CPUC Approves PG&E’s Regionalization Plan To Improve Safety
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), in ongoing efforts to enhance Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) ability to meet its safety obligations, today approved the utility’s regionalization plan, which the CPUC ordered PG&E to pursue as a condition of CPUC approval of the utility’s bankruptcy plan.
Under a modified settlement agreement among multiple parties approved today, PG&E’s service area will be divided into five specific regions: North Coast, North Valley/Sierra, Bay Area, South Bay/Central Coast, and Central Valley. Creating operational regions is designed to improve the utility’s safety activities and local responsiveness.
The CPUC directed PG&E to hold town hall meetings in the five regions until the completion of the regionalization plan and report to the CPUC on its implementation activities. In addition, a Regionalization Stakeholder Group will be formed to monitor PG&E’s performance in the implementation of the regionalization plan.
Under the plan, Regional Executive Officers will manage each region and report directly to PG&E’s CEO and President. Each region will also have its own Risk Officer and Safety Officer who report to the Chief Risk Officer and Chief Safety Officer.
“The CPUC’s bankruptcy decision required regional restructuring so that PG&E would be more present in the community and better able to serve the diverse values and needs of its customers,” said Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen. “Regionalization is one of the many ways we are looking to see if PG&E has transformed itself into a safer, more reliable, and more customer serving utility since emerging from bankruptcy two years ago.”
More information on PG&E’s Regionalization Proposal is available at www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/pge/pge-regionalization.
The proposal voted on is available at https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M487/K588/487588677.PDF.
Documents related to the proceeding are available at https://apps.cpuc.ca.gov/apex/f?p=401:56:0::NO:RP,57,RIR:P5_PROCEEDING_SELECT:A2006011.
The CPUC regulates services and utilities, protects consumers, safeguards the environment, and assures Californians’ access to safe and reliable utility infrastructure and services. For more information on the CPUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.
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