The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will hold a public forum in Oakland for customers of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to give their perspective and input to the CPUC regarding the utility’s rate case request, as follows:

This public forum, called a Public Participation Hearing, will begin with a brief presentation on the proceeding and an overview of PG&E’s rate request; then public comments will be heard. The CPUC Administrative Law Judges assigned to this proceeding are scheduled to write a Proposed Decision in the case for CPUC Commissioner consideration by the end of 2020.

The CPUC welcomes attendance and comment on PG&E’s rate request at this public forum, as public comments will help the CPUC reach an informed decision. Remote access may be available to provide additional means of access. For those unable to attend in person, written comments may be submitted to: CPUC Public Advisor, 505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102, or via email to public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov. Please refer to proceeding number A.18-012-009 on any written or email correspondence. All public comments received are provided to the CPUC’s Commissioners and the Administrative Law Judges assigned to the proceeding.

PG&E provides natural gas and electric service to approximately 16 million people in northern and central California. On December 13, 2018, PG&E submitted an application requesting CPUC approval to increase its gas, electric distribution, and electric generation revenues by $1.058 billion (or 12.4 percent) in 2020 over current revenues; by $454 million (or 4.7 percent) in 2021; and by $486 million (or 4.8 percent) in 2022.

PG&E proposes to increase rates to meet precautionary measures to further reduce wildfire risks, including taking additional steps to harden infrastructure and increase vegetation management. According to PG&E, key drivers of the 2020 revenue requirement (the total amount of revenue needed to pay all operating costs and capital-related costs) increase include community wildfire safety program (6.8 percent); liability insurance (3.2 percent); and core gas and electric operations (2.4 percent). The 2020 proposed increase translates to a bill impact of 6.4 percent, or $10.57 per month, for PG&E’s typical residential electric and gas customer.

This proceeding is referred to as PG&E’s General Rate Case (GRC). A GRC is a public proceeding at the CPUC that most utilities go through every three years. GRCs enable the CPUC to set the revenue a utility will collect from its consumers through rates. You can learn more about utility GRCs in our video.

In authorizing a revenue requirement, the CPUC closely scrutinizes the activities of the utility company to ensure it receives the necessary funds to provide safe and reliable service to customers, and to allow the company to maintain and replace its aging infrastructure, but at a reasonable cost to its ratepayers.

While a quorum of Commissioners and/or their staff may attend, no official action will be taken on this matter at the public forums.

The Ruling setting these public forums is available on our website. Documents related to this proceeding are available on our website.

If specialized accommodations are needed to attend, such as non-English or sign language interpreters, please contact the CPUC’s Public Advisor’s Office at public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov or toll free at 866-849-8390 at least three business days in advance of the public forum.

For more information on public forums, please follow this link. To receive electronic updates on CPUC proceedings, sign-up for the CPUC’s free subscription service.

The CPUC regulates services and utilities, protects consumers, safeguards the environment, and assures Californians’ access to safe and reliable utility infrastructure and services. For more information on the CPUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.