Enforcement and Citations

Strong enforcement is critical to ensuring that the CPUC's statutory mandates are carried out and that ratepayers and the public are protected from safety, reliability, service quality, and other violations.

This page last updated on September 04, 2020

The Commission enforces laws and its requirements through a variety of formal and informal means, including the following:

  • Formal enforcement investigations (Orders Instituting Investigation), which may include fines and other remedies. Staff investigations precede and establish the scope of formal investigations.
  • Citation programs, which delegate authority to staff to issue fines for prescribed violations.
  • Audits and Inspections
  • Our whistleblower program
2020 Statistics:
  • Citation Penalties Levied Against Energy Utilities: $5,596,346
  • Citation Penalties Levied Against Telecommunications Companies: $721,182
  • Fines and Reparations Levied Against Water Companies: $7,107,238
  • Fines Levied Against Transportation Companies: $342,000
 Source: 2020 Annual Report
 

Open Investigations (through 04/30/2020)

  • Information on open investigations.

Completed Investigations and other Enforcement Actions (through 04/30/2020)

This includes any investigations that were initially opened in 2015 or later and have since concluded. Note: This list may not be comprehensive.

  • Information on completed investigations and other enforcement actions.

Citation Programs

Citation programs delegate authority to staff to issue fines for prescribed violations. Citations carry fines for non-compliance with state law and Commission orders. The Commission has established numerous citation programs over the years, which cover different specific regulatory programs and authority. Below you can find a list of our citation programs and issued citations.

Enforcement and Citations