Bear Valley Electric Service, Inc. Seeks Confidential Treatment of Solar Energy and Battery Storage Projects Records

Bear Valley Electric Service, Inc. (BVES) has submitted an application to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to acquire, own, and operate the Bear Valley Solar Energy and Battery Storage Projects. The CPUC has received a joint motion from BVES and the Public Advocates Office to seal portions of the evidentiary record containing confidential information.

Key Takeaways:

• The joint motion seeks to seal confidential testimony from BVES and the Public Advocates Office, including the confidential testimony served by BVES on June 4, 2024, and the confidential supplemental prepared testimony served by BVES on March 26, 2025.
• The motion argues that the information identified as confidential in the exhibits and appendices is protected under the CPUC's confidentiality rules, specifically Public Utilities Code Section 583 and General Order 66-D.
• The Settling Parties claim that the confidential information cannot be aggregated, redacted, summarized, or otherwise protected in a way that allows partial disclosure, and that it is not already public.
• The proposed order granting the joint motion would allow the confidential, unredacted versions of the testimony to remain under seal and only accessible to the CPUC and its staff.

Statistics:

• 4 exhibits and 10 appendices are identified as confidential and seek to be sealed.
• The confidential information includes data listed in the Commission's matrix (Matrix) governing the confidentiality of energy procurement data submitted by investor-owned utilities.
• The information is protected under the Matrix or otherwise entitled to confidential protection by the Commission.

Sources:

• Decision 06-06-066
• Public Utilities Code Section 583
• General Order 66-D
• Public Utilities Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure, Rule 1.8(d)
• Joint Motion to Admit Evidence into Record, Application 24-05-020 (File Date: May 17, 2024)