Regulatory Proceedings

LGSEC provides a voice for its members on crucial energy policy. Staff closely monitors proceedings of the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission and the California Air Resources Board, and submits formal comments on issues that matter to the Coalition’s members. Our work ensures local governments have a regular presence with key regulatory agencies. When state laws and policies are converted into specific regulations and programs, LGSEC is there to provide a local government perspective and identify emerging challenges.

Active Proceedings

View the proceedings LGSEC is actively engaged in and currently monitoring. Find descriptions, schedules, and engagement, including submitted comments, for each proceeding. Click on the proceeding name to expand details.
R. 20-08-022: Clean Energy Financing Options for Electricity and Natural Gas Customers

This proceeding focuses on identifying improvements and possible additions to existing means of financing energy management, efficiency, and electrification, DER, and microgrid investments. The proceeding could result in expanded access to energy financing measures by local governments and their residents.

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Proceeding Schedule
Event
Date
Amended Scoping Memo and revised schedule for new financing proposals, metrics, and evaluation strategies November 2021
Workshop(s) to receive public feedback to utilities’ initial high-level proposals addressing template Q1 2022
Proposals for clean energy financing programs filed and served by IOUs and other parties April 15, 2022
IOU-hosted community meetings on proposed clean energy financing options May 2022
Revisions to IOU proposals and IOU reports on community meeting feedback due June 15, 2022
Workshop(s) discussing metrics, reporting, and evaluation requirements Q2 2022
Workshop(s) for discussion of outstanding issues related to clean energy financing program proposals, if needed Q3 2022
Opening comments on IOU and party clean energy financing proposals due June 29, 2022
Deadline for parties to request evidentiary hearing June 29, 2022
Reply comments on IOU and party clean energy financing proposals due July 11, 2022
Proposed decision September 2022
Commission decision 30 days after issuance of PD
R. 21-06-017: Modernize the Electric Grid for a High Distributed Energy Resources Future

Proposed scope includes:

  • Should the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) investigate how to redefine electric distribution investor-owned utility (IOU) roles to accommodate a high DER future, limit market power, and ensure open access for DER providers and aggregators offering retail and wholesale grid services? If so, how?
  • How frequent should distribution planning consultations be and at what level of local government (e.g., city or county level)? What should be the scope of outreach, including to tribal governments?
  • Should Distribution Planning Process (DPP) outreach be coordinated and/or combined with associated community engagement activities (e.g., those required by the wildfire mitigation, de-energization, microgrids and resiliency, climate adaptation, and/or other proceedings)?
  • Should DPP outreach play a role in supporting development of community-scale DERs (i.e., DERs smaller than utility scale but significantly larger than typical single-customer residential DERs).

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Proceeding Schedule
Activity
Date
Track 1: Distribution Planning Process and Data Improvements (Phase 1: Near-Term Actions)
Electrification Impacts Study Scope and Objectives Workshop 12/7/2021
Integration Capacity Analysis and Grid Needs Assessment Alignment and Utility Workplan Reports February 2022
Data Portals Improvement (Workshop, Focus Group) Q1 2022
Additional Guiding Questions and California Energy Commission Report Comments Q1 2022
Distribution Investment Deferral Framework Guidelines Q2 2022
Distribution Forecasting Working Group Workshop Q2 2022
Electrification Impacts Study and Workshop Q2 2022
Community Engagement Needs Assessment Scope and Objectives Workshop Q3 2022
Electrification Impacts Staff Proposal Q4 2022
Utility Integration Capacity Analysis Refinements 1st Annual Reports and Workshop Q4 2022
Deadline to Request Evidentiary Hearing for Track 1, Phase 1 issues November 30, 2022
Proposed Decision (Phase 1) Q1 2023
Track 1 (Phase 2: Distribution Planning Process Improvement)
Community Engagement Needs Assessment Report and Workshop Q1 2024
Data Portals Improvement Technical Report Q2 2024
Distribution Planning Process Improvement Workshop Q2 2024
Deadline to request Evidentiary Hearing for Track 1, Phase 2 Issues July 31, 2024
DPP Guidelines Staff Proposal and Workshop Q3 2024
Proposed Decision (Phase 2) Q1 2025
Track 2: Distribution System Operator Roles and Responsibilities
White Paper and Workshop Q1 2022
Future Grid/Distribution System Operator Workshop Series Q2 and Q3 2022
Deadline to request Evidentiary Hearing for Track 2 issues April 30, 2023
Future Grid/Distribution System Operator Roles and Responsibilities Technical Report and En Banc Q3 2023
Proposed Decision Q4 2023
Track 3: Smarter Inverter Operationalization and Grid Modernization Planning (Phase 1: Smart Inverter Operationalization)
Smart Inverter Operationalization Working Group Workshop 1/25/2022
Smart Inverter Operationalization Working Group Q1 2022-Q1 2023
Deadline to request Evidentiary Heading for Track 3, Phase 1 issues January 31, 2023
Smart Inverter Operationalization Working Group Report Q1 2023
Smart Inverter Operationalization Staff Proposal and Workshop Q2 2023
Proposed Decision (Phase 1) Q3 2023
Track 3 (Phase 2: Grid Modernization Planning and Cost Recovery)
Deadline to request Evidentiary Hearing in Track 3, Phase 2 issues October 31, 2023
Grid Modernization Plan Improvement and General Rate Case Alignment Staff Proposal and Workshop Q1 2024
Proposed Decision (Phase 2) Q2 2024
Engagement Completed
R. 22-11-013: Order Instituting Rulemaking to Consider Distributed Energy Resource Program Cost-Effectiveness Issues, Data Access and Use, and Equipment Performance Standards

Proposed scope includes:

  • On November 23, 2022, the Commission issued an Order Instituting Rulemaking (OIR) to achieve consistency of cost effectiveness assessments, improve data access and use, and consider equipment performance standards for distributed energy resource (DER) customer programs. As a successor proceeding to Rulemaking (R.) 14-10-003, this rulemaking is the procedural framework for advancing the vision articulated in the customer programs track of the Commission’s DER Action Plan 2.0, which states:
  • “The DER Action Plan’s Customer Programs Track focuses on improving coordination, planning and developing consistent metrics across DER proceedings related to customer programs to maximize their contributions to [greenhouse gas (GHG)] reductions and other state energy goals. The goal is to enable all customers to effectively manage their energy usage in a manner that ensures equitable participation and distribution of benefits, alignment with evolving rate design and load flexibility, alignment with distribution planning objectives, and alignment with integrated resource planning objectives.”
  • A pre-hearing conference (PHC) was held on March 29, 2023, to address the issues of law and fact, determine the need for hearing, set the schedule for resolving the matter, and address other matters as necessary.

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Proceeding Schedule
Activity
Date
Track 1
Party Comments on Societal Cost Test and Air Quality Research Results April 28, 2023
Issuance of Staff Proposal on the 2024 ACC July 2023
Workshops on the Staff ACC Proposal August 2023
Proposed Decision for the Societal Cost Test, or Air Quality Research Results TBD
Discovery completed on the ACC Proposal 8 weeks after issuance of Staff Proposal
Opening Testimony served 12 weeks after issuance of Staff Proposal
Rebuttal Testimony served 15 weeks after issuance of Staff Proposal
List of Disputed and Stipulated Issues; Report of Meet and Confer January 9, 2024
Evidentiary hearing January 23-25 2024
Opening briefs February 21, 2024
Reply briefs [Track One submitted] March 13, 2024
Proposed Decision June 2024
Track 2
Ruling requesting party comments on formation, membership, and coordinator for Data Working Groups June 2023
Party comments in response to Ruling on the Formation of Data Working Groups, filed 2-3 weeks after the issuance of the Ruling
Ruling creating Data Working Groups and establishing roles and responsibilities of a facilitator for the Data Working Groups Q3 2023
Workshops for the Data Working Groups TBD
Recommendations from Data Working Groups, served Approximately 12 months after the first workshop is held
Ruling requesting Party Comments on the Recommendations from the Data Working Groups Within two weeks after Recommendations from the Data Working Groups are served
Workshops, if necessary, to discuss Recommendations from the Data Working Groups TBD
Party Comments on the Recommendations from the Data Working Group, filed (Track Two submitted) Three weeks after the conclusion of workshops
Proposed Decision(s) addressing recommendations from the Data Working Groups No later than 90 days after Party Comments on Data Working Group Recommendations are filed
Engagement Completed

Inactive Proceedings

View the proceedings LGSEC has engaged with in the past. The comments submitted for each are included. Click on the proceeding name to expand details. 
R.18-07-006 Assessing The Affordability of Utility Service
A. 22-09-002: Application for Sunnova Community Microgrid