California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)

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By Hudson Sangree The future of Pacific Gas and Electric is in doubt as the new year begins. Two months after the Camp Fire — the deadliest wildfire in California history — flared Nov. 8, the utility is facing intense scrutiny from state lawmakers, regulators and a federal judge who...

By Hudson Sangree PG&E last week reported additional problems with its transmission lines prior to the deadly Camp Fire, vowed to enhance its grid safety and asked state regulators to approve a more than $1 billion rate hike, largely to help it harden its grid against wildfires. “We are acting...

By Robert Mullin The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Thursday voted to examine its rules allowing the state’s investor-owned utilities to de-energize power lines in cases of dangerous wildfire conditions “that threaten life or property.” The practice of de-energization will get a dedicated proceeding, separate from another rulemaking effort...

By Robert Mullin California regulators will open a new phase of an investigation into Pacific Gas and Electric’s troubled safety practices as the utility faces allegations that its equipment was responsible last month for igniting the Camp Fire, by far the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history. Aftermath of Camp...

By Hudson Sangree President Trump and California Gov. Jerry Brown toured the scene of the Camp Fire on Saturday, Nov. 17. Trump called it "total devastation." | California Governor's Office California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire has set off a new round of turmoil in the state’s utility sector, with...

By Hudson Sangree FERC on Thursday rejected a request by developers of a proposed $2 billion pumped storage project for a declaratory order entitling it to cost-based rate recovery as a transmission asset in CAISO. The commission sided with CAISO and the California Public Utilities Commission, which had argued that...

By Hudson Sangree Responding to a ruling from a federal appeals court, FERC last week instructed Pacific Gas and Electric and the California Public Utilities Commission to brief it on whether California law allows PG&E to quit CAISO. The question may be academic; there’s no indication PG&E wants to leave...

By Hudson Sangree California’s Public Utilities Commission has increasingly focused on wildfire prevention as electric utilities have been blamed for a series of devastating blazes in recent years, the commission’s president told state lawmakers Tuesday. Picker | © RTO Insider CPUC President Michael Picker said the commission’s role had shifted...

By Jason Fordney The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday denied a request to build a new natural gas pipeline after questioning Southern California Gas about why other major pipelines have been sitting out of service. The CPUC denied a request by San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California...

By Jason Fordney Sacramento, Calif. — The California Energy Commission on Wednesday approved $10 million in grants for two microgrid projects, including one that represents a new form of partnership between investor-owned utilities and a community choice aggregator. The commission in a 4-0 vote approved $5 million apiece in grants...