California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)

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By Hudson Sangree SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Public Utilities Commission President Marybel Batjer told lawmakers Wednesday the commission would move quickly in its efforts to deal with catastrophic wildfires, intentional blackouts and the bankruptcy of the state’s largest utility. CPUC President Marybel Batjer | California State Assembly Batjer — an expert...

By Hudson Sangree Pacific Gas and Electric said Wednesday it had settled with the bondholders whose competing reorganization plan may have been the biggest threat to the utility having its own Chapter 11 reorganization plan adopted by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Francisco. The ad hoc committee of senior...

By Hudson Sangree SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The state’s new Wildfire Safety Advisory Board held its first meeting Tuesday, electing industry veterans as its chair and vice chair and getting briefed by California Public Utility Commission staff on its role and responsibilities. Assembly Bill 1054, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in...

By Hudson Sangree The California Public Utilities Commission launched an examination Thursday of the state’s natural gas infrastructure and the rules governing it for the first time in 16 years, citing accidents and declining demand as threats to the system’s safety and reliability. "California’s energy system is undergoing a period...

By Hudson Sangree The effort to prevent utility equipment from causing disasters was a major reason the California Public Utilities Commission decided Thursday to extend the general rate case cycle for the state’s investor-owned utilities from three years to four. After the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion and years...

By Hudson Sangree The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday approved $830 million in incentives for self-generation with the goal of benefiting disadvantaged customers who live in fire-prone areas and have been subject to public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) by utilities trying to avoid starting wildfires. When added to unspent...

By Hudson Sangree Pacific Gas and Electric scored major wins Tuesday in its effort to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with its shareholders still in control of the utility. In U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Francisco, Judge Dennis Montali approved PG&E’s $13.5 billion settlement with wildfire victims, despite objections from...

By Hudson Sangree and Robert Mullin The California Public Utilities Commission opened an investigation Wednesday into the massive power shutoffs that placed millions of residents in the dark several times in October as part of efforts to prevent utility-sparked wildfires. The purpose of the inquiry is to determine "whether California’s...

By Hudson Sangree The California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously Thursday to recommend that some older gas-fired plants, scheduled to close next year, remain open for up to three years to prevent reliability problems. The commission also ordered that all load-serving entities under its oversight collectively procure 3,300 MW of...

By Hudson Sangree PG&E Corp. officials told California regulators last week that its public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) could continue for another decade, and that it was making plans to turn off electricity to all its 5.4 million customers should circumstances warrant it. "The likelihood of an event of this...