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Public utilities

California Public Utilities Commission Issues Regulatory Update on Energy Efficiency Portfolios

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has issued a regulatory update regarding the oversight of energy efficiency portfolios, policies, programs, and evaluation. The joint portfolio administrators, Marin Clean Energy and the Association of Bay Area Governments for the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN), submitted reply comments on the proposed decision adopting energy efficiency goals for 2026-2037. The administrators requested a 30-day extension for all program administrators to submit their True-Up and Mid-Cycle Advice Letter (MCAL) filings following the adoption of the decision.

Key Takeaways:

  • The joint portfolio administrators requested a 30-day extension for all program administrators to submit their MCAL filings, citing the impact of the 2025 Potential and Goals Study on the accuracy of MCAL submissions.
  • The administrators proposed a compromise that would grant all program administrators a 30-day extension, with the exception of utility administrators who would receive a 60-day extension.
  • The Commission should judiciously use its administrative review resources and only review accurate MCAL submissions to avoid wasting resources on premature submissions that will be significantly impacted by the 2025 P&G Study.
  • The administrators acknowledged Pacific Gas & Electric's concern that utility PAs need sufficient time to update their total budget cost recovery requests to incorporate the final budgets requests of other non-utility PAs operating within their service area.
  • The administrators proposed that the Commission extend the 60-day extension recently granted to San Diego Gas & Electric and SoCalGas to all utility PAs, while simultaneously granting a 30-day extension to all non-utility PAs.

Statistics:

  • 30-day extension requested for all program administrators to submit their MCAL filings.
  • 60-day extension proposed for utility administrators to update their total budget cost recovery requests.
  • 4 program administrators jointly requested a 30-day extension for all MCAs: Marin Clean Energy, BayREN, the County of Ventura on behalf of the Tri-County Regional Energy Authority, and San Diego Community Power.
  • 2 utilities (San Diego Gas & Electric and SoCalGas) received a 60-day extension for their MCAL filings on July 28, 2025, which was granted by the Commission on August 14, 2025.

Sources:

  • BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA Order Instituting Rulemaking for Oversight of Energy Efficiency Portfolios, Policies, Programs, and Evaluation. Rulemaking 25-04-010 (Filed April 24, 2025)
  • REPLY COMMENTS OF JOINT PORTFOLIO ADMINISTRATORS ON PROPOSED DECISION ADOPTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY GOALS FOR 2026-2037
  • Proposed Decision R.25-04-010 (07/25/2025)

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