(a) An award made under this article shall be paid by the public utility that is the subject of the hearing, investigation, or proceeding, as determined by the commission, within 30 days. Notwithstanding any other law, an award paid by a public utility pursuant to this article shall be allowed by the commission as an expense for the purpose of establishing rates of the public utility by way of a dollar-for-dollar adjustment to rates imposed by the commission immediately on the determination of the amount of the award, so that the amount of the award shall be fully recovered within one year from the date of the award.

(b) Due to the bankruptcy of Sacramento Natural Gas Storage, the commission’s intervenor compensation award to the Avondale Glen Elder Neighborhood Association in A.07-04-013 has been reduced to a fraction of the amount awarded. In this limited circumstance, the commission may pay to the Avondale Glen Elder Neighborhood Association the difference between the amount received from the bankruptcy court and the amount awarded by the commission by increasing the fees collected in Section 401 for the limited purpose of D.13-11-018.

Terms Used In California Public Utilities Code 1807

  • Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
  • Commission: means the Public Utilities Commission created by §. See California Public Utilities Code 20
  • Compensation: means payment for all or part, as determined by the commission, of reasonable advocate's fees, reasonable expert witness fees, and other reasonable costs of preparation for and participation in a proceeding, and includes the fees and costs of obtaining an award under this article and of obtaining judicial review, if any. See California Public Utilities Code 1802
  • Proceeding: means an application, complaint, or investigation, rulemaking, alternative dispute resolution procedures in lieu of formal proceedings as may be sponsored or endorsed by the commission, or other formal proceeding before the commission. See California Public Utilities Code 1802

(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 35, Sec. 156.5. (SB 861) Effective June 20, 2014.)

  Previous section
Next section  
 Article 5 Contents