Utility Supplier Diversity Program

Our program monitors supplier diversity in procurements by participating utilities and oversees a clearinghouse of women, minority and disabled veteran-owned business enterprises.  

Our clearinghouse operator verifies the status of firms seeking certification as women or minority-owned businesses. Disabled veteran-owned businesses are certified by the Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Participation Program, a unit of the Department of General Services.    View the most recent update to the public version of our supplier database.

March 1, 2013: Utilities File Supplier Diversity Procurement Reports

• Read our press release

March 1, 2012: Utilities File Supplier Diversity Procurement Reports

Jan. 2011: Supplier Diversity: Creating a Framework for Success, a white paper by CPUC President Michael Peevey with Marzia Zafar

Upcoming Meetings

November 7, 2013, 9 a.m. – 3:15 p.m., University of California Mission Bay Conference Center, 1675 Owens St., San Francisco: CPUC En Banc Hearing: A Public Hearing on General Order 156, the Supplier Diversity Program - The purpose of this Hearing is to hear from the CEOs and Presidents of California’s largest investor-owned utilities. These leaders will discuss the supplier diversity programs and activities of their respective companies to encourage inclusion of diverse suppliers in contract opportunities.  In addition, the leaders will share their views on creating supplier diversity programs entrenched in economic development and job creation for the 21st century, and beyond. The CPUC has also invited distinguished guests from the California Legislature, ethnic chambers of commerce, community organizations in support of supplier diversity, and emerging firms.

• Agenda

Previous Meetings

April 2, 2013:  A Best Practices leadership Forum for Small Utilities — A discussion to elevate the role of small utilities in the CPUC’s Supplier Diversity Program in General Order 156.

• Agenda
• General Order 156 & Executive’s Commitments – CPUC’s Carol Brown
• CPUC’s Contracting Opportunities Challenges and Success – CPUC’s Paul Clanon
• Roundtable Discussion – Water Companies (CWA) – Jack Hawk (See USDP Presentation)
• Roundtable Discussion – Supplier Diversity Best Practices- CPUC’s Stephanie Green

• Agenda

• CPUC Executive Director Paul Clanon’s Presentation

• UCLA Professor Alfred E. Osborne, Jr.’s Presentation

• GO 156 Report

  • Appendices to the GO 156 Report
• Read our Media Advisory

Oct. 11, 2011: GO156 Diversity En Banc, Los Angeles

• Agenda
• GO 156 Report
• Cisco Presentation

July 29, 2011: CUDC Diverse Advertising and Media Outreach Forum

July 14, 2011: Symposium on General Order 156 to Examine Barriers to Procurement Opportunities for Diverse & Emerging Law Firms within California’s Public Utility Companies

• Agenda
• Archived video webcast

June 30, 2011: Electric Procurement Reporting Workshop; Taking the next steps with Supplier Diversity and GO156

Joint Informational Hearing on Procurement in Financial Services (CPUC General Order 156 Supplier Diversity Program)

• Oct. 21, 2010, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Featured:
  • CPUC Commissioner Timothy Alan Simon
  • California State Senator Curren Price (SD – 26), Chair – Select Committee on Procurement
  • Assemblymember Steve Bradford (AD – 51), Chair – Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee
• The panel examined barriers to procurement opportunities for emerging and diverse firms in financial investment management and other services. 
• Milton Marks Auditorium, 455 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco
• Media Advisory

Diversifying California's Green Economy: A Forum Hosted by Greenlining Institute and CPUC Commissioner Nancy E. Ryan

• October 13, 2010, 1 - 4:30 p.m.
• CPUC Auditorium, 505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
• AB 32 is the next job bank ... but are all our communities and entrepreneurs ready to take advantage of this opportunity?
• Agenda & Bios
• Presentations
• Video Webcast

En Banc Hearing on General Order 156 Supplier Diversity Program

• October 12, 2010, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• Milton Marks Auditorium, 455 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco
• The CPUC heard from the CEOs and Presidents of California’s largest utilities in regards to the state of their supplier diversity programs and activities to ensure inclusion of diverse suppliers in contract bidding.
• Agenda | Media Advisory

Workshop: Utility Supplier Diversity Program on Supplier Certification:  Helping Diverse Businesses Sell to Regulated Utilities (General Order 156): Clearinghouse operator will have representatives on hand to explain the application process and answer any questions that you may have about the Utility Supplier Diversity Program. Free!

• June 10, 2010, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.: CPUC Carmel Room, 320 W. 4th St., Los Angeles
• Agenda

Workshop: Barriers to Competing: This workshop will focus on barriers DBE’s and small businesses face when trying to compete for utility supply contracts. The workshop will address the following areas:

• Certification and Clearinghouse Issues
• Unbundling Large Contracts
• The Request for Proposal (RFP) Process
• Mentoring
• Access to Capital
• June 7, 2010, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.: CPUC Auditorium, 505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
• Also available via video webcast
• Agenda

Workshop: Underutilized Areas Common Solutions and Industry Specific Solutions.

• May 5, 2010: CPUC Carmel Room, 320 West 4th St., Los Angeles
• Suggested Solutions

Helping Diverse Business Sell to Regulated Utilities Workshops:  The CPUC and the Utility Supplier Diversity Clearinghouse operator will have representatives on hand at these two free workshops to explain the application process and answer any questions that you may have about the Utility Supplier Diversity Program.

March 4, 2010, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.: CPUC Auditorium, 505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco

June 10, 2010: CPUC Carmel Room, 320 West 4th St., Los Angeles

• View our poster
• Agenda

Nov. 2, 2009, Public Hearing: Agenda

CPUC Report, Executive Director Paul Clanon

Media Advisory

October 8th, 2008: CPUC's sixth annual hearing regarding diversity issues affecting regulated utilities and other entities: "California: Advancing Procurement Opportunities with California Investor-Owned Utilities".

• Staff Report

• September 25, 2007: PUC's fifth public hearing regarding diversity issues affecting regulated utilities and other entities: Assuring Diversity – Growing California’s Future Leaders in Los Angeles
  • Staff Report
  • Presentations
• President Peevey's Fourth Annual Diversity Hearing, "Keeping California First in Diversity: Raising the Bar", October 3, 2006, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Hiram Johnson Building, 455 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco
  • Staff Report
• On October 25th, 2005, we held our 3rd hearing on diversity issues, Workforce 2015-Will We Be Ready?

Are you interested in:

• CPUC’s Utility Supplier Diversity Program

• 2012 GO 156 Report

  • Appendices to the 2012 GO 156 Report

• 2011 GO 156 Report

  • Appendices to the 2011 GO 156 Report
• 2010 WMDVBE Report to the Legislature
  • 2010 Report Appendices
• 2009 WMDVBE Report to the Legislature
• • 2009 Report Appendices
• 2008 WMDVBE Report to the Legislature
  • 2008 Report Appendices
• California Aspire Achieve Lead Pipeline Project
• 2007 WMDVBE Report to the Legislature
  • 2007 Report Appendices
• 2006 WMDVBE Report to the Legislature
• 2005 WMDVBE Report to the Legislature
• 2004 WMDVBE Report to the Legislature
• Certification information
• Our program history
• Comparable verifying agencies
• Contacting us