Cpuc

Still battered by financial, political and regulatory pressures tied to two years of unprecedented wildfires, San Francisco-based Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) was hit by yet another state regulatory investigation into possible “systemic violations” of natural gas utility pipeline safety rules.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Thursday directed all of the state’s investor-owned natural gas and electric utilities to take steps to reduce the rate of growth in service disconnections to residential energy customers.

California regulators have approved plans outlined late last year by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) to replace at least three Bay Area natural gas-fired peaking plants with battery storage and to add batteries at an existing gas-fired plant at Moss Landing, CA.

California regulators late Thursday doubled down on the wildfires impacting each end of the state and the potential role by the two major utilities, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE).

In separate actions Tuesday, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) fined Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) $5.05 million for gas system infractions and fined Southern California Edison Co. (SCE) $8 million for an electrical system incident three years ago.

Among hundreds of new laws signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last month are two that continue California’s push away from natural gas-fired generation to support the state’s aggressive efforts to combat the ill effects of climate change.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) next month will consider legally declaring that the 86 Bcf capacity Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility has maintained continuous service even in the wake of the nation’s worst methane leak, which occurred there three years ago.

A recent filing in California’s 4th District Court of Appeal in San Diego marks the latest attempt by Sempra Energy’s San Diego Gas & Electric Co. (SDG&E) to recover $379 million in costs incurred by wildfires that raced through Southern California in 2007.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) has filed plans with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to launch a 570 MW, four-project effort with lithium-ion batteries, the largest tied to an existing natural gas-fired generation plant at Moss Landing.