cpuc public agenda 3249 thursday, february 25, 2010, 10:00 a.m. 505 van ness ave, san francisco...
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CPUC Public Agenda 3249Thursday, February 25, 2010, 10:00 a.m.
505 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco
Commissioners: Michael R. Peevey Dian M. Grueneich
John A. Bohn Timothy Alan Simon
Nancy E. Ryan
www.cpuc.ca.gov
Public Comment
• Any member of the public who wishes to address the CPUC about matters before the Commission, must first sign up with the Public Advisor before the meeting begins.
• Once called, at the discretion of the President of the CPUC, each speaker has up to 2 minutes.
• A sign will be posted when 1 minute remains.
• A bell will ring when time has expired.
The following items are NOT subject to Public Comment: Items: 29 & 32 All items on the Closed Session Agenda
Agenda Changes• Items shown on the Consent Agenda will be taken up and voted on as a group in one of the first items of business of each CPUC meeting.
• Items on Today’s Consent Agenda are: 1, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 & 41
• Any Commissioner, with consent of the other Commissioners, may request an item from the Regular Agenda be moved to the Consent Agenda prior to the meeting.•Items: 48, 50 & 51 from the Regular Agenda have been added to the Consent Agenda.
• Any Commissioner may request an item be removed from the Consent Agenda for discussion on the Regular Agenda prior to the meeting. •Item: None have been moved to the Regular Agenda.
• Item: 4 has been withdrawn.
• The following items have been held to future Commission Meetings:
Held to 3/11/10: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 21, 24, 42, 43, 45, 45a, 46, 47 & 49
Regular Agenda
• Each item on the Regular Agenda (and its alternate if any) will be introduced by the assigned Commissioner or CPUC staff and discussed before it is moved for a vote.
• For each agenda item, a summary of the proposed action is included on the agenda; the CPUC’s decision may, however, differ from that proposed.
• The complete text of every Proposed Decision or Draft Resolution is available for download on the CPUC’s website: www.cpuc.ca.gov.
• Late changes to agenda items are available on the Escutia Table.
Regular Agenda – Energy OrdersItem #44 [9127] Pacific Gas and Electric Company Peak Day Pricing
A09-02-022 Application of Pacific Gas and Electric Company for Approval of its 2009 Rate Design Window Proposals for Dynamic Pricing and Recovery of Incremental Expenditures Required for Implementation.
Ratesetting Comr. Peevey/ ALJ Fukutome --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROPOSED OUTCOME:• Continues implementation of the Commission’s policy to make dynamic pricing available for all electric
customers by adopting and implementing default and optional critical peak pricing and time-of-use rates (together, referred to as Peak Day Pricing) beginning May 1, 2010, for Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
• This decision also adopts appropriate customer outreach and education activities and measures to ensure customer awareness and understanding of the new rates and options.
• The revenue requirement associated with authorized costs will be included in rates through Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Annual Electric True-up advice letter filing.
• Recovery of potential cost overruns, including contingencies, and costs associated with Customer Care and Billing conversions are deferred to after-the-fact reasonableness review applications.
• Closes the Proceeding.
ESTIMATED COST:• Authorizes cost recovery of capital expenditures and operating expenses amounting to $92,072,000 for
the years 2008-2010.
Commissioners’ Reports
Nancy E. Ryan
Management Reports
“Soup to Nuts” Process Review Update
Karen Clopton
Chief Administrative Law Judge
February 25, 2010
The Charge:President Peevey’s “Renewed Vision” message to
the CPUC staff on January 28, 2009 stated the goal as:
“Continuing the streamlining and reinvention of our processes. We’re moving more quickly now than before, but too often I think we rely on process not just to gather information and give everyone their day in court, but as a way of delaying the tough choices. Our new Chief ALJ will lead a soup-to-nuts review of our processes, and make recommendations for change.”
Summary of Recommendations at May 21, 2009 Commission Meeting
• New Agenda Format
• Subject Matter Compendiums
• Working Groups
Old Agenda Format
New Agenda Format
New Agenda Format• We are continuing to work with staff to refine the
approach for all item descriptions to ensure greater clarity of what is being considered
• By mid-year we expect to implement a new agenda system that will provide greater flexibility in the report writing and results functions and allow us to build on the format changes already implemented
Subject Matter Compendiums• Recent decisions incorporate the concepts underlying
the compendium goal (see, for example, D.10-01-022, which includes Attachment A spelling out the details of the adopted program)
• Initial focus for compendiums is:• Solar• Energy Efficiency• Procurement
• We are working with Energy Division staff to identify different audiences and how our approach to the compendium might vary by audience before settling on a specific format
Online Search Project
Drivers for project:
• Searches on website take forever
• Agency is turning 100 years old!
• Google Scholar has agreed to include Commission decisions in its content
Online Search ProjectGoals:• Improve searchability of decisions• Improve free access to decisions• Improve public access to information about areas we regulate• Allow online search providers to more easily access our online
resources
Steps:• Embed specific “metadata” in new decisions and those already
online• Digitize historical decisions that are not currently on CPUC website
Timeline: All decisions online and searchable by June 2011
Establishment of Working GroupsThree small working groups from diverse perspectives were established to address decision-making process issues that might require statutory initiatives including:
• Practice and Procedure modifications with a focus on identifying opportunities for improving initial case management, calendaring, scheduling and utilization of ADR;
• Ex Parte and Proceeding Categorization Rules; and
• Public Access, Participation and Accommodation, Public Notices, Intervenor Compensation Program;
Their reports were submitted on November 30, 2009.
Practice & Procedure Action Items
• Develop a Practitioner’s page on the website for the posting of information related to topics like:– Discovery Custom And Practice Guidelines– Updated “Docket Office FAQs”– Constitutional and statutory references– Rules of Practice and Procedure– General Orders– Resolutions/Decisions addressing practice before the
Commission– Other relevant materials
Practice & Procedure Action Items
• Accept the Working Group’s offer to assist in updating the Docket Office FAQs
• Develop FAQ related to procedure for preliminary determination of category and need for hearings and challenge/appeal opportunities
• Develop a definition/guideline for what goes on the consent agenda, modify appropriate language on the website/agenda and post a FAQ to Practitioner’s page
Practice & Procedure Action ItemsWe have formed two internal working groups to
develop:• Guidelines for use of workshops in proceedings
including:– Notice, reports, transcription, and facilitation
• Rule 1.1 (Ethics) violations procedure– Identify appropriate Rule changes to clarify process
for parties to raise Rule 1.1 charge– Incorporate training, both internal and external (for
example, at Conference of California Public Utility Counsel events)
Practice & Procedure Action Items
• Provide regular training to ALJs and Commissioner offices regarding best practices related to Scoping Memo Rulings to improve usefulness of this tool
• Continue to educate practitioners and the public about the availability of the Commission’s subscription service in order to meet certain information needs, such as notification of “revised” decisions
Practice & Procedure Action Items
• Expand the electronic filing interface to encompass documents tendered under seal, testimony and exhibits– Contract is in place and work is underway on this
expansion– We project pilot testing for electronic intake of
testimony and exhibits in June 2010
Ex Parte Action Items• Develop an "ex parte procedures" overview sheet, to emphasize
that CPUC won't tolerate violations – publish to Practitioner’s page described above
• Invite a Commissioner to undertake a pilot project to allow 1-way phone bridge to allow parties to listen in to individual ex parte meetings
• Invite ALJs and Commissioners to establish an electronic same-day (rather than 3-day) ex parte reporting rule on a proceeding specific basis in the Scoping Memo Rulings
• Invite Commissioners to utilize final oral arguments, all party meetings, ratesetting deliberative meetings, and quiet time procedures that are already available to them
• Explore efficient way for offices to maintain a public real-time log of scheduled and conducted ex parte contacts by proceeding number (currently discoverable) for easy public access
Public Participation and Access Action Items
Areas of focus are:• Public Meetings• Website Improvements• Outreach
Public Meetings Action Items
• Develop "Guidelines for Public Comment at Business Meetings," to be issued as resolution – Address whether a non-party who engaged in
reported ex parte contacts can comment at meeting – Clarify that public is able to comment at meetings
from date the PD mails – Update the website to reflect adoption of Guidelines
Public Meetings Action Items
• Establish two non-agenda/ town hall style meetings to allow the public to comment on matters under the Commission’s jurisdiction with all Commissioners in attendance– Schedule one in Northern California and one in
Southern California
• Review and develop options for electronic sign-in procedures for Commission business meetings and PPHs
Website Improvement Action Items
• Submitted a project to the information technology group designed to allow for different ways of displaying and searching for documents and information on the website, reflecting the input and building on the mock-ups submitted
• Modified docket card data accessibility on website to conform with 30 year document retention schedule
Website Improvement Action Items
• Review the suggested improvements in structure and content made by the Public Participation and Access group. In particular, we have already implemented and expect to incorporate several additional organizational and content approaches recommended
• Expand the electronic filing system to encompass advice letters once the foundational work associated with electronic submission of testimony is completed
Outreach Action Items• Direct ALJs to highlight relevant issues
raised at Public Participation Hearings in Proposed Decisions
• Continue to educate practitioners and the public about the availability of the Commission’s subscription service in order to meet certain information needs, such as notification of ex parte communications
Rules of Practice and Procedure Changes
• Consider Rule modifications in next round of Rules of Practice and Procedure changes, including:– Rule 8.3 modifications to adopt a same day (rather than 3-day)
ex parte reporting rule – Rule 8.1(c)(3) modification to define “other public proceeding”– Moving Rule 8.5 forward within Article 8 to precede the current
Rule 8.3 to better integrate the requirements associated with Commissioner’s personal advisor
– Rule 3.2 modifications designed to streamline notice procedures developed in conjunction with efforts led by the Public Advisor’s Office
– Other suggestions by the Working Groups• We expect to submit proposed changes to the Office of
Administrative Law in September 2010
Thank you to:Working Group Members:
Mark Berry, Billie Blattner, Stephanie Chen, Joe Como, Sarah DeYoung, David Discher, Mike Florio, Marcel Hawiger, Sepideh Khosrowjah, James Lehrer, Ron Liebert, Thomas MacBride, Karen Miller, Andy Niven, Valerie
Ontiveroz, Mark Schreiber, Nick Selby, Mark Toney, Lisa Urick, Marzia ZafarWorking Group Alternates and Consultants: Michael Backstrom,
Keith Brown, Bob Finkelstein, Joel Perlstein
ALJ Division, especially the Working Group Facilitators: ALJ Regina DeAngelis, ALJ Maryam Ebke, ALJ Hallie Yacknin
_________________________
Presentation to the Commission
February 25, 2010
California Public Utilities Commission
Consumer Protection and Safety DivisionRail Operations Safety Branch
BNSF Railway
TEHACHAPI LOOP DERAILMENTFebruary 20, 2010
Tunnel Nine – Tehachapi Loop
Video credit: KBAK, Bakersfield
• Union Pacific tracks, Mojave Subdivision - shared with BNSF Railway.
• Northbound BNSF train - Barstow to Bakersfield.
• Route through Tehachapi mountains with 11 tunnels.
• 2.2% descending grade.
• Maximum authorized speed 23 mph.
Tehachapi Loop
Photo credit: Google
Close up aerial view of the Tunnel #9
Photo credit: Google
Saturday, Feb. 20th shortly after derailment
Photo credit: Tehachapi News
Tunnel #9 - North Portal
Photo credit: Kern County Fire Department
Railroad personnel, emergency responders, and CPUC & FRA investigators hold briefing
HAZMAT response to the burning Alcohol NOS car
RR crew dragging burning cars
Preparing to pull burning cars from tunnel portal
Kern Co. emergency personnel at north portal
Decision to extinguish plastics and grain car fires
Derailment occurred south of the south portal
Issues• Smoke and fume inhalation.• Cooling of tunnel and ballast.• Heavy rains during the investigation.• Rough terrain & difficult access to the site.• Sensitive balancing of needs to address
hazards, restore service, and yet find evidence for cause and compliance.
Heavy duty equipment in fire fight
Firefighting with Foam, Water, & Soil
Grinding off damaged tunnel lining
Photo credit: FRA
Laying new trackbed
Final touches to new rail
Photo credit: FRA
Trains running again – Investigation continues
Photo credit: William Puhl
ROSB Staff continues to investigate:
• Motive, Power, and Equipment. • Operating Practices – train makeup,
train handling, dynamic braking.• Track.
Thanks to ROSB Staff who were on scene for several days from 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning.
SPECIAL THANKS
to ROSB Track Inspector Dale Clugston for the many photographs and updates throughout the
derailment, and to our FRA partners.
Note: All pictures were taken by ROSB Track Inspector Dale Clugston, unless otherwise noted.
Remembering Eddie Quon1930-2010
A 55-year Veteran of the CPUC
The CPUC Thanks YouFor Attending Today’s Meeting
The Public Meeting is adjourned.
The next Public Meeting will be:
March 11, 2010, at 10:00 a.m.
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