Energy Utility Advice Letter and Tariff Information

 

An Advice Letter is (1) an informal request by a utility for Commission approval, authorization, or other relief, including an informal request for approval to furnish service under rates, charges, terms or conditions other than those contained in the utility's tariffs then in effect, and (2) a compliance submittal by a load-serving entity pursuant to Public Utilities Code Section 380.

 

CPUC ENERGY DIVISION ADVICE LETTER FILING DIRECTIONS

The two steps involved with filing an Advice Letter are as follows (more detailed guidance is provided further down on the page):

  1. Entities shall file Advice Letters (and all related documents) electronically via e-mail to EDTariffUnit@cpuc.ca.gov, and to the appropriate service list.  CPUC Energy Division no longer accepts hard copy Advice Letter submissions.
  2. Upload the document to our Energy Division Advice Letter Website. 

 

Requirements for a NEW Advice Letter

  1. Advice Letter - Rules for filing Advice Letters are available in General Order (G.O.) 96-B. For an example of an Advice Letter, please go and download the document from our Energy Division Advice Letter website, found here. Advice Letters must be in searchable PDF format.
  2. Energy Division Advice Letter Summary Form - Complete the AL summary form. Failure to submit a complete AL Summary Form may result in the EDTU rejecting the AL filing.
    •  An entity’s AL filing must be numbered sequentially, beginning with number 1 for the first AL filed. The entity may send an email to EDTariffUnit@cpuc.ca.gov to verify or request information about the next available number to be used in the AL filing.
    • The CPUC Utility Reference Number (U#) will be assigned to you by CPUC Energy Division Tariff Unit, if a new utility/entity.
    • Specify the Advice Letter Tier - refer to G.O. 96-B if you need help determining the tier.
    •  The required fields on this form are: Company name/CPUC Utility No., Utility Type, Contact Person, Advice Letter (AL) #, Tier Designation, Keywords, Requested Effective Date and No. of tariff sheets. Other fields are required if it is applicable to your Advice Letter.
  3. Service List - All AL filings (including supplements) must be served on the appropriate service list. To be added to a service list or to be removed, please email the CPUC Process Office at processoffice@cpuc.ca.gov.
  4. Upload the documents to our Energy Division Advice Letter Website, for any questions on how to upload please email CPUCEnergyDivisionAdviceLetterWebsite@cpuc.ca.gov.

 

Requirements for an EXISTING Advice Letter

  1. Send documents associated with the existing Advice Letter electronically via email to EDTariffUnit@cpuc.ca.gov and reference the existing Advice Letter Number. Relevant documents can include supplements, substitute sheets, protests, replies to protests, comments, comments on resolutions, workpapers and all Advice Letter related documents sent to the service list.
    • If filing a supplement, use the same AL number of the original filing and affix the letter "A", "B", 'C' and so on after the number. 

    For example, if the AL is sequentially on AL 5-E, it will be AL 5-E-A [for the first supplement] or AL 5-E-B [for the second supplement, and so on].

  2. Upload the documents to our Energy Division Advice Letter Website and be sure to reference the CPUC Utility Reference Number (U#).
  3. Service List.
 

Advice Letter by Category

If your Advice Letter is related to any of the following topics, please click on the links below for more information as related:

Disadvantaged Communities

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I check the status of an Advice Letter?

    2. How do I send confidential Advice Letters and related documents?

    • Confidential documents must be sent via the https://cpucftp.cpuc.ca.gov/ (through the CPUC Kiteworks website. Entities will need to create an account to gain access to the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Please use this Quick Start Guide. Also, use the CPUC Kiteworks for submitting large files.

      3. When submitting supplements, do I need to indicate if the supplement is replacing the original or the previously submitted supplement and original, or is supplementing the original and previously submitted supplement?

      • Yes! When submitting a supplement, please indicate whether it is replacing or supplementing. In other words, please be as clear as you can when submitting your supplement by telling us exactly what it is supplementing and/or replacing. 

               Please remember that the supplement (and all Advice Letter materials) needs to be submitted to the same service list(s) as the original Advice Letter.

      4. How do I protest an Advice Letter?

      Any person (including individuals, groups, or organizations) that disagrees with what is being requested in an Advice Letter, a written protest can be submitted to the Energy Division at EDTariffUnit@cpuc.ca.gov within 20 calendar days after the Advice Letter is submitted to Energy Division for review. 

      The protest must also be submitted to the utility/entity at the same time at the address provided in the Advice Letter.  The protest is a document that must raise a substantive issue and may not raise issues that go beyond the scope of the Advice Letter request and may not propose alternatives that contradict a Commission decision underlying the Advice Letter request.   The grounds for a protest are found at General Order 96-B, Rule 7.4.2. The utility is required to provide a reply to the protest to EDTariffUnit@cpuc.ca.gov and to the protestant(s) within 5 business days after the end of the protest period. 

       

      Additional Utility Tariff and Advice Letter Information

      Read the latest information on Utility Advice Letter Dispositions, Suspensions, Protests, and Withdrawals.

      For questions regarding the Energy Division Advice Letter, please email us at EDTariffUnit@cpuc.ca.gov.
      For questions regarding the Energy Division Advice Letter Website, please email us at CPUCEnergyDivisionAdviceLetterWebsite@cpuc.ca.gov.

       

      Regulatory Information on Utility Websites

      Visit the Regulatory pages for PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, SoCalGas and SWGas to learn more about Newly filed Advice Letters, Advice Letter statuses, and Utility Tariffs.

      • PG&E - http://www.pge.com/en/about/company/regulation/index.page
      • SCE - https://www.sce.com/wps/portal/home/regulatory
      • SDG&E - http://www.sdge.com/rates-regulations/other-regulatory-filings/rates-and-regulations
      • SoCalGas - http://www.socalgas.com/regulatory/
      • SWGas - https://www.swgas.com/en/california-rates-and-regulation

      Please send your updated contact information to CPUC's Energy Division by filling out the ED Regulatory Contact Info Update Request Form.

      To be added to a service list or to be removed, please email the CPUC Process Office at processoffice@cpuc.ca.gov.

       

      Requirements for a NEW Business Letter (BL)

      On April 15, 2021, the CPUC adopted Resolution E-5116, generally, only public utilities submit Advice Letters to the Commission. (See General Order 96-B, General Rule 1.1). However, because the advice letter process is well-established at the CPUC, submission of a Business Letter that follows the same process as an Advice Letter will facilitate efficient review of the CEC’s program guidelines in a just and speedy manner while distinguishing between requirements for public utilities as opposed to state agencies serving as third party administrators. (See General Order (GO) 96(B), General Rule 1.3). 

      If you are submitting a new BL, please follow the same instructions for submitting a new advice letter above but instead of using the AL Summary Form, please fill out this BL Summary Form and submit with your BL. For questions regarding the BL submittal process, please email us at EDTariffUnit@cpuc.ca.gov.