Business and Community Outreach

Our Community Partnerships team, made up of Local Government and Community Outreach Liaisons, focuses on partnering with, educating, and addressing the concerns of local governments and community-based organizations regarding the CPUC's programs, proceedings, decisions, and initiatives. They work to include diverse groups in the CPUC decision-making process, ensuring protections for all Californians. With liaison resources across the state, CPUC is committed to transparency and fostering collaboration. Liaisons are available to assist with questions and concerns across the CPUC’s industry areas.

The Supplier Diversity program promotes and monitors supplier diversity in procurement by utilities, electric service providers, community choice aggregators, and other entities and oversees a certification clearinghouse. The CPUC encourages participating entities to purchase goods and services from diverse suppliers: 15 percent from minority, 5 percent from women, 1.5 percent from disabled veteran business enterprises, and 1.5 percent for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) business enterprises.

The Small Business program focuses on two areas:

1. Promoting procurement opportunities with the state and utilities;
2. Providing education and outreach necessary to raise internal and external awareness of various regulatory and legislative policy issues impacting the small business community.

The CPUC also assists small businesses with utility related complaints, issues, and informs small businesses of CPUC contracting opportunities.