Risk Spending Accountability Reports

The Commission exercises oversight of utility risk spending in various ways.  In February 2016, the Commission updated its Safety Action Plan and established that the Energy Division would review the spending on safety-related activities of electric and gas utilities which had been approved in prior general rate cases (GRCs).  The Energy Division prepared reports for Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE) but transitioned to issuing compliance letters in response to the revised rate case plan.  The revised rate case plan, adopted by Commission Decision (D.)14-12-025, sets new reporting requirements within a risk-based decision-making GRC framework.  These requirements were refined in D.19-04-020 closing the consolidated Safety Model Assessment proceeding (A.15-05-002 et al.) as well as in various GRC decisions. D.22-10-002 refines certain reporting requirements for the Risk Spending Accountability Reports (RSAR) required of investor-owned utility (IOU) and Small and Multi-Jurisdictional Utility gas and electric utilities pursuant to D.19-04-020 and D.14-12-025.

Energy Division's 2021 Risk Spending Accountability Report Schedule

Energy Division's 2022 Risk Spending Accountability Report Schedule 

PG&E

PG&E began submitting spending reports in 2011 in compliance with the 2011 GRC (D.11-05-018) and modified these reports in 2017 in compliance with the settlement agreement adopted in the 2017 GRC (D.17-05-013).

The Energy Division prepared its Safety Action report on 2014 and 2015 spending and transitioned to issuing compliance letters for 2016 that analyze recorded and authorized spending on safety-related activities and described any significant deviations. On March 30, 2020, PG&E filed its 2019 RSAR in accordance to the new reporting requirements set forth in D.19-04-020.  Starting in 2022, PG&E has submitted its RSAR annually to remain in compliance with D.22-10-002.

SCE

In May 2017, the Energy Division prepared its Safety Action Plan report on 2015 spending.  Like its report on PG&E, the Energy Division analyzed recorded and authorized spending on safety-related activities and described any significant deviations.  In 2018, SCE began filing annual reports starting with the 2016 year. The reporting requirements established in revised rate case plan D.19-04-020 became effective in 2021, with SCE submitting its 2021 compliance report on June 1, 2022.  Following the Commission's adoption of D.22-10-002, the utility filed reports for 2022 and 2023 to ensure full regulatory compliance.

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SDG&E and SoCalGas

SDG&E and SoCalGas submitted interim spending reports for Record Years 2014, 2015 and 2016 in compliance with 2016 GRC decision (D.16-06-054).  The reports compared spending on a limited set of risk mitigation projects.  In 2019, the utilities filed a spending accountability reports for 2017 and 2018.  The updated reporting requirements in the revised rate case plan D.19-04-020 stipulated that SDG&E and SoCalGas shall comply with the RSAR requirements.  Consequently, the utilities filed their 2019 report on March 31, 2020, and provided a revised report on June 26, 2020.  After the issuance of D.22-10-002, the utilities continued submitting annual RSAR reports.