March 2009 Bill Inserts
Each month, PG&E offers important information on rebates, saving energy and safety in printed inserts that accompany your bill. Now, access this information online whenever you wish.
- Save money on your PG&E bill every month with CARE/FERAApplying is free, easy and confidential
California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program provides a 20% discount on your monthly energy bill for qualifying households. Learn more about the CARE program.
Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) Program provides savings on your electric bill for large households of three or more persons with low- to middle-income. Learn more about the FERA program. - For your safety… Inspection and Maintenance of Customer-Owned, Buried Natural Gas PipingIf you are a Pacific Gas and Electric Company natural gas customer, you should be aware of this important gas safety information.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company is committed to providing safe, reliable natural gas service. We maintain all our gas lines in accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation and California Public Utilities Commission pipeline safety regulations.
As a natural gas pipeline operator, Pacific Gas and Electric Company is required by federal law to notify all customers of the following:- Customer-owned, buried natural gas piping should be inspected periodically for leaks and, if the piping is metallic, also for corrosion. Examples of this piping are any buried piping from the gas service delivery location to your house or appliances, or from the house to a swimming pool heater or spa. See diagram below.
- If any gas leaks or evidence of corrosion to metallic piping are found, you should take immediate steps to correct the problem.
- When digging near buried gas piping, locate the piping in advance, and dig by hand.
Contact a certified plumbing contractor in your area to help you locate and inspect your buried gas piping. Call 811 to locate underground utility-owned facilities. If you have questions about this notice, call Pacific Gas and Electric Company at 1-800-PGE-5000.
NOTE: In this notice "customer" refers to the owner of the gas piping system served by Pacific Gas and Electric Company. This may be either the property owner or another party that owns the gas piping. - Customer-owned, buried natural gas piping should be inspected periodically for leaks and, if the piping is metallic, also for corrosion. Examples of this piping are any buried piping from the gas service delivery location to your house or appliances, or from the house to a swimming pool heater or spa. See diagram below.
- Notification of Application Filing by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E): Fuel Cell ProjectOn February 20, 2009, PG&E filed the Fuel Cell Project application with the California Public Utilities Commission ("CPUC"), in which PG&E requests authority to collect in electric generation rates the non-fuel costs of owning and operating the proposed fuel cell facilities. PG&E estimates an increase to its electric revenues of $44.5 million over ten years.
What is the Fuel Cell Project?
The Fuel Cell Project is a ten-year collaborative project with the State of California where PG&E will own and operate three fuel cell electric generating facilities with a total capacity of 2.9 megawatts located on the campuses of California State University (CSU). San Francisco State will host two fuel cells and CSU East Bay will host one. The electricity generated will be delivered to PG&E's electric grid. Each campus will use by-products generated by the fuel cells for commercial and industrial processes. The universities also plan to integrate fuel cell studies into their curriculum to promote clean and efficient energy generation.
How does this impact rates?
If the application is approved by the CPUC, it would result in an increase that is less than 1 percent of PG&E's total revenue (the total amount of money customers pay in a year for the electric services they receive.) The average increase in electric rates for bundled customers (those who receive electric generation, transmission and distribution service from PG&E) would be 0.05 percent, compared to current rates, and would not have a significant impact on individual customers' rates. The recovery of these costs in rates is expected to begin January 1, 2011.The CPUC Process
The CPUC's Independent Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) will review this Application. DRA is an independent arm of the CPUC, created by the Legislature to represent the interests of all utility customers throughout the state and obtain the lowest possible rate for service consistent with reliable and safe service levels. DRA has a multi-disciplinary staff with expertise in economics, finance, accounting and engineering. DRA's views do not necessarily reflect those of the CPUC. Other parties of record will also participate.
The CPUC may hold evidentiary hearings where parties of record present their proposals in testimony and are subject to cross-examination before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). These hearings are open to the public but only those who are parties of record can present evidence or cross-examine witnesses during evidentiary hearings. Members of the public may attend these hearings but are not allowed to participate, only listen.
After considering all proposals and evidence presented during each hearing process, the ALJ will issue a draft decision for the Application. When the CPUC acts on the application, it may adopt all or part of PG&E's request, amend or modify it or deny the application. The CPUC's final decision may be different from PG&E's proposed application filing.For Further Information
For more details call PG&E at 1-800-PGE-5000
For TDD/TTY(speech-hearing impaired) call 1-800-652-4712
You may contact the CPUC's Public Advisor with comments or questions as follows:
Public Advisor's Office
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 2103
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-703-2074 or 1-866-849-8390 (toll free)
TTY 415-703-5282, TTY 1-866-836-7825 (toll free)
E-mail to public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
If you are writing a letter to the Public Advisor's Office, please include the name of the application to which you are referring. All comments will be circulated to the Commissioners, the assigned Administrative Law Judge and the Energy Division staff. - Notification of Application for Recovery of Catastrophic Event Costs (CEMA) in Electric RatesOn February 27, 2009, Pacific Gas & Electric Company ("PG&E") filed the above referenced application with the California Public Utilities Commission ("CPUC"), in which PG&E asks for authority to recover catastrophic event costs associated with the 2008 wildfires. PG&E estimates that electric revenues to cover these costs will increase by $6.56 million over a 1 year period beginning January 1, 2010.
What is CEMA and what does it do?
CEMA stands for Catastrophic Event Memorandum Account. State law and the CPUC allow public utilities to recover the incremental costs of: (1) restoring utility service to its customers; (2) repairing, replacing or restoring damaged utility facilities; and (3) complying with government agency orders resulting from declared disasters, as a result of catastrophic events. The CPUC also authorizes utilities to record capital-related costs such as depreciation and return on capitalized plant additions resulting from the restoration activities. The CPUC requires that costs recorded in a utility's CEMA "may be recovered in rates only after a request by the affected utility, a showing of their reasonableness, and approval by the CPUC."
Background to the filing of this Application
From May 22, 2008 through October 2008 wildfires caused significant damage to portions of PG&E's infrastructure and operations. Because of these fires Governor Schwarzenegger issued State of Emergency Proclamations for 10 counties in PG&E's service area. Then-President Bush, acting under authority of the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, also issued declarations of emergency in several of these same counties. PG&E seeks to recover the costs of restoring service and repairing its electric distribution system in these counties.
How does this impact rates?
If the application is approved by the CPUC, it would result in an increase that is less than 1 percent of PG&E's total revenue (the total amount of money customers pay in a year for the electric services they receive.) The average increase in electric for bundled service customers (customers who receive electric generation as well as transmission and distribution service from PG&E) and for customers who purchase electricity from other suppliers (direct access and community choice aggregation) would be 0.06 percent, compared to current rates, and would not have a significant impact on individual customers' rates. The recovery of these costs in rates is expected to begin January 1, 2010.The CPUC Process
The CPUC's Independent Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) will review this Application. DRA is an independent arm of the CPUC, created by the Legislature to represent the interests of all utility customers throughout the state and obtain the lowest possible rate for service consistent with reliable and safe service levels. DRA has a multi-disciplinary staff with expertise in economics, finance, accounting and engineering. DRA's views do not necessarily reflect those of the CPUC. Other parties of record will also participate.
The CPUC may hold evidentiary hearings where parties of record present their proposals in testimony and are subject to cross-examination before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). These hearings are open to the public but only those who are parties of record can present evidence or cross-examine witnesses during evidentiary hearings. Members of the public may attend these hearings but are not allowed to participate, only listen.
After considering all proposals and evidence presented during each hearing process, the ALJ will issue a draft decision for the Application. When the CPUC acts on the application, it may adopt all or part of PG&E's request, amend or modify it or deny the application. The CPUC's final decision may be different from PG&E's proposed application filing.For Further Information
For more details call PG&E at 1-800-PGE-5000
For TDD/TTY(speech-hearing impaired) call 1-800-652-4712
You may contact the CPUC's Public Advisor with comments or questions as follows:
Public Advisor's Office
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 2103
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-703-2074 or 1-866-849-8390 (toll free)
TTY 415-703-5282, TTY 1-866-836-7825 (toll free)
E-mail to public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
If you are writing a letter to the Public Advisor's Office, please include the name of the application to which you are referring. All comments will be circulated to the Commissioners, the assigned Administrative Law Judge and the Energy Division staff. - Planning for a Clean Energy FuturePG&E looks to invest in historic solar energy program
Notification of application filing by Pacific Gas and Electric Company(PG&E): Photovoltaic (PV) Program (A.09-02-019).
What is the PV Program?
The PV Program is a five-year program which demonstrates PG&E's commitment to environmental leadership. PG&E proposes to develop, construct, own and operate up to 250 Megawatts (MW) of clean solar photovoltaic facilities and acquire an additional 250 MW to be built and owned by independent developers. When all projects are up and running by 2015, they are expected to deliver power equal to the annual consumption of about 150,000 average homes each year. Prior to developing these facilities, PG&E intends to move forward with a pilot program developing up to 2 MW in order to establish sound processes and procedures for the larger program. PG&E will seek to pursue land options in order to secure land for the development of its program; however, whenever possible, projects developed and owned by PG&E will be built on land already owned by the utility or near its substations to minimize the cost and delays of interconnecting them to the power grid.
On February 24, 2009, PG&E filed the above referenced application with the California Public Utilities Commission ("CPUC"), in which PG&E requests authority to collect in electric generation rates the cost of owning and operating facilities associated with the PV Program. The annual revenue requirement increases each year from an increase relative to current rates of $16.5 million in 2010 to the highest increase relative to current rates of $170.4 million in 2014.
Does this mean rates will increase?
Yes, utility charges will increase as a result of this program. If the application is approved by the CPUC, electric generation rates will increase as early as January 1, 2011.
The table below shows the possible impact of rate changes on each customer class. The change shown below is for illustrative purposes and uses an increase of $170 million, which is the highest single year recovery for the program and is expected to occur in 2014. The total change to the system average bundled rate in each year (relative to current rates) is 0.1%, 0.4%, 0.8%, 1.1% and 1.4% for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. Rates that are actually adopted by the CPUC may be higher or lower than PG&E's initial proposal shown here. PG&E does not expect rates for departing load customers to change, unless some of these costs are determined to be part of a nonbypassable charge.Electric Department Projected Rate Changes by Class
(Dollars in Thousands)Customer Class & Service Dollar Increase
for PV Development
in 2014Total Percentage
Increase for PV
Development
in 2014Bundled Service Residential $65,174 1.3% Small Commercial $19,854 1.3% Medium Commercial $32,924 1.6% Large Commercial $18,781 1.7% Streetlights $813 1.2% Standby $430 1.4% Agriculture $7,848 1.3% Large Industrial $24,616 1.9% Total Bundled Change $170,440 1.4% Direct Access Service Residential $2 0.1% Small Commercial $0 0.0% Medium Commercial $0 0.0% Large Commercial $0 0.0% Agriculture $0 0.0% Large Industrial $0 0.0% Total Direct Access Change $2 0.0%
If the CPUC approves PG&E's application, the bill for a typical bundled customer (customers who receive electric generation, transmission and distribution service from PG&E) using 550 kWh per month in 2014 (the year of the highest revenue increase) would increase $0.32 from $73.32 to $73.64. The bill for a typical bundled customer using approximately twice the average baseline allowance, or 850 kWh per month, would increase $2.44 from $157.99 to $160.43. Individual customers' bills may differ.The CPUC Process
The CPUC's Independent Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) will review this Application. DRA is an independent arm of the CPUC, created by the Legislature to represent the interests of all utility customers throughout the state and obtain the lowest possible rate for service consistent with reliable and safe service levels. DRA has a multi-disciplinary staff with expertise in economics, finance, accounting and engineering. DRA's views do not necessarily reflect those of the CPUC. Other parties of record will also participate.
The CPUC may hold evidentiary hearings where parties of record present their proposals in testimony and are subject to cross-examination before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). These hearings are open to the public but only those who are parties of record can present evidence or cross-examine witnesses during evidentiary hearings. Members of the public may attend these hearings but are not allowed to participate, only listen.
After considering all proposals and evidence presented during the hearing process, the ALJ will issue a draft decision. When the CPUC acts on this application, it may adopt all or part of PG&E's request, amend or modify it or deny the application. The CPUC's final decision may be different from PG&E's proposed application filing.For Further Information
For more details call PG&E at 1-800-PGE-5000
For TDD/TTY(speech-hearing impaired) call 1-800-652-4712
You may contact the CPUC's Public Advisor with comments or questions as follows:
Public Advisor's Office
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 2103
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-703-2074 or 1-866-849-8390 (toll free)
TTY 415-703-5282, TTY 1-866-836-7825 (toll free)
E-mail to public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
If you are writing a letter to the Public Advisor's Office, please include the number of the application (A.09-02-019) to which you are referring. All comments will be circulated to the Commissioners, the assigned Administrative Law Judge and the Energy Division staff. - Dynamic Pricing Rate StructureNotification of Application Filing
Pacific Gas and Electric Company would like to inform its customers about proposed new time-based electric rates starting in May 2010. This proposed rate structure, called "dynamic pricing," is being offered in response to the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) mandate requiring the state's investor-owned utilities to explore offering electric rates that would shift energy use, and better align prices with the actual cost of energy. For example, customers will pay lower prices to run their equipment and appliances at night when demand is lower versus during the day when demand is higher.
If approved, this new dynamic pricing rate structure will go into effect for PG&E's customers beginning May 1, 2010. Large business customers with a maximum electric load that is greater or equal to 200 kilowatts (kW) will default to dynamic pricing rates on that date. Beginning on February 1, 2011, agricultural customers with a maximum electric load that is greater or equal to 200 kilowatts (kW) and all other business customers with SmartMeter™ devices for at least 12 months will default to dynamic pricing rates.
Customers will have the option to "opt out" of the new dynamic pricing rates. Additionally, all customers already participating in a demand response program will remain in that program and will not default to the dynamic pricing rate. Please note that dynamic pricing is also voluntary for residential customers.
These programs are designed to reduce demand at critical times by aligning prices charged during these periods with the wholesale market. PG&E does not benefit from the purchase of electricity in the wholesale market. This cost of electricity, as well as the cost of natural gas fuel, is a pass-through cost for our customers.
While the actual rates for dynamic pricing are still unknown, PG&E wanted to provide customers with as much information as possible on these proposed changes. PG&E will continue to keep customers updated as information becomes available. Please see below for further details on dynamic pricing:
Notification of Application Filing by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E): 2009 Rate Design Window (A.09-02-022)
On February 27, 2009, PG&E filed its 2009 Rate Design Window Application with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The Application complies with Decision 08-07-045, which ordered PG&E to propose certain time-differentiated electric rates called dynamic pricing and to request recovery of the costs of implementation.
What is Dynamic Pricing?
Dynamic pricing is designed to reflect variations in the actual cost of energy at different times of day and on different types of days. Dynamic pricing creates economic incentives for customers to actively manage their energy costs by shifting electricity use from when it costs more to when it costs less. For example, when given a notice a day in advance that electricity prices will be extremely high for a short period the following day, customers can arrange to use less electricity at that time and/or shift use to other times. This type of rate is also known as Critical Peak Pricing, a type of dynamic pricing that has been available to customers in the past. While dynamic pricing will remain voluntary for residential customers, Decision 08-07-045 specifies that most non-residential customers must be assigned by default to new dynamic pricing rate schedules. The effective implementation of dynamic pricing can lower customer costs and increase electricity system reliability by stabilizing demand over time, reducing demand when supply is low, and setting rates that better reflect the marginal cost of providing electricity.
What Impact will this Application Filing have on Rates? This Application requests authority to recover in rates approximately $33.1 million for the costs associated with implementing dynamic pricing through 2010. If the CPUC approves PG&E's full request, the cost will be recovered from all customers who receive transmission and distribution service from PG&E, including bundled1 and direct access2 customers. The average increase in bundled electric rates would be 0.22%.The CPUC Process
The CPUC's independent Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) will review this Application. DRA is an independent arm of the CPUC, created by the legislature to represent the interests of all utility customers throughout the state and obtain the lowest possible rate for service consistent with reliable and safe service levels. DRA has a multi-disciplinary staff with expertise in economics, finance, accounting and engineering. DRA's views do not necessarily reflect those of the CPUC. Other parties of record will also participate.
The CPUC may hold evidentiary hearings where parties of record present their proposals in testimony and are subject to cross-examination before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). These hearings are open to the public, but only those who are parties of record can present evidence or cross-examine witnesses during evidentiary hearings. Members of the public may attend these hearings but are not allowed to participate, only listen.
After considering all proposals and evidence presented during the hearing process, the ALJ will issue a draft decision. When the CPUC acts on this Application, it may adopt all or part of PG&E's request, amend, modify or deny it. The CPUC's final decision may be different from what PG&E proposes in its Application.For Further Information
For more details call PG&E at 1-800-PGE-5000
For TDD/TTY(speech-hearing impaired) call 1-800-652-4712
You may contact the CPUC's Public Advisor with comments or questions as follows:
Public Advisor's Office
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 2103
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-703-2074 or 1-866-849-8390 (toll free)
TTY 415-703-5282, TTY 1-866-836-7825 (toll free)
E-mail to public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
If you are writing a letter to the Public Advisor's Office, please include the number of the Application (09-02-022) to which you are referring. All comments will be circulated to the Commissioners, the assigned ALJ and the Energy Division staff.
1 Bundled customers take electric supply service from PG&E, as well as transmission and distribution service.
2 Direct access customers, as well as customers under Community Choice Aggregation, take electric supply from non-PG&E suppliers - Notification of Application Filing by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E): Application for Pension Contribution and for Approval of Mechanism to Adjust Pension Contribution Annually (A.09-03-003)On March 2, 2009, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) filed Application No. 09-03-003 asking the California Public Utilities Commission to approve a total revenue increase in 2011 of $277.8 million, or 1.7 percent, over the 2009 authorized level of $16.818 billion to increase the contribution to PG&E's Retirement Plan trust, commonly referred to as a pension contribution, and to approve a mechanism to adjust pension-related revenue annually. Under the proposed mechanism, PG&E would be required to file an Advice Letter each year to adjust its pension-related revenue based on the contribution necessary to attain a fully-funded Retirement Plan at the end of a 7-year period.
The total consists of (1) an increase for electric service of $203.7 million, or 1.6 percent, over the 2009 authorized level of $12.643 billion, and (2) an increase for gas service of $74.1 million, or 1.8 percent, over the 2009 authorized level of $4.175 billion.
The requested $203.7 million increase in electric revenue would be distributed as follows:Electric Table
(Dollars in Thousands)Electric Customer Class Dollar Increase Total Percentage Increase Bundled Service Residential $99,234 1.90% Small Commercial $27,116 1.70% Medium Commercial $31,466 1.40% Large Commercial $15,428 1.30% Streetlights $753 1.10% Standby $380 1.20% Agriculture $10,094 1.60% Large Industrial $15,086 1.10% Total Bundled Change $199,557 1.60% Residential $103 3.20% Small Commercial $140 2.70% Medium Commercial $1,557 2.50% Large Commercial $1,020 1.90% Agriculture $27 2.60% Large Industrial $1,331 1.40% Total Direct Access Change $4,178 1.90%
By law, rates for bundled electric customers who use less than 130% of their baseline allowance would not increase. The bill for a typical bundled customer using 550 kWh per month would increase $0.49, or 0.7 percent, from $74.07 to $74.56. The bill for a typical bundled customer using approximately twice the average baseline allowance, or 850 kWh per month, would increase $3.72, or 2.3 percent, from $163.68 to $167.40 per month. Individual customers' bills may differ.
The requested $74.1 million increase in gas revenue would be distributed as follows:Gas Table
(Dollars in Thousands)Electric Customer Class Revenue Increase Percentage Increase Core Retail–Illustrative Bundled Residential Non-CARE $48,598 2.05% Residential CARE $7,838 1.61% Commercial, Small $12,929 1.46% Commercial, Large $443 0.55% NGV 1 (uncompressed service) $31 0.29% NGV 2 (compressed service) $5 0.29% Core Retail–Transport Only Residential Non-CARE $154 5.50% Residential CARE $17 4.33% Commercial, Small $937 4.84% Commercial, Large $11 3.31% Noncore–Transportation Only Industrial Distribution $1,818 4.44% Industrial Transmission/Backbone $1,013 1.50% Electric Generation $301 0.84% Wholesale–Transportation Only West Coast Gas - Castle $2 3.56% West Coast Gas - Mather-D $3 5.25% Transmission Level Wholesale $0 0.00% Unbundled Service $0 0.00% Total Change $74,100 1.77%
The bill for a typical residential customer using 40 therms per month would increase $1.07, or 1.9 percent, from $55.38 to $56.45. Individual customers' bills may differ.The CPUC Process
The CPUC's Independent Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) will review this Application. DRA is an independent arm of the CPUC, created by the Legislature to represent the interests of all utility customers throughout the state and obtain the lowest possible rate for service consistent with reliable and safe service levels. DRA has a multi-disciplinary staff with expertise in economics, finance, accounting and engineering. DRA's views do not necessarily reflect those of the CPUC. Other parties of record will also participate.
The CPUC may hold evidentiary hearings where parties of record present their proposals in testimony and are subject to cross-examination before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). These hearings are open to the public but only those who are parties of record can present evidence or cross-examine witnesses during evidentiary hearings. Members of the public may attend these hearings but are not allowed to participate, only listen.
After considering all proposals and evidence presented during the hearing process, the ALJ will issue a draft decision. When the CPUC acts on this application, it may adopt all or part of PG&E's request, amend or modify it or deny the application. The CPUC's final decision may be different from PG&E's proposed application filing.For Further Information
For more details call PG&E at 1-800-PGE-5000
For TDD/TTY(speech-hearing impaired) call 1-800-652-4712
You may contact the CPUC's Public Advisor with comments or questions as follows:
Public Advisor's Office
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 2103
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-703-2074 or 1-866-849-8390 (toll free)
TTY 415-703-5282, TTY 1-866-836-7825 (toll free)
E-mail to public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
If you are writing a letter to the Public Advisor's Office, please include the number of the application (A.09-03-003) to which you are referring. All comments will be circulated to the Commissioners, the assigned ALJ and the Energy Division staff.
