate of 7.749.
00:59:17.610 --> 00:59:19.180
And that's because the the surcharges
00:59:19.180 --> 00:59:23.080
were lower back in 2018, so we're using older bill.
00:59:23.080 --> 00:59:25.720
But even back then you can see how the total surcharge
00:59:25.720 --> 00:59:28.030
amount collected for that wireline bill
00:59:28.030 --> 00:59:31.470
is significantly larger than the one right below it.
00:59:31.470 --> 00:59:36.470
So the $2.89 cents for the ATT plain old telephone service
00:59:36.760 --> 00:59:39.648
is the amount collected for that customer.
00:59:39.648 --> 00:59:43.260
And then the AT$T mobile right below that is only 29 cents.
00:59:43.260 --> 00:59:45.850
And this kind of underscores the difference
00:59:45.850 --> 00:59:47.970
in how the surcharges are assessed
00:59:47.970 --> 00:59:50.720
against different technologies.
00:59:50.720 --> 00:59:53.380
So I've spoken a little bit about why the difference
00:59:53.380 --> 00:59:55.760
between wireline and wireless.
00:59:55.760 --> 00:59:58.070
If you think about your wire line
00:59:58.070 --> 01:00:00.310
on your plain old telephone, all you're using that for
01:00:00.310 --> 01:00:01.240
is telephone service.
01:00:01.240 --> 01:00:05.950
You're not going on to YouTube, or you're not doing
01:00:05.950 --> 01:00:08.010
all sorts of other activities like surfing the web,
01:00:08.010 --> 01:00:09.150
it's simply for telephone.
01:00:09.150 --> 01:00:11.380
And that's why it's significantly higher
01:00:11.380 --> 01:00:14.033
in terms of reported intrastate revenue.
01:00:14.900 --> 01:00:15.803
Next slide please.
01:00:17.370 --> 01:00:19.220
So according to near route 20 states
01:00:19.220 --> 01:00:21.280
have already transitioned from an intrastate
01:00:21.280 --> 01:00:22.740
revenue based funding mechanism
01:00:22.740 --> 01:00:24.960
to a per connection charge.
01:00:24.960 --> 01:00:27.000
And you can see the list of states here.
01:00:27.000 --> 01:00:29.510
And just as an example, New Mexico,
01:00:29.510 --> 01:00:31.820
they had a per connection surcharge
01:00:31.820 --> 01:00:36.330
that was $1.17 per month per subscriber in 2018.
01:00:36.330 --> 01:00:38.750
That was based on roughly 3 million connections.
01:00:38.750 --> 01:00:42.570
And that monthly fee pays for the state's rural universal
01:00:42.570 --> 01:00:43.403
service fund.
01:00:43.403 --> 01:00:45.250
It's essentially like our high cost fund aid
01:00:45.250 --> 01:00:48.860
paying for rural telephone service in high cost areas.
01:00:48.860 --> 01:00:52.410
And just then for other state comparisons,
01:00:52.410 --> 01:00:54.210
there's 33 states that are collecting
01:00:54.210 --> 01:00:57.860
for our equivalent of DDTP the deaf and disabled
01:00:57.860 --> 01:00:59.680
telephone program.
01:00:59.680 --> 01:01:03.110
Lifeline, there's 17 states collecting surcharges
01:01:03.110 --> 01:01:06.940
for lifeline and there's also broadband programs
01:01:06.940 --> 01:01:07.773
that are collected.
01:01:07.773 --> 01:01:09.780
And again, all of that is included
01:01:09.780 --> 01:01:11.720
in a single per connection surcharge
01:01:11.720 --> 01:01:14.860
as opposed to based on intrastate revenue.
01:01:14.860 --> 01:01:16.760
So I know we've gone through a lot
01:01:16.760 --> 01:01:19.400
and I wanted to open it up for questions.
01:01:19.400 --> 01:01:21.770
And as I said earlier, Felix and I are available
01:01:21.770 --> 01:01:23.743
to answer any questions you may have.
01:01:26.860 --> 01:01:29.510
Thank you, Director Osborne for your presentation
01:01:29.510 --> 01:01:31.220
very helpful information.
01:01:31.220 --> 01:01:34.600
This truly is becoming a dire situation.
01:01:34.600 --> 01:01:37.760
It was concerning to me when we voted just a few months ago
01:01:37.760 --> 01:01:40.697
to double the surcharge rate for CASF
01:01:42.141 --> 01:01:43.820
and the high cost fund programs.
01:01:43.820 --> 01:01:47.040
And that was just to maintain and not even increase
01:01:47.040 --> 01:01:48.380
in the same amount of revenue
01:01:48.380 --> 01:01:49.930
those programs were collecting.
01:01:51.080 --> 01:01:54.920
Looking forward, I'm most concerned that the deaf
01:01:54.920 --> 01:01:56.870
and disabled telecommunications programs
01:01:56.870 --> 01:01:58.523
will become insolvent.
01:01:59.720 --> 01:02:02.460
It's been eye opening to see the discrepancies
01:02:02.460 --> 01:02:05.910
between how much users of different services
01:02:05.910 --> 01:02:08.210
they in surcharges.
01:02:08.210 --> 01:02:10.300
There are even significant discrepancies
01:02:10.300 --> 01:02:13.130
in what different companies are offering
01:02:13.130 --> 01:02:15.663
the same service charge customers.
01:02:17.400 --> 01:02:20.930
It seems that the system is a little broken
01:02:20.930 --> 01:02:23.860
and I'm looking forward to this proceeding
01:02:23.860 --> 01:02:27.540
to fix these issues and set our public policy programs
01:02:27.540 --> 01:02:29.590
on a solid and equitable foundation.
01:02:29.590 --> 01:02:31.490
That is of course those areas
01:02:31.490 --> 01:02:35.952
that we have the authority to fix.
01:02:35.952 --> 01:02:40.430
So thank you again, and I will be supporting this OIR.
01:02:40.430 --> 01:02:42.850
I'm going to ask my fellow Commissioners,
01:02:42.850 --> 01:02:46.870
if any of them have comments on this item,
01:02:46.870 --> 01:02:48.393
which is item 27.
01:02:52.960 --> 01:02:54.710
Yes, thank you, President Batjer.
01:02:54.710 --> 01:02:56.030
Yes, thank you.
01:02:56.030 --> 01:02:58.460
Commissioner Shiroma, please, go ahead.
01:02:58.460 --> 01:02:59.293
Thank you.
01:02:59.293 --> 01:03:02.550
Yes, I'm also in support of opening this rulemaking
01:03:02.550 --> 01:03:07.550
and I want to thank communications division staff.
01:03:09.710 --> 01:03:12.440
Thank you, Rob, for your presentation
01:03:12.440 --> 01:03:15.780
to the administrative division on the work
01:03:15.780 --> 01:03:17.973
on putting together this proposed OIR.
01:03:19.470 --> 01:03:22.660
The CPUP six public purpose programs
01:03:22.660 --> 01:03:25.610
provide essential services and assistance
01:03:25.610 --> 01:03:27.620
to me as a household.
01:03:27.620 --> 01:03:30.850
And for example, the lifeline program
01:03:30.850 --> 01:03:35.495
currently provides free or discounted phone
01:03:35.495 --> 01:03:38.917
and broadband service to about 1.7 million
01:03:40.180 --> 01:03:42.310
California households.
01:03:42.310 --> 01:03:44.593
This is essential services.
01:03:45.427 --> 01:03:48.770
However, even in providing that service,
01:03:48.770 --> 01:03:53.590
that is only about 40% of the eligible households
01:03:53.590 --> 01:03:55.840
that could be enrolled in the program.
01:03:55.840 --> 01:03:59.590
Now that is actually one of the highest rates
01:03:59.590 --> 01:04:01.653
for lifeline programs in the nation.
01:04:03.630 --> 01:04:06.520
But from our standards that's still considered
01:04:06.520 --> 01:04:08.700
a low enrollment.
01:04:08.700 --> 01:04:11.360
So as a CPUC works to increase that enrollment,
01:04:11.360 --> 01:04:14.250
we must also work to make sure the funding
01:04:15.629 --> 01:04:17.220
is adequate and sustainable.
01:04:17.220 --> 01:04:20.823
And all the more that is why is OIR is needed.
01:04:21.770 --> 01:04:24.240
We're fortunate to be living in a time of rapid
01:04:24.240 --> 01:04:25.210
technological developments,
01:04:25.210 --> 01:04:29.190
where new methods of communication make it easier to connect
01:04:29.190 --> 01:04:30.950
and its essential to connect.
01:04:30.950 --> 01:04:35.950
Yet, we need to align our public purpose programs funding
01:04:36.060 --> 01:04:36.980
for this shift.
01:04:36.980 --> 01:04:40.554
So otherwise we risk the future
01:04:40.554 --> 01:04:43.800
of these vital services for so many Californians.
01:04:43.800 --> 01:04:47.010
So thank you to everyone who worked on this proposed OIR
01:04:47.010 --> 01:04:48.750
and I'm pleased to support it.
01:04:48.750 --> 01:04:49.583
Thank you.
01:04:50.610 --> 01:04:52.930
Okay, thank you.
01:04:52.930 --> 01:04:54.383
Are there any other comments?
01:04:55.600 --> 01:04:58.730
Yes, President Batjer, this is Commissioner Houck.
01:04:58.730 --> 01:05:01.640
Just a brief comment, I wanted to thank the communications
01:05:01.640 --> 01:05:04.790
division staff for presenting the item and ALJ fortune
01:05:04.790 --> 01:05:06.930
for preparing the order.
01:05:06.930 --> 01:05:09.040
Our public purpose programs are important tools
01:05:09.040 --> 01:05:11.740
for increasing access to phone and internet services
01:05:11.740 --> 01:05:14.710
for all Californians and the communications industry
01:05:14.710 --> 01:05:17.080
and related technologies have changed drastically
01:05:17.080 --> 01:05:19.800
since the inception of these programs.
01:05:19.800 --> 01:05:21.460
This rulemaking will provide the Commission
01:05:21.460 --> 01:05:23.630
a forum to hear from stakeholders and a vehicle
01:05:23.630 --> 01:05:27.200
to modernize the public purpose program funding mechanisms.
01:05:27.200 --> 01:05:29.183
I'm also mindful that the surcharges
01:05:29.183 --> 01:05:31.007
are out up on customer bills, and in particular
01:05:31.007 --> 01:05:34.064
out up on customer bills, and in particular
01:05:34.064 --> 01:05:36.239
for those customers that rely on wireline service.
01:05:36.239 --> 01:05:38.340
And with that, I will be supporting the decision
01:05:38.340 --> 01:05:40.760
Thank you, Commissioner Houck.
01:05:40.760 --> 01:05:41.860
Any other comments.
01:05:41.860 --> 01:05:44.020
Yes, Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
01:05:44.020 --> 01:05:47.320
I wanna echo what my colleagues have said.
01:05:47.320 --> 01:05:50.460
This is an extremely important
01:05:50.460 --> 01:05:54.140
and very very timely rulemaking.
01:05:54.140 --> 01:05:58.370
It's way past debate that access to communication
01:05:58.370 --> 01:06:01.672
is essential in today's world.
01:06:01.672 --> 01:06:04.351
that access to communication is essential in today's world.
01:06:04.351 --> 01:06:08.060
We've seen dramatically during the pandemic
01:06:08.060 --> 01:06:12.723
our surcharge to keep up with the changing market.
01:06:13.903 --> 01:06:18.211
And it is critical that we have a sustainable
01:06:18.211 --> 01:06:21.033
And it's critical that we have a sustainable
01:06:21.033 --> 01:06:23.756
and predictable source of funding
01:06:23.756 --> 01:06:25.030
programs that Rob and Commissioner Shiroma described.
01:06:26.927 --> 01:06:31.177
programs that Robyn Commissioner Shiroma described.
01:06:32.953 --> 01:06:34.860
Thank you Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
01:06:34.860 --> 01:06:37.238
Yes, Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:06:37.238 --> 01:06:38.850
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:06:38.850 --> 01:06:40.450
for finally bringing this forward.
01:06:40.450 --> 01:06:42.780
It's so long overdue a forum, and I look forward
01:06:42.780 --> 01:06:43.893
to a quick PD.
01:06:46.489 --> 01:06:48.243
overdue a forum, and I look forward to a quick PD.
01:06:50.020 --> 01:06:51.870
Thank you Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:06:53.594 --> 01:06:54.427
Thank you.
01:06:56.774 --> 01:06:59.273
And I just wanna say again, thank you,
01:06:59.273 --> 01:07:03.174
Rob and Felix, for all your hard work
01:07:03.174 --> 01:07:04.007
and those of your colleagues on this effort.
01:07:04.007 --> 01:07:08.640
So with that, I'm going to ask the agenda clerk
01:07:08.640 --> 01:07:11.233
to please call the roll on item number 27.
01:07:13.430 --> 01:07:15.241
Commissioner Houck.
01:07:15.241 --> 01:07:17.091
Commissioner Houck.
01:07:17.091 --> 01:07:18.217
Commissioner Guzman, excuse me.
01:07:18.217 --> 01:07:19.616
Commissioner Shiroma.
01:07:19.616 --> 01:07:22.195
Commissioner Shiroma.
01:07:22.195 --> 01:07:24.041
Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
01:07:24.041 --> 01:07:24.874
Yes.
01:07:26.275 --> 01:07:28.064
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:07:28.064 --> 01:07:29.610
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:07:29.610 --> 01:07:30.747
President Batjer.
01:07:30.747 --> 01:07:32.070
Aye.
01:07:32.070 --> 01:07:35.430
Thank you very much, item 27 is passed unanimously.
01:07:35.430 --> 01:07:38.197
Moving on now to item 29
01:07:38.197 --> 01:07:42.900
Item 27 is passed unanimously moving on now to item 29
01:07:42.900 --> 01:07:45.528
which is Commissioner Rechtschaffen to present.
01:07:45.528 --> 01:07:47.945
This is an extension order.
01:07:49.199 --> 01:07:51.200
This proceeding relates to the proposed acquisition
01:07:51.200 --> 01:07:54.360
by California American Water Company.
01:07:54.360 --> 01:07:57.930
by California American water company.
01:07:59.290 --> 01:08:02.770
and it was subsequently withdrawn
01:08:02.770 --> 01:08:04.880
as we decided to reopen the record
01:08:04.880 --> 01:08:07.180
to take additional evidence
01:08:07.180 --> 01:08:09.037
take additional evidence
01:08:09.990 --> 01:08:13.780
of the Bellflower Water System.
01:08:13.780 --> 01:08:17.280
As directed by the assigned judge Callahan,
01:08:17.280 --> 01:08:19.430
has submitted a list of contractors
01:08:19.430 --> 01:08:23.102
qualified to conduct the evaluation.
01:08:23.102 --> 01:08:26.066
of contractors qualified to conduct the evaluation.
01:08:26.066 --> 01:08:28.933
The water division is reviewing that list
01:08:28.933 --> 01:08:33.218
in extension of the deadline until next March,
01:08:33.218 --> 01:08:35.906
March 15th, 2022, is needed to allow sufficient time
01:08:35.906 --> 01:08:39.013
for the evaluation to be completed
01:08:39.013 --> 01:08:42.315
for the parties to respond to the evaluation
01:08:42.315 --> 01:08:45.470
and for a proposed decision to be issued in and voted on.
01:08:45.470 --> 01:08:46.935
Okay, thank you.
01:08:46.935 --> 01:08:47.768
Thank you.
01:08:52.020 --> 01:08:53.990
Okay, seeing none, will the agenda clerk
01:08:53.990 --> 01:08:55.040
please call the roll.
01:08:56.801 --> 01:08:58.228
Commissioner Houck.
01:08:58.228 --> 01:08:59.710
Commissioner Houck.
01:08:59.710 --> 01:09:01.260
Commissioner Shiroma.
01:09:02.177 --> 01:09:03.010
Commissioner Shiroma.
01:09:04.841 --> 01:09:06.640
Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
01:09:06.640 --> 01:09:07.473
Yes.
01:09:08.550 --> 01:09:10.817
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:09:10.817 --> 01:09:11.750
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:09:11.750 --> 01:09:13.390
President Batjer.
01:09:13.390 --> 01:09:14.860
Aye.
01:09:14.860 --> 01:09:15.693
Thank you.
01:09:15.693 --> 01:09:18.760
Item 29 is passed unanimously, thank you.
01:09:18.760 --> 01:09:22.223
Moving on now to item 30, Commissioner Guzman Aceves
01:09:22.223 --> 01:09:23.306
will present.
01:09:24.151 --> 01:09:24.984
on now to item 30 Commissioner Guzman Surveys will present.
01:09:24.984 --> 01:09:25.984
Thank you.
01:09:28.336 --> 01:09:31.052
This item is the order extending the statutory deadline
01:09:31.052 --> 01:09:33.190
for the direct access proceeding.
01:09:33.190 --> 01:09:36.969
We are in phase two of this proceeding
01:09:36.969 --> 01:09:41.907
and we've been considering the legislative mandates
01:09:41.907 --> 01:09:42.740
under SPC 37, and particularly to provide a recommendation
01:09:47.978 --> 01:09:50.916
on how potentially to reopen the direct access cap.
01:09:50.916 --> 01:09:53.630
but since the deadline is March 15th,
01:09:53.630 --> 01:09:56.630
but since the deadline is March 15th
01:09:58.695 --> 01:10:00.620
I wanted to extend the deadline to June 30th of this year.
01:10:00.620 --> 01:10:02.024
Thank you.
01:10:02.024 --> 01:10:06.717
Are there any questions on item number 30 or comments?.
01:10:07.790 --> 01:10:09.780
Okay, seeing none, will the agenda clerk,
01:10:09.780 --> 01:10:10.830
please call the roll?
01:10:13.696 --> 01:10:15.487
Commissioner Houck.
01:10:15.487 --> 01:10:16.895
Commissioner Houck.
01:10:16.895 --> 01:10:19.078
Commissioner Shiroma.
01:10:19.078 --> 01:10:20.636
Commissioner Shiroma.
01:10:20.636 --> 01:10:22.761
Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
01:10:22.761 --> 01:10:24.188
Michelle Rechtschaffen.
01:10:24.188 --> 01:10:25.021
Yes.
01:10:26.422 --> 01:10:27.520
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:10:27.520 --> 01:10:29.572
President Batjer.
01:10:29.572 --> 01:10:30.405
President Batjer.
01:10:30.405 --> 01:10:31.238
Thank you.
01:10:31.238 --> 01:10:33.510
Item number 30 is passed unanimously.
01:10:33.510 --> 01:10:37.981
Moving on now to item 31, which is assigned to me.
01:10:37.981 --> 01:10:40.557
to item 31, which is assigned to me.
01:10:40.557 --> 01:10:41.437
This decision extends the statutory deadline
01:10:41.437 --> 01:10:43.020
for the proceeding.
01:10:45.591 --> 01:10:48.351
Reviewing the application of prop SF, a ferry service
01:10:48.351 --> 01:10:50.931
operating in the San Francisco Bay area.
01:10:50.931 --> 01:10:53.401
For additional authority to change their rates
01:10:53.401 --> 01:10:55.980
and modify their service territory.
01:10:55.980 --> 01:10:59.113
Additional time was necessary to provide appropriate
01:10:59.113 --> 01:11:02.396
due process to the parties that filed protests.
01:11:02.396 --> 01:11:05.600
A proposed decision is expected imminently
01:11:05.600 --> 01:11:10.310
and therefore a short extension to June 7th, 2021
01:11:10.310 --> 01:11:14.173
is necessary to allow the parties to and deliberate.
01:11:15.077 --> 01:11:18.040
allow the parties to and deliberate.
01:11:18.040 --> 01:11:20.693
I ask for your support for this extension.
01:11:20.693 --> 01:11:21.526
Thank you.
01:11:26.350 --> 01:11:29.200
Seeing none, will the agenda clerk, please call the roll?
01:11:30.970 --> 01:11:32.470
Commissioner Houck.
01:11:32.470 --> 01:11:34.220
Commissioner Houck.
01:11:35.160 --> 01:11:36.971
Commissioner Shiroma.
01:11:36.971 --> 01:11:39.490
Commissioner Shiroma.
01:11:39.490 --> 01:11:41.349
Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
01:11:41.349 --> 01:11:43.766
Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
01:11:44.974 --> 01:11:46.987
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:11:46.987 --> 01:11:48.802
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:11:48.802 --> 01:11:50.626
President Batjer.
01:11:50.626 --> 01:11:51.643
President Batjer.
01:11:51.643 --> 01:11:52.580
Aye.
01:11:52.580 --> 01:11:55.500
Item 31 is passed unanimously.
01:11:55.500 --> 01:11:59.060
Item 32 is also assigned to me,
01:11:59.060 --> 01:12:01.640
this order extending statutory deadline
01:12:01.640 --> 01:12:05.533
is for the consolidated proceeding to consider PG&E 2018
01:12:07.530 --> 01:12:12.440
nuclear deCommissioning POS triennial application
01:12:12.440 --> 01:12:16.194
and authorization to establish the Diablo Canyon
01:12:16.194 --> 01:12:20.020
application and authorization to establish the Diablo Canyon
01:12:20.020 --> 01:12:23.430
In joint motion for adoption of a settlement agreement
01:12:23.430 --> 01:12:27.380
was filed by the majority of the parties in the proceeding
01:12:27.380 --> 01:12:29.130
in 2020.
01:12:29.130 --> 01:12:32.565
The Administrative Law Judge has reviewed the terms
01:12:32.565 --> 01:12:35.423
in 2020. The Administrative Law Judge has reviewed the terms
01:12:35.423 --> 01:12:39.121
of the settlement and is currently drafting a proposed
01:12:39.121 --> 01:12:41.290
An extension of the statutory deadline
01:12:41.290 --> 01:12:44.860
to September 13th, 2021, is necessary
01:12:44.860 --> 01:12:47.320
in order to allow enough time for the judge
01:12:47.320 --> 01:12:50.380
to issue a proposed decision and to allow the Commission
01:12:50.380 --> 01:12:54.836
enough time to deliberate and issue its final decision.
01:12:54.836 --> 01:12:56.286
and issue its final decision.
01:12:58.520 --> 01:13:00.437
I ask for your support.
01:13:01.928 --> 01:13:03.044
Any questions or comments?
01:13:03.044 --> 01:13:04.377
Okay, thank you.
01:13:08.564 --> 01:13:10.470
Commissioner Houck?
01:13:10.470 --> 01:13:11.660
Commissioner Houck?
01:13:11.660 --> 01:13:13.793
Commissioner Shiroma?
01:13:13.793 --> 01:13:15.700
Commissioner Shiroma?
01:13:15.700 --> 01:13:18.008
Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
01:13:18.008 --> 01:13:19.937
Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
01:13:19.937 --> 01:13:22.120
Commissioner Guzman Aceves?
01:13:22.120 --> 01:13:24.139
Commissioner Guzman Aceves?
01:13:24.139 --> 01:13:26.071
President Batjer?
01:13:26.071 --> 01:13:27.176
Aye, thank you.
01:13:27.176 --> 01:13:28.593
Aye. Thank you.
01:13:31.150 --> 01:13:34.253
Commissioner Rechtschaffen that is yours to present.
01:13:35.350 --> 01:13:38.540
This extension order concerns our investigation
01:13:38.540 --> 01:13:42.520
into California 1 million new internet users
01:13:42.520 --> 01:13:47.123
coalitions misuse of CASF funds.
01:13:47.960 --> 01:13:50.840
The parties engaged in ADR last year
01:13:50.840 --> 01:13:52.990
through 2019 to 2020 rather,
01:13:54.584 --> 01:13:57.334
through 2019 through 2020 rather,
01:14:00.801 --> 01:14:03.886
and a partial settlement was reached with several parties.
01:14:03.886 --> 01:14:07.595
A one party community union declined to settle
01:14:07.595 --> 01:14:11.158
and has not been dismissed from the investigation.
01:14:11.158 --> 01:14:14.566
It was an evidentiary hearing held last August.
01:14:14.566 --> 01:14:15.689
That party filed the motion to disqualify me
01:14:15.689 --> 01:14:18.022
as the assigned Commissioner
01:14:19.500 --> 01:14:21.570
We need to extend the proceeding deadline
01:14:21.570 --> 01:14:23.410
to address the party's motion
01:14:23.410 --> 01:14:26.299
and resolve the remaining claims of this one party
01:14:26.299 --> 01:14:28.277
that has not settled.
01:14:28.277 --> 01:14:30.702
of this one party that has not settled.
01:14:30.702 --> 01:14:35.236
I request your support to extend the deadline
01:14:35.236 --> 01:14:36.392
to September of this year.
01:14:36.392 --> 01:14:38.216
Thank you.
01:14:38.216 --> 01:14:41.730
Are there any comments or questions
01:14:41.730 --> 01:14:43.620
Okay, seeing none, will the agenda clerk
01:14:43.620 --> 01:14:44.670
please call the roll?
01:14:46.583 --> 01:14:48.512
Commissioner Houck?
01:14:48.512 --> 01:14:50.445
Commissioner Houck?
01:14:50.445 --> 01:14:52.304
Commissioner Shiroma.
01:14:52.304 --> 01:14:53.984
Commissioner Schannoma.
01:14:53.984 --> 01:14:55.866
Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
01:14:55.866 --> 01:14:57.420
Commissioner Rechtschaffen..
01:14:57.420 --> 01:14:59.013
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:15:00.128 --> 01:15:02.093
Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:15:02.093 --> 01:15:03.933
President Batjer.
01:15:03.933 --> 01:15:04.766
President Batjer.
01:15:04.766 --> 01:15:05.815
Aye.
01:15:05.815 --> 01:15:06.648
Thank you.
01:15:08.394 --> 01:15:11.034
Item 33 has passed unanimously.
01:15:11.034 --> 01:15:13.730
That completes our regular agenda items.
01:15:13.730 --> 01:15:16.730
There is no report for item 34,
01:15:16.730 --> 01:15:19.920
report and discussion on recent consumer protections
01:15:19.920 --> 01:15:23.018
and discussion on recent consumer protections
01:15:23.018 --> 01:15:26.266
and safety activities management report.
01:15:26.266 --> 01:15:29.879
And there is no report on item 35,
01:15:29.879 --> 01:15:33.530
which is the management report on administrative activities.
01:15:33.530 --> 01:15:38.280
We are now at the Commissioner reports on the agenda,
01:15:38.280 --> 01:15:39.330
Commissioner reports.
01:15:46.245 --> 01:15:47.495
Mission reports?
01:15:47.495 --> 01:15:48.541
President Batjer.
01:15:48.541 --> 01:15:49.374
Yes.
01:15:50.458 --> 01:15:52.625
I have one announcement.
01:15:55.175 --> 01:15:59.008
This is an announcement in of an IRP workshop.
01:16:00.170 --> 01:16:03.460
March 10th in the afternoon, from 2:00 to 4:30
01:16:03.460 --> 01:16:08.460
we'll be holding a workshop on the ALJ's ruling
01:16:08.530 --> 01:16:13.458
that was issued last month on midterm reliability analysis
01:16:13.458 --> 01:16:16.041
on midterm reliability analysis
01:16:16.990 --> 01:16:19.970
The ruling proposes requiring load serving entities
01:16:19.970 --> 01:16:23.213
to procure 700 megawatts
01:16:23.213 --> 01:16:24.963
procure 700 megawatts
01:16:27.905 --> 01:16:28.738
of new net qualifying capacity for 2024 to 2026.
01:16:30.386 --> 01:16:34.297
Now that's nameplate capacity is much harder than that.
01:16:34.297 --> 01:16:36.591
So it's a lot of new megawatts of clean energy.
01:16:36.591 --> 01:16:38.830
And the ruling asked the parties to weigh in
01:16:38.830 --> 01:16:43.480
These include revising our planning reserve margin,
01:16:43.480 --> 01:16:47.450
the amount of capacity that we propose over and above
01:16:47.450 --> 01:16:51.460
expected demand to cushion against unexpected events.
01:16:51.460 --> 01:16:55.410
The types of resources load serving entities should procure,
01:16:55.410 --> 01:16:57.990
which load serving entities should be responsible
01:16:57.990 --> 01:17:02.069
for that procurement, how cost allocation
01:17:02.069 --> 01:17:05.410
should be carried out among the different entities,
01:17:05.410 --> 01:17:08.130
among other issues.
01:17:08.130 --> 01:17:09.939
out among the different entities among other issues.
01:17:09.939 --> 01:17:11.077
So this is a workshop.
01:17:11.077 --> 01:17:14.345
This workshop is a very good opportunity
01:17:14.345 --> 01:17:17.428
for our staff to explain the proposal
01:17:18.786 --> 01:17:21.880
and the underlying data and analysis that went into it.
01:17:21.880 --> 01:17:26.430
of the comments that they will be filing later this month
01:17:26.430 --> 01:17:27.623
and early next month.
01:17:28.722 --> 01:17:30.726
this month and early next month.
01:17:30.726 --> 01:17:34.108
This is really where the rubber hits the road
01:17:34.108 --> 01:17:36.810
while strengthening electric reliability.
01:17:36.810 --> 01:17:39.410
So we encourage as many people as possible
01:17:39.410 --> 01:17:41.310
to join in the workshop.
01:17:41.310 --> 01:17:45.812
I wanna also extend my welcome to Commissioner Houck.
01:17:45.812 --> 01:17:48.383
I want to also extend my welcome to Commissioner Houck.
01:17:48.383 --> 01:17:50.761
We've already given her an internal welcome
01:17:50.761 --> 01:17:53.916
and President Batjer gave a very gracious introduction
01:17:53.916 --> 01:17:56.172
at the start, but we're delighted to have you back
01:17:56.172 --> 01:17:58.044
and to have you here working with us.
01:17:58.044 --> 01:18:00.461
And we very much look forward
01:18:05.001 --> 01:18:06.840
to your leadership and collaboration.
01:18:06.840 --> 01:18:10.041
Thank you, Commissioner Rechtschaffen.
01:18:10.041 --> 01:18:12.208
Who would like to go next?
01:18:13.093 --> 01:18:14.735
Okay, yes Commissioner Shiroma.
01:18:14.735 --> 01:18:15.568
Yes, thank you President Batjer.
01:18:16.607 --> 01:18:19.524
I have a number of reports to share
01:18:22.483 --> 01:18:25.814
and I also want to welcome Commissioner Houck
01:18:25.814 --> 01:18:27.913
back to the desk and to returning back to the Commission.
01:18:27.913 --> 01:18:30.663
Look forward to working with you.
01:18:32.630 --> 01:18:36.501
So I wanted to take a moment to thank my advisor
01:18:36.501 --> 01:18:40.857
Terrence Schia for his time, working in my office
01:18:40.857 --> 01:18:43.453
and to congratulate him and his new role as a CPCU
01:18:43.453 --> 01:18:45.453
water division director.
01:18:48.285 --> 01:18:52.118
Terrence served in my office almost two years,
01:18:54.272 --> 01:18:58.595
helped me on water, telecommunications, transportation.
01:18:58.595 --> 01:19:02.409
Provided leadership on our Commission initiatives
01:19:02.409 --> 01:19:05.232
related to greater water affordability,
01:19:05.232 --> 01:19:07.929
bringing broadband to the lifeline program,
01:19:07.929 --> 01:19:09.945
intimating access to transportation
01:19:09.945 --> 01:19:12.179
for users of wheelchairs,
01:19:12.179 --> 01:19:15.142
greater deployment of autonomous vehicles.
01:19:15.142 --> 01:19:17.095
So I want to thank him for his contributions
01:19:17.095 --> 01:19:18.848
to team Shiroma.
01:19:18.848 --> 01:19:20.733
And I look forward to working with Terrance
01:19:20.733 --> 01:19:23.316
as the water division director.
01:19:24.560 --> 01:19:26.976
I also want to welcome Gerald Kelly to my office
01:19:26.976 --> 01:19:29.400
as an interim advisor.
01:19:29.400 --> 01:19:32.980
in the Administrative Law Judge division since 2015.
01:19:34.608 --> 01:19:37.981
in the administrative watch judge division since 2015.
01:19:37.981 --> 01:19:42.118
As the ALJ, he has worked on a wide spectrum of matters,
01:19:42.118 --> 01:19:45.539
including a right making across the industries,
01:19:45.539 --> 01:19:46.595
the enforcement transportation emergency preparedness
01:19:46.595 --> 01:19:48.595
and consumer protection.
01:19:52.608 --> 01:19:55.951
Gerald began his legal career as a deputy attorney general
01:19:55.951 --> 01:19:57.766
working on toes in implement litigation defense
01:19:57.766 --> 01:20:00.099
for the state of California.
01:20:02.086 --> 01:20:06.919
And he joined my team as an interim advisor on Monday.
01:20:06.919 --> 01:20:11.054
I also want to take a moment to reflect on our CPUC
01:20:11.054 --> 01:20:13.801
race on mars we hosted last week Wednesday
01:20:13.801 --> 01:20:16.925
and a companion white paper that was released
01:20:16.925 --> 01:20:20.617
by our energy division for comments
01:20:20.617 --> 01:20:22.838
which are due by March 19th.
01:20:22.838 --> 01:20:24.974
All the Commissioners along with the Commissioners
01:20:24.974 --> 01:20:26.328
from the California energy Commission,
01:20:26.328 --> 01:20:29.283
the Governors from the California
01:20:29.283 --> 01:20:32.077
independent system operator,
01:20:32.077 --> 01:20:36.336
Matt Baker from the natural resources agency
01:20:36.336 --> 01:20:39.049
and assemblyman Holder of central Queso attending this
01:20:39.049 --> 01:20:41.549
and working in a timely event.
01:20:42.771 --> 01:20:45.530
And he heard that we should expect rates to continue to rise
01:20:45.530 --> 01:20:48.950
over the next 10 years on constant living
01:20:48.950 --> 01:20:51.785
and that affordability is essential to California
01:20:51.785 --> 01:20:54.118
achieving its climate goals.
01:20:55.721 --> 01:20:59.440
The impact of the energy burden on California today
01:20:59.440 --> 01:21:01.453
is something we need to pay attention to,
01:21:01.453 --> 01:21:04.203
first providing for affordability
01:21:05.150 --> 01:21:07.286
and meeting those very important climate goals.
01:21:07.286 --> 01:21:10.925
We've heard ideas from utilities right here,
01:21:10.925 --> 01:21:14.665
advocates and academia on opportunities
01:21:14.665 --> 01:21:15.498
to reduce utility costs towards assessing our business
01:21:18.885 --> 01:21:21.577
as usual and garnering savings for taxpayers.
01:21:21.577 --> 01:21:24.877
I found it insightful to hear the research
01:21:24.877 --> 01:21:28.533
on how dollar spent on utility bills to fund things
01:21:28.533 --> 01:21:31.929
like wildfire mitigation also create jobs
01:21:31.929 --> 01:21:34.227
and economic benefits for California customers
01:21:34.227 --> 01:21:36.537
towards helping to lift households.
01:21:36.537 --> 01:21:38.112
But that we also need to be strategic
01:21:38.112 --> 01:21:38.945
to ensure that we are raising wages
01:21:42.422 --> 01:21:44.915
and appropriate workforce training is available
01:21:44.915 --> 01:21:47.363
to get people ready to participate
01:21:47.363 --> 01:21:50.304
in the next phase of our clean economy.
01:21:50.304 --> 01:21:51.877
And finally, we heard that while here here's the Commission,
01:21:53.341 --> 01:21:57.734
we are hard at work leveraging rate per dollars
01:21:57.734 --> 01:22:00.947
to fund wildfire mitigation, climate change initiatives
01:22:00.947 --> 01:22:04.368
and so forth through our general rate cases and proceedings,
01:22:04.368 --> 01:22:07.801
there may be opportunities to really think outside
01:22:07.801 --> 01:22:11.075
of the current box, look at restructuring rates
01:22:11.075 --> 01:22:13.491
and seek other funding sources as well.
01:22:13.491 --> 01:22:14.893
So it would be interesting to see the path forward
01:22:14.893 --> 01:22:15.976
that we take.
01:22:19.380 --> 01:22:22.630
I wanna thank the team for this effort.
01:22:24.529 --> 01:22:27.862
Alphonse Chang, David Bismore, Julia ND,
01:22:29.342 --> 01:22:33.214
Oncate Jane, Bridget Sharon Smith, Nathan Barsik,
01:22:33.214 --> 01:22:35.297
Elaine Sisi Libria, Nate.
01:22:37.297 --> 01:22:40.827
I'm sorry, Gene Spencer, Elizabeth Lapur,
01:22:40.827 --> 01:22:44.910
Christopher Wrestling, Paul Phillips, Sonny Baker
01:22:46.549 --> 01:22:50.760
Terry Fosper, Mary Claire Brown and the (indistinct).
01:22:50.760 --> 01:22:52.903
Terry Prosper, Mary Claire Brown and the (indistinct).
01:22:53.998 --> 01:22:57.742
It's a team that covers a wide spectrum
01:22:57.742 --> 01:22:59.825
of energy across our CTC.
01:23:01.029 --> 01:23:04.279
Everything from breaks to transmission,
01:23:07.560 --> 01:23:12.060
in affordability and reaching our clean climate goals.
01:23:14.373 --> 01:23:17.404
in affordability and reaching are our clean climate goals.
01:23:17.404 --> 01:23:19.263
I also wanna highlight that we have a couple meetings
01:23:19.263 --> 01:23:20.096
coming up.
01:23:21.730 --> 01:23:24.550
quarterly meeting of the Universal Lifeline
01:23:24.550 --> 01:23:29.173
Telephone Service Trust Administrative Committee or ULTSTAC.
01:23:30.192 --> 01:23:34.273
telephone service trust administrative committee or ULTSTAC.
01:23:34.273 --> 01:23:38.440
It will be held next week, Wednesday on March 10th
01:23:40.633 --> 01:23:42.710
from 1:30 to 4:30 on WebEx, that committee advises us
01:23:42.710 --> 01:23:44.710
on the lifeline program.
01:23:45.732 --> 01:23:47.982
At the meeting, we'll be...
01:23:49.977 --> 01:23:51.337
Well, I'm not asking as official member for the charter.
01:23:51.337 --> 01:23:55.225
I have a Commissioner, that's a member
01:23:55.225 --> 01:23:57.756
but I am the sponsor of this committee.
01:23:57.756 --> 01:24:00.033
They will be voting on new board members
01:24:00.033 --> 01:24:03.033
and officers and receiving an update
01:24:04.249 --> 01:24:08.891
on the status of a boost mobile care pilot program.
01:24:08.891 --> 01:24:12.719
And the iFoster pilot that we voted out in 2019
01:24:12.719 --> 01:24:15.516
and hearing what they're doing connects with customers
01:24:15.516 --> 01:24:18.683
enrolled in our low-income NG programs
01:24:20.412 --> 01:24:21.852
and how those programs are doing
01:24:21.852 --> 01:24:23.987
in progress of its planning.
01:24:23.987 --> 01:24:26.599
Again, these are pilot programs.
01:24:26.599 --> 01:24:30.658
We do have a few vacancies on the committee.
01:24:30.658 --> 01:24:33.991
We need a few more members and alternate
01:24:35.052 --> 01:24:36.360
that needs to be dominated by other organizations
01:24:36.360 --> 01:24:39.550
We need some community-based organization members.
01:24:40.719 --> 01:24:44.054
Weed some community-based organization members.
01:24:44.054 --> 01:24:47.304
We need some consumer advocate members.
01:24:48.879 --> 01:24:49.712
And so I'm intending to work with the committee
01:24:51.304 --> 01:24:54.313
towards filling those vacancies.
01:24:54.313 --> 01:24:58.063
They are appointed by our executive director.
01:24:59.795 --> 01:25:03.644
So anyone who is interested to take a look at our website
01:25:03.644 --> 01:25:04.477
and also our daily calendar gets for the details
01:25:04.477 --> 01:25:05.727
in the meeting.
01:25:07.065 --> 01:25:09.187
And then the next day on March 11th,
01:25:09.187 --> 01:25:12.354
the low income oversight board meeting
01:25:13.337 --> 01:25:16.445
is holding its first quarterly meeting of 2021.
01:25:16.445 --> 01:25:20.528
The board advises Commission on low income energy
01:25:21.381 --> 01:25:23.432
and water issues and programs and served as a liaison
01:25:23.432 --> 01:25:25.411
to our low income communities.
01:25:25.411 --> 01:25:29.228
And the focus of this courting meeting
01:25:29.228 --> 01:25:32.645
is to hear the energy and water utilities
01:25:34.425 --> 01:25:36.234
on their transition plans in anticipation of a moratorium
01:25:36.234 --> 01:25:38.167
for emergency consumer protections
01:25:38.167 --> 01:25:40.173
that are expiring on June 30th.
01:25:40.173 --> 01:25:41.006
It hurts my comments today saying April 1st,
01:25:42.656 --> 01:25:45.235
but actually June 30th.
01:25:45.235 --> 01:25:48.540
and 48/49 and we voted out at our January voting meeting
01:25:48.540 --> 01:25:53.540
to extend the moratorium and to provide very clear guidance
01:25:54.822 --> 01:25:58.096
to extend the Moratorium and to provide very clear guidance
01:25:58.096 --> 01:26:00.967
to the utilities on how to prepare.
01:26:00.967 --> 01:26:03.367
I understand that all the Commissioners planted 10
01:26:03.367 --> 01:26:05.517
to hear those presentations, which will be in the morning.
01:26:05.517 --> 01:26:09.383
Again, the meeting starts at 9:00 a.m.
01:26:09.383 --> 01:26:12.133
And that should be a good insight
01:26:14.874 --> 01:26:18.175
to how utilities are planning.
01:26:18.175 --> 01:26:19.008
The goal again, is to assure that the customers
01:26:22.218 --> 01:26:25.699
who are experiencing urges and experiencing problems
01:26:25.699 --> 01:26:29.019
and being able to pay the utility bill to guide them
01:26:29.019 --> 01:26:33.498
on what happened when the Moratorium is rested
01:26:33.498 --> 01:26:36.368
and how the utilities will be working with those customers
01:26:36.368 --> 01:26:38.868
on payment plans and so forth.
01:26:40.800 --> 01:26:43.690
They are on the LIOB website.
01:26:43.690 --> 01:26:48.690
They are on the LAOB website.
01:26:49.162 --> 01:26:53.331
through the venue of the lower income oversight board
01:26:53.331 --> 01:26:57.331
through the venue of the Rowan's oversight board
01:26:58.519 --> 01:27:00.659
and then provide their finalized and replies responses
01:27:00.659 --> 01:27:01.742
by April 1st.
01:27:04.347 --> 01:27:07.011
I'm sorry, there are comments due by...
01:27:07.011 --> 01:27:09.178
Let me look at this again.
01:27:11.419 --> 01:27:14.967
Okay, they have to file their arise plan cycle first
01:27:14.967 --> 01:27:17.298
and responses and the process are due April 21st.
01:27:17.298 --> 01:27:19.938
All of this information is on our website.
01:27:19.938 --> 01:27:24.938
So I just wanna thank a little and some oversight board
01:27:25.335 --> 01:27:29.835
for providing the venue for hearing about these plans.
01:27:30.890 --> 01:27:35.142
And again, more can be seen at the CTC website,
01:27:35.142 --> 01:27:37.392
NFC LIOB website, liob.org.
01:27:38.720 --> 01:27:41.677
our very own President Batjer on her recent appointment
01:27:42.989 --> 01:27:45.840
our very own President Batjeron her recent appointment
01:27:45.840 --> 01:27:49.840
to the executive board of a National Association
01:27:53.452 --> 01:27:57.027
of Regulatory Utility Commissioners or NARUC.
01:27:57.027 --> 01:27:59.283
NARUC is a nationwide organization
01:27:59.283 --> 01:28:01.030
and best practices towards improving the quality
01:28:02.714 --> 01:28:06.768
and best processes towards improving the quality
01:28:06.768 --> 01:28:10.685
and effectiveness of public utility regulation.
01:28:12.230 --> 01:28:17.230
Commissioners from all of the 50 states and territories
01:28:17.344 --> 01:28:19.696
and water, communications.
01:28:19.696 --> 01:28:21.779
and water communications.
01:28:25.367 --> 01:28:27.760
Each of us serve on various NARUC committees.
01:28:27.760 --> 01:28:30.195
And with president Badtjer's appointment
01:28:30.195 --> 01:28:33.869
to the governing board, this will provide
01:28:33.869 --> 01:28:37.093
an even greater opportunity to ensure that lessons learned
01:28:37.093 --> 01:28:41.365
and innovation arising from our California work
01:28:41.365 --> 01:28:43.910
But congratulations President Batjer.
01:28:43.910 --> 01:28:46.993
But congratulations President Badger.
01:28:51.112 --> 01:28:52.112
Thank you.
01:28:53.981 --> 01:28:54.814
Okay, yes, Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:28:54.814 --> 01:28:55.814
Thank you.
01:28:56.726 --> 01:28:58.809
And yes, congratulations.
01:29:01.238 --> 01:29:04.218
You needed another governing body to be a part of.
01:29:04.218 --> 01:29:07.530
I'm very glad that you have accepted that role.
01:29:07.530 --> 01:29:11.117
I really do think it's gonna lead to much more
01:29:11.117 --> 01:29:12.867
of a California policy influence discussion
01:29:12.867 --> 01:29:14.752
at the national level.
01:29:14.752 --> 01:29:18.064
And I did wanna acknowledge also Commissioner Shiroma
01:29:18.064 --> 01:29:21.578
I, and I did wanna acknowledge also Commissioner Shiroma
01:29:21.578 --> 01:29:23.995
and just the tremendous boost
01:29:25.347 --> 01:29:28.669
that you have given to these public advisory bodies.
01:29:28.669 --> 01:29:31.994
It's really tremendous and how you succeeded
01:29:31.994 --> 01:29:35.343
in integrating them into our direct policymaking,
01:29:35.343 --> 01:29:37.931
most evidently with these transition plans
01:29:37.931 --> 01:29:40.657
that will be presented at the LIOB.
01:29:40.657 --> 01:29:44.280
So thank you for that and thank you for your consciousness
01:29:44.280 --> 01:29:46.981
and intention in ensuring that there's community
01:29:46.981 --> 01:29:50.814
representation on these bodies in particularly
01:29:52.353 --> 01:29:55.770
some of the lifeline advisory committees.
01:29:57.115 --> 01:30:00.534
I also wanted to acknowledge Commissioner Rechtschaffen
01:30:00.534 --> 01:30:04.987
in your workshop on the IRP and just the utter importance
01:30:04.987 --> 01:30:08.840
and timeliness of that forthcoming decisions.
01:30:08.840 --> 01:30:10.818
I did wanna share that I also am looking forward
01:30:10.818 --> 01:30:12.235
to that workshop.
01:30:14.229 --> 01:30:16.530
And in particular would like as you evolve
01:30:16.530 --> 01:30:20.169
in your consideration of all the input,
01:30:20.169 --> 01:30:24.033
that we really take into account Aliso
01:30:24.033 --> 01:30:27.945
and all the scenarios that we're looking at with Aliso,
01:30:27.945 --> 01:30:32.012
really the ability to replace some of the gas generation
01:30:32.012 --> 01:30:34.677
with a non gas dependent generation in the LA basin
01:30:34.677 --> 01:30:36.844
is a very timely priority.
01:30:39.212 --> 01:30:41.551
And I hope you consider frankly augmenting
01:30:41.551 --> 01:30:43.916
what you're looking at now to accommodate
01:30:43.916 --> 01:30:44.749
in any of the scenarios that we're currently deliberating
01:30:46.857 --> 01:30:47.690
on Aliso.
01:30:49.472 --> 01:30:53.516
And in addition, I also wanted to announce
01:30:53.516 --> 01:30:56.915
as you mentioned the CASF program that Commissioner Houck
01:30:56.915 --> 01:30:58.160
as you mentioned the CASF program that Commissioner Houck
01:31:00.263 --> 01:31:02.520
will now be leading up does have a mandated annual workshop.
01:31:02.520 --> 01:31:05.960
And we will be holding this one March 30th
01:31:05.960 --> 01:31:08.546
from 10:00 to 1:00 p.m. and very excited to announce
01:31:08.546 --> 01:31:13.490
that STC, interim chair, woman Jessica Rosenworcel
01:31:13.490 --> 01:31:15.970
has accepted our invitation to participate
01:31:17.823 --> 01:31:19.930
and we also, yes, very excited about that.
01:31:19.930 --> 01:31:23.035
She would like to have a fireside chat,
01:31:23.035 --> 01:31:25.630
so expect a really good dialogue with her.
01:31:25.630 --> 01:31:30.630
And also the legislative leadership Senator Gonzalez
01:31:30.890 --> 01:31:33.750
and hopefully concerning student Aggie Curry
01:31:33.750 --> 01:31:35.970
who both in the leaders on the CSS
01:31:37.063 --> 01:31:41.330
So hopefully you can put that on your calendars,
01:31:41.330 --> 01:31:44.280
March 30th 10:00 to 1:00.
01:31:44.280 --> 01:31:48.370
In addition, as you know in our adoption
01:31:48.370 --> 01:31:51.840
of the tribal land policy guidelines
01:31:51.840 --> 01:31:55.480
and we committed to doing in that resolution
01:31:55.480 --> 01:31:57.840
and implementation workshop
01:31:57.840 --> 01:31:59.360
and also just to hold
01:31:59.360 --> 01:32:01.740
on your calendars, that will be April 14th
01:32:02.780 --> 01:32:04.623
for all of you interested in that
01:32:04.623 --> 01:32:07.168
More details to come.
01:32:07.168 --> 01:32:09.970
And I wasn't going to mention so early
01:32:09.970 --> 01:32:12.218
the incarcerated people workshop
01:32:12.218 --> 01:32:13.980
And since the public didn't mention it,
01:32:13.980 --> 01:32:16.320
as you know we are working really
01:32:16.320 --> 01:32:18.977
as unique circumstance here.
01:32:18.977 --> 01:32:19.810
as unique circumstance here.
01:32:19.810 --> 01:32:21.440
And as you heard from the public today,
01:32:21.440 --> 01:32:23.780
there was an interest in seeing if there's a way for us
01:32:23.780 --> 01:32:26.440
to hear directly from the incarcerated people.
01:32:26.440 --> 01:32:28.690
We'll see if we meet that challenge.
01:32:28.690 --> 01:32:32.680
For sure, we hope to obviously have friends and family
01:32:32.680 --> 01:32:36.540
as an advocates as we have been engaged with them.
01:32:36.540 --> 01:32:40.590
But that will be a new frontier for us on public engagement.
01:32:40.590 --> 01:32:43.550
So open to any ideas on that front,
01:32:43.550 --> 01:32:46.040
but we will be obviously Commissioner Shiroma
01:32:46.040 --> 01:32:50.460
and myself working together on seeing how much
01:32:50.460 --> 01:32:51.990
of that engagement we can get.
01:32:51.990 --> 01:32:54.720
So that will be a later age in April,
01:32:54.720 --> 01:32:59.720
April 28th and 29th, but more to come on details for that.
01:32:59.940 --> 01:33:00.773
Thank you.
01:33:01.770 --> 01:33:03.770
Thank you, Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:33:04.910 --> 01:33:07.240
Commissioner Houck, did you have some comments
01:33:07.240 --> 01:33:09.350
you'd like to make today.
01:33:09.350 --> 01:33:11.930
Yes, thank you President Batjer.
01:33:11.930 --> 01:33:13.860
I would like to, again, just thank everyone
01:33:13.860 --> 01:33:15.670
for welcoming me back to the Commission
01:33:15.670 --> 01:33:19.060
and helping me get acclimated to my new role.
01:33:19.060 --> 01:33:22.687
I'd like to first think you again, President Batjer
01:33:22.687 --> 01:33:25.600
and your staff, and also congratulate you
01:33:25.600 --> 01:33:26.993
on the NARUC appointment.
01:33:27.900 --> 01:33:30.770
Thank Commissioner Guzman Aceves, Commissioner Rechtschaffen
01:33:30.770 --> 01:33:33.690
and Commissioner Shiroma, the office of the Commission,
01:33:33.690 --> 01:33:36.570
our executive director, Rachel Peterson and her staff,
01:33:36.570 --> 01:33:38.630
particularly Douglas Wilson.
01:33:38.630 --> 01:33:42.320
And my transition team who I'll introduce in just a moment.
01:33:42.320 --> 01:33:44.740
I also wanted to thank the Commission's IT
01:33:44.740 --> 01:33:46.800
and HR departments for assisting me
01:33:46.800 --> 01:33:50.430
in getting everything set up and with all the paperwork.
01:33:50.430 --> 01:33:52.720
As many of you know, I'm not new to the Commission,
01:33:52.720 --> 01:33:56.090
I'm really excited to be back and working with everyone.
01:33:56.090 --> 01:33:58.990
Prior to my return, again as was mentioned earlier,
01:33:58.990 --> 01:34:01.570
I was chief counsel of the California Energy Commission
01:34:01.570 --> 01:34:05.393
and I wanted to also say thank you to chair Hawkshield
01:34:05.393 --> 01:34:07.970
and all the Commissioners at the energy Commission,
01:34:07.970 --> 01:34:10.647
Drew Bowen, the executive director and my former team
01:34:10.647 --> 01:34:13.790
and the chief counsel's office for the opportunity
01:34:13.790 --> 01:34:16.170
to serve as their chief counsel and all of the support
01:34:16.170 --> 01:34:18.540
everyone at the energy Commission provided to me
01:34:18.540 --> 01:34:19.670
during my transition
01:34:19.670 --> 01:34:22.540
back to the public utilities Commission.
01:34:22.540 --> 01:34:26.450
And I would now like to introduce my transition team.
01:34:26.450 --> 01:34:30.520
First is Christine Powell, who is my interim chief of staff
01:34:30.520 --> 01:34:32.640
and has just absolutely been amazing.
01:34:32.640 --> 01:34:35.440
She's so organized and on top of everything.
01:34:35.440 --> 01:34:40.440
I just appreciate her more than I can say.
01:34:40.470 --> 01:34:42.970
Christine joined the Commission in 2018
01:34:42.970 --> 01:34:44.150
and most recently served
01:34:44.150 --> 01:34:46.950
as former Commissioner Randolph chief of staff.
01:34:46.950 --> 01:34:50.260
Prior to that, she served as an ALJ here at the PUC
01:34:50.260 --> 01:34:52.960
and as an attorney at the office of the general counsel
01:34:52.960 --> 01:34:53.930
at FERC.
01:34:53.930 --> 01:34:55.740
She also worked as a public accountant
01:34:55.740 --> 01:34:58.290
for Price water house Coopers and an international
01:34:58.290 --> 01:35:00.730
internal auditor for Abbott laboratories.
01:35:00.730 --> 01:35:04.240
She holds a JD from Santa Clara University School of Law
01:35:04.240 --> 01:35:07.500
and a BBA and accountancy from Howard University.
01:35:07.500 --> 01:35:10.270
Again, Christine is just absolutely amazing
01:35:10.270 --> 01:35:14.190
and I just can't thank her enough for everything she's done
01:35:14.190 --> 01:35:15.240
since I've been here.
01:35:16.230 --> 01:35:18.410
Next is Mary Claire Brown who's serving
01:35:18.410 --> 01:35:21.390
as one of my interim energy policy advisors.
01:35:21.390 --> 01:35:25.530
Mary Claire joined the PUC in 2014 and previously served
01:35:25.530 --> 01:35:28.840
as an energy advisor to Commissioner Shiroma for two years
01:35:28.840 --> 01:35:32.400
focusing on rate design and low-income assistance programs.
01:35:32.400 --> 01:35:35.270
She also served as an analyst in energy division
01:35:35.270 --> 01:35:37.670
on behind the meter energy storage incentives
01:35:37.670 --> 01:35:41.160
rule 21 interconnection and demand response.
01:35:41.160 --> 01:35:43.860
And as an advisor to the executive director.
01:35:43.860 --> 01:35:46.700
Mary Clara holds a master's degree in public policy
01:35:46.700 --> 01:35:49.080
from the university of California at Berkeley,
01:35:49.080 --> 01:35:52.320
Goldman School of Public Policy and an undergraduate degree
01:35:52.320 --> 01:35:55.173
in mathematics and physics from Middlebury.
01:35:55.173 --> 01:36:00.173
And Mary Claire has also just been great support for me
01:36:01.843 --> 01:36:03.060
in the last week.
01:36:03.060 --> 01:36:06.490
Next to Suzanne Kasasa, who will serve as my interim legal
01:36:06.490 --> 01:36:08.000
and energy advisor.
01:36:08.000 --> 01:36:11.650
Suzanne joined the PUC in 2015 and previously served
01:36:11.650 --> 01:36:14.540
as a legal and policy advisor for Commissioner Randolph
01:36:14.540 --> 01:36:17.000
and as an analyst in the energy division
01:36:17.000 --> 01:36:18.560
in her role as an advisor.
01:36:18.560 --> 01:36:20.900
Suzanne focused on energy issues
01:36:20.900 --> 01:36:23.020
including integrated resource planning,
01:36:23.020 --> 01:36:25.620
electricity procurement, climate adaption,
01:36:25.620 --> 01:36:28.850
general rate cases, COVID impacts to customers,
01:36:28.850 --> 01:36:32.460
gas policy and community choice aggregator initiative.
01:36:32.460 --> 01:36:35.289
Suzanne holds a JD from the University of California
01:36:35.289 --> 01:36:36.497
and a BA from the University of California Irvine.
01:36:36.497 --> 01:36:40.060
and a BA from the university of California Irvine.
01:36:40.060 --> 01:36:43.920
And she has set up a number of briefings for me
01:36:43.920 --> 01:36:45.270
that have just been really helpful.
01:36:45.270 --> 01:36:49.140
And I appreciate all of Suzanne's work.
01:36:49.140 --> 01:36:51.850
Next is Eileen Odell who will serve as my intern
01:36:51.850 --> 01:36:54.363
water and telecommunications advisor.
01:36:55.270 --> 01:36:59.130
Eileen joined the PUC public advocate's office in 2014
01:36:59.130 --> 01:37:01.090
And has since served as a public utilities
01:37:01.090 --> 01:37:03.390
regulatory analyst in the communications
01:37:03.390 --> 01:37:05.170
and water policy branch.
01:37:05.170 --> 01:37:08.120
Eileen has worked on telecommunications and water,
01:37:08.120 --> 01:37:11.370
utility general rate cases and mergers and acquisitions
01:37:11.370 --> 01:37:14.200
focusing on revenues, rate design and the impacts
01:37:18.970 --> 01:37:21.846
Eileen holds a JD from the University of California Hastings
01:37:21.846 --> 01:37:22.720
Eileen holds a JD from the university of California Hastings
01:37:25.405 --> 01:37:27.821
from the University of California, San Diego.
01:37:27.821 --> 01:37:28.654
from the university of California, San Diego.
01:37:28.654 --> 01:37:30.640
And she is working to help me get up to speed
01:37:30.640 --> 01:37:33.420
on the CASF proceeding that was mentioned earlier
01:37:33.420 --> 01:37:35.187
by Commissioner Guzman Aceves.
01:37:36.090 --> 01:37:38.910
Sarah Thomas will serve as my interim legal
01:37:38.910 --> 01:37:41.790
transportation and safety policy advisor.
01:37:41.790 --> 01:37:46.790
Sarah joined the PUC in 1999, and served as a lawyer
01:37:46.830 --> 01:37:49.840
in the legal division and ALJ and a legal advisor
01:37:49.840 --> 01:37:51.690
for Commissioner Mark Barron.
01:37:51.690 --> 01:37:54.120
She has deep experience in wildfire mitigation,
01:37:54.120 --> 01:37:56.700
climate adaption, greenhouse gas reduction,
01:37:56.700 --> 01:38:00.230
the renewable portfolio standard, storage and solar energy,
01:38:00.230 --> 01:38:03.680
electric vehicles and transportation electrification.
01:38:03.680 --> 01:38:08.680
Among many other areas, Sarah's knowledge is invaluable.
01:38:09.360 --> 01:38:11.350
She's worked on telecommunications
01:38:11.350 --> 01:38:14.483
also early in her (indistinct) during her time,
01:38:15.488 --> 01:38:18.090
early on as a Commission and she holds undergraduate
01:38:18.090 --> 01:38:21.430
and law degrees from the University of California Berkeley.
01:38:21.430 --> 01:38:23.660
And finally, I wanna recognize the support
01:38:23.660 --> 01:38:26.540
provided by Elena Venus and Daisy Yi
01:38:26.540 --> 01:38:30.660
who have graciously provided intern support for my office
01:38:30.660 --> 01:38:32.240
while meeting the responsibilities
01:38:32.240 --> 01:38:34.580
of their current assigned offices.
01:38:34.580 --> 01:38:37.860
So Christine, Mary, Claire, Suzanne, Eileen, Sarah, Elena
01:38:37.860 --> 01:38:40.540
and Daisy have all provided exceptional support
01:38:40.540 --> 01:38:41.510
since I've arrived.
01:38:41.510 --> 01:38:44.087
And I'm very lucky to have such a great intern team
01:38:44.087 --> 01:38:46.390
and appreciate all of them.
01:38:46.390 --> 01:38:49.540
And just in closing, I wanted to just comment
01:38:49.540 --> 01:38:52.020
that my first week back I was able to participate
01:38:52.020 --> 01:38:54.151
in the PUC rates and cost on bonk.
01:38:54.151 --> 01:38:57.043
And I was very impressed with the event,
01:38:57.980 --> 01:39:00.700
which included presentations from IOUs, staff
01:39:00.700 --> 01:39:02.300
and other stakeholders on a number
01:39:02.300 --> 01:39:05.100
of critical subject matters before the Commission.
01:39:05.100 --> 01:39:06.760
I wanna thank everyone who prepared
01:39:06.760 --> 01:39:09.760
the informative white paper and participated in that event
01:39:09.760 --> 01:39:12.180
particularly Commissioner Shiroma's office
01:39:13.270 --> 01:39:15.510
who was instrumental in putting this together.
01:39:15.510 --> 01:39:18.600
Mary Claire Brown, who emceed the event at Randolph
01:39:18.600 --> 01:39:22.270
and his team for the excellent work that they did
01:39:22.270 --> 01:39:24.360
and all of the presenters during the workshop.
01:39:24.360 --> 01:39:27.890
This was a really great way to start my term
01:39:27.890 --> 01:39:29.400
as a Commissioner.
01:39:29.400 --> 01:39:30.760
And I appreciated getting all of that information
01:39:30.760 --> 01:39:32.720
so early on, and with that
01:39:32.720 --> 01:39:34.130
I will conclude my report.
01:39:34.130 --> 01:39:34.963
So thank you.
01:39:37.830 --> 01:39:39.450
Thank you, Commissioner Houckin.
01:39:39.450 --> 01:39:41.160
Again, we welcome you.
01:39:41.160 --> 01:39:44.900
This is terrific and you do have an all-star team.
01:39:44.900 --> 01:39:46.530
Very impressive.
01:39:46.530 --> 01:39:49.656
So that's terrific.
01:39:49.656 --> 01:39:53.544
I have a number of items to report on the day.
01:39:53.544 --> 01:39:56.341
and I'm sure you all join me in this,
01:39:56.341 --> 01:39:58.600
and I'm sure you all join me in thi,
01:39:58.600 --> 01:40:00.820
of our staff who planned our interim
01:40:00.820 --> 01:40:02.730
black history month events.
01:40:02.730 --> 01:40:04.890
We were able to have insightful discussions
01:40:04.890 --> 01:40:07.590
with a number of California's African-American leaders
01:40:07.590 --> 01:40:09.080
and educators.
01:40:09.080 --> 01:40:12.130
Thank you to the African American coalition for sponsoring
01:40:12.130 --> 01:40:15.349
and thank you to the members of the planning committee
01:40:15.349 --> 01:40:19.667
Janine Long Mona D Gostova, Savan Martin,
01:40:23.920 --> 01:40:28.920
Janine Long Mona D (indistinct) Savan Martin,
01:40:30.520 --> 01:40:35.000
Pasha Thompson, Patricia Miles, Deseret Lamar,
01:40:35.000 --> 01:40:39.983
Nicole Cropper and my advisor am Nico Michelle.
01:40:41.120 --> 01:40:44.750
I would like also to echo the comments
01:40:44.750 --> 01:40:47.260
of Commissioner Shiroma and Commissioner Houk
01:40:47.260 --> 01:40:51.650
on the on-body and particularly say Commissioner Shiroma
01:40:51.650 --> 01:40:52.623
and her staff.
01:40:55.252 --> 01:40:57.450
I express my enormous gratitude to everyone
01:40:57.450 --> 01:41:00.560
who helped to put together such a well-organized
01:41:00.560 --> 01:41:01.950
and thought provoking event
01:41:01.950 --> 01:41:04.220
as my fellow Commissioners have said.
01:41:04.220 --> 01:41:07.120
The on vamp and the white paper, both emphasized
01:41:07.120 --> 01:41:10.560
our agency's collective mandate to ensure Californians
01:41:10.560 --> 01:41:13.980
are served by the reliable electric grid,
01:41:13.980 --> 01:41:16.260
a reliable electric grid.
01:41:16.260 --> 01:41:19.160
And that over time it is decarbonized
01:41:19.160 --> 01:41:22.310
at a rate needed to reach our clean energy goals.
01:41:22.310 --> 01:41:25.800
And at a cost that Californians can afford.
01:41:25.800 --> 01:41:27.970
As discussed at the on vamp, the CPUC
01:41:27.970 --> 01:41:31.270
is working to implement policies to mitigate climate change
01:41:31.270 --> 01:41:34.340
at an affordable cost while we are also in the midst
01:41:34.340 --> 01:41:37.430
of experiencing and adapting to the effects
01:41:37.430 --> 01:41:38.593
of climate change.
01:41:39.820 --> 01:41:42.370
Last month, the country experienced
01:41:42.370 --> 01:41:45.650
yet another extreme weather related disaster.
01:41:45.650 --> 01:41:47.410
Our thoughts continue to be with those
01:41:47.410 --> 01:41:50.210
who endured the impacts and suffered personal loss
01:41:50.210 --> 01:41:51.760
due to the blackouts.
01:41:51.760 --> 01:41:55.290
As a situation in Texas and the experience
01:41:55.290 --> 01:41:58.400
here in California last summer have shown us
01:41:58.400 --> 01:42:01.230
we must prepare the grid for more frequent
01:42:01.230 --> 01:42:03.470
and extreme weather events.
01:42:03.470 --> 01:42:06.970
A changing climate means that the level of reliability
01:42:06.970 --> 01:42:10.140
that we require of the power system will likely come
01:42:10.140 --> 01:42:14.560
an increasingly higher costs, which will be one more factor
01:42:14.560 --> 01:42:17.423
putting upward pressure on our rates.
01:42:18.260 --> 01:42:22.670
The question the on and the white paper articulated so well
01:42:22.670 --> 01:42:25.220
is how do we as a state continue
01:42:25.220 --> 01:42:27.600
with our essential de-carbonization work
01:42:27.600 --> 01:42:31.130
while ensuring that the communities who are more sensitive
01:42:31.130 --> 01:42:33.913
to rate increases are not unduly burdened.
01:42:35.150 --> 01:42:38.960
I'm very much looking forward to continuing the conversation
01:42:38.960 --> 01:42:41.360
and exploring additional ways that the CPUC
01:42:41.360 --> 01:42:45.103
can promote more equitable outcomes in our decision-making.
01:42:46.230 --> 01:42:48.840
Thank you again, Commissioner Shiroma and your staff
01:42:48.840 --> 01:42:52.010
and the energy division for your tireless work
01:42:52.010 --> 01:42:54.760
steering us in the right direction.
01:42:54.760 --> 01:42:56.200
Well done.
01:42:56.200 --> 01:42:58.710
And finally, I have a couple of staffing updates
01:42:58.710 --> 01:43:00.080
to provide today.
01:43:00.080 --> 01:43:02.650
First, I wanted to share that my energy advisor
01:43:02.650 --> 01:43:06.610
Dave Peck has a wonderful opportunity to lead a team
01:43:06.610 --> 01:43:09.040
in the Commission's public advocate's office
01:43:09.040 --> 01:43:11.840
and will be joining that office this month.
01:43:11.840 --> 01:43:14.860
I wanted to thank Dave so much for his service.
01:43:14.860 --> 01:43:17.480
Dave was such a tremendous help to me
01:43:17.480 --> 01:43:19.410
when I first joined the Commission.
01:43:19.410 --> 01:43:23.190
Helped me get up to speed, he kept me up on a pace of things
01:43:23.190 --> 01:43:25.210
and he has truly been a steady hand
01:43:25.210 --> 01:43:27.040
and a calm and warm presence.
01:43:27.040 --> 01:43:31.360
I very much have appreciated his insight and his understated
01:43:31.360 --> 01:43:33.110
and right sense of humor.
01:43:33.110 --> 01:43:35.910
Dave, you will be missed and I'm excited for you
01:43:37.100 --> 01:43:40.317
as you open up your next chapter at the PUC.
01:43:41.450 --> 01:43:44.420
On a related note I am very pleased to announce
01:43:44.420 --> 01:43:47.180
that Nora Hawkins is joining our office
01:43:47.180 --> 01:43:49.290
as an energy policy advisor.
01:43:49.290 --> 01:43:53.067
Nora joined the Commission in 2018 and previously worked
01:43:53.067 --> 01:43:57.090
in the Commissions energy division on customer sited
01:43:57.090 --> 01:43:59.980
renewable energy and storage programs.
01:43:59.980 --> 01:44:02.080
Before joining the Commission nor worked
01:44:03.098 --> 01:44:08.098
for the Washington DC, in Washington DC, excuse me
01:44:08.590 --> 01:44:11.340
on the income qualified solar programs
01:44:11.340 --> 01:44:14.640
and at the U.S. office of management and budget
01:44:14.640 --> 01:44:17.760
on the federal clean energy R and D policies.
01:44:17.760 --> 01:44:20.730
She received a master's of environmental management
01:44:20.730 --> 01:44:24.300
from a Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
01:44:24.300 --> 01:44:28.170
and a bachelor of arts degree from Whitman College.
01:44:28.170 --> 01:44:31.070
I am so pleased to have Nora join our team.
01:44:31.070 --> 01:44:33.383
And so welcome, Nora, thank you so much.
01:44:34.529 --> 01:44:36.740
And I also want to thank my fellow Commissioners
01:44:36.740 --> 01:44:41.740
for your kind remarks of me being appointed
01:44:41.850 --> 01:44:46.850
nominated to the NARUC executive board.
01:44:47.460 --> 01:44:50.260
I'm just gonna say it's gonna take a village guys.
01:44:50.260 --> 01:44:51.983
I'm gonna depend on all of you.
01:44:53.510 --> 01:44:58.360
I do appreciate Commissioner Guzman Aceves' comment
01:44:58.360 --> 01:45:02.480
about one more assignment, but I do welcome it.
01:45:02.480 --> 01:45:05.470
We have not been represented on the executive board
01:45:05.470 --> 01:45:08.650
since Commissioner Carla Peterman left the Commission.
01:45:08.650 --> 01:45:12.520
So this is a welcome opportunity for us.
01:45:12.520 --> 01:45:14.950
And so I thank you for your comments,
01:45:14.950 --> 01:45:17.243
but I said it's gonna depend on y'all.
01:45:18.500 --> 01:45:21.523
So with that, that's an issue.
01:45:22.560 --> 01:45:26.230
Our Commission reports and this public meeting
01:45:26.230 --> 01:45:27.310
is now adjourned.
01:45:27.310 --> 01:45:28.840
Thank you all.
01:45:28.840 --> 01:45:31.370
So we need to be logging off and moving on
01:45:31.370 --> 01:45:33.080
to our next agenda.
01:45:33.080 --> 01:45:33.913
Thank you.