CPUC Participates in State of Small Business Event

The CPUC participated in the second annual State of Small Business event in San Francisco, hosted by the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, which has a mission to grow and empower the American Pacific Islander business community throughout California.

Panelists at the event discussed General Order 156 as a model for encouraging entrepreneurial businesses and competition in contracting opportunities for diverse and small businesses. The panelists also discussed the advancement of technology and energy conservation.

The CPUC displayed and distributed a variety of CPUC information relevant to diverse and small businesses about energy conservation, as well as how to do business with the State of California and the certification process for the supplier diversity program.

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CPUC Reaches Out to San Jose Seniors

The CPUC met with senior citizens at Roosevelt Community Center in San Jose to discuss ways to save on monthly PG&E bills through California Alternate Rates for Energy, Energy Savings Assistance Program, and Medical Baseline. The CPUC also addressed participation in the California LifeLine Program and the California Telephone Access Program.

The CPUC provides speakers for community and governmental organizations and events in order to discuss helpful CPUC programs and initiatives.

If you would like a speaker to attend your event, please contact Marzia Zafar.

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CPUC Approves Utility Energy Efficiency Plans and Leverages Local Governments

Building on California’s proud history in energy efficiency, the CPUC has approved a portfolio of energy efficiency programs and budgets for the state’s utilities for 2013-2014, further affirming that cost-effective energy efficiency is the state’s least expensive and most environmental resource, as well as the first line of defense against power shortages.

Approved programs will deliver approximately 4,000 gigawatt-hours and 750 megawatts of electricity savings over the next two years, reducing the need for at least two large power plants, while also delivering significant savings of natural gas.

The CPUC approved plans for Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas Company, and community choice aggregator Marin Energy Authority.

Further, to better leverage energy efficiency expertise at the local government level, the CPUC created two Regional Energy Networks (RENs) to complement the utility programs – the San Francisco Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) and the Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCalREN). RENs are a new concept for this cycle of energy efficiency programs. They are independently administered by local governments and serve as an incubator for new ideas.

The CPUC approved a total budget of approximately $1.9 billion for the energy efficiency efforts of the utilities, MEA, and the two Regional Energy Networks.

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CPUC Approves Renewable Energy Plans For State

The CPUC has approved the renewable energy plans of the state’s utilities, paving the way for the utilities to solicit bids for green energy procurement.

California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) is one of the most ambitious renewable energy standards in the country. The RPS program requires investor-owned utilities, electric service providers, and community choice aggregators to increase procurement from eligible renewable energy resources to 33 percent of total procurement by 2020.

The CPUC approved the renewable energy procurement plans of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric.

The CPUC’s decision includes modifications pertaining to standard variables for the least-cost, best-fit bid evaluation methodology; contract termination rights based on higher than expected transmission upgrade costs; and the use of energy-only and full deliverability Time of Delivery factors.

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