California Public Utilities Commission
The California Public Utilities Commission is one of the most active regulatory agencies in the nation overseeing electricity, natural gas, transportation and other utility services.
As the regulatory scheme in California evolves and becomes increasingly more complex, Best Best & Krieger LLP (BBK) attorneys keep clients current on developments and advocate proactively before the Commission.
A Reputation for Excellence
As a leading law firm with decades of experience advising public and private sector clients on utilities regulation matters, BBK has an established reputation for excellence and goodwill both in the industry and with the CPUC. We have unique relationships with agency staff and are able to navigate the CPUC’s complex procedural environment while providing strategic solutions for clients.
BBK attorneys have a deep understanding of utilities and administrative law combined with cutting-edge experience in regulatory policy and technical matters. We understand the interplay between government regulation and innovation and its implications for local governments and companies.
Comprehensive Services
We regularly represent local governments, community choice aggregators, developers, and other ratepayers and stakeholders before the CPUC on water, electricity, natural gas, renewable energy and telecommunications matters. Our comprehensive legal services include:
- Advising and advocating on utility regulation, rates, services, and operations
- Representing clients with interests in investor-owned utility proceedings
- Representing clients in CPUC proceedings, including rate setting, formal complaints, investigations, rulemaking, and policy matters
- Ensuring Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and Renewables Portfolio Standard and Resource Adequacy compliance
- Coordinating with CPUC’s consumer advocate divisions
- Organizing joint participation in proceedings with other stakeholders to increase the likelihood of a successful outcome while sharing costs
- Reporting on legal developments and industry trends
- Representing clients in utility relocations, including undergrounding actions
- Assisting with resource planning, transmission issues, climate change matters, and energy efficiency
Notably, we advocate before the CPUC, litigate and deliberate policy and regulatory matters before administrative law judges, and resolve disputes through mediation, arbitration, negotiated settlement, and informal meetings with agency staff.
- Represented community choice aggregators in key energy proceedings, including RPS, Resource Adequacy, IOU rate case, and energy resource recovery account proceedings.
- Intervened on behalf of city clients in rate cases, saving ratepayers millions of dollars by limiting rate increases and unnecessary capital expenditures.
- Successfully litigated appeals of CPUC penalties.
- Advised on IOU tariffs and pipeline corporation regulations.
- Advocated for clients to resolve right-of-way issues related to transmission and distribution projects.
- Represent developers in IOU complaint proceedings.
- Advocated for a large county in proceedings examining the shut-down of the largest natural gas storage field in the U.S.
- Secured millions of dollars in refunds to ratepayers by forcing audits of a water utility.
- Saved ratepayers millions by initiating and creating developer fee programs to provide capital facilities.
- Represented a coalition of water districts and the San Diego County Superintendent of Schools and successfully defeated a controversial SDG&E shut-off plan.
- Intervened on behalf of a joint power authority to obtain rate changes to protect ratepayers from excessive air-conditioning charges.
