Grueneich

With hearings set to begin in June, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) is betting its short-term future on a $1.1 billion general rate case targeted to be effective at the start of next year with smaller interim revenue increases in 2012 ($275 million) and 2013 ($343 million). But the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) independent consumer unit, the Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA), has come out of the gate drawing its line in the sand at a revenue level less than 25% of what the utility asked for in its CPUC filing.