Energy: electrical and gas corporations: general rate cases.

Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to fix the rates and charges for public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, and requires the rates and charges to be just and reasonable. Existing law requires the commission, following the approval of a general rate case of an electrical corporation or gas corporation, to review which costs, if any, differed from the general rate case forecasts and to adjust the revenue requirements in the subsequent general rate case based on the actual past costs in the corporation records. This bill would require an electrical corporation or gas corporation, as a part of its general rate case, to provide to the commission certain information, including, among other things, the authorized and actual rate of return and return on equity for the past 10 years and projects related to the corporation's distribution capacity that include the forecast submitted in the prior general rate case of the corporation. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act, and because a violation of a commission action implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.