filings.toolsItem 1. BUSINESS
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Item 1. BUSINESS
PG&E Corporation, incorporated in California in 1995, is a holding company whose primary operating subsidiary is Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a public utility operating in northern and central California. The Utility was incorporated in California in 1905. PG&E Corporation became the holding company of the Utility and its subsidiaries in 1997. The Utility generates revenues mainly through the sale and delivery of electricity and natural gas to customers. PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s operating revenues, income, and total assets can be found below in Item 6. Selected Financial Data.
The principal executive offices of PG&E Corporation and the Utility are located at 77 Beale Street, P.O. Box 770000, San Francisco, California 94177. PG&E Corporation’s telephone number is (415) 973-1000 and the Utility’s telephone number is (415) 973-7000.
At December 31, 2017, PG&E Corporation and the Utility had approximately 23,000 regular employees, approximately 20 of which were employees of PG&E Corporation. Of the Utility’s regular employees, approximately 15,000 are covered by collective bargaining agreements with the local chapters of three labor unions: the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; the Engineers and Scientists of California; and the Service Employees International Union. The collective bargaining agreements currently in effect will expire on December 31, 2019.
This is a combined Annual Report on Form 10-K for PG&E Corporation and the Utility. PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and proxy statements, are available free of charge on both PG&E Corporation's website, www.pgecorp.com, and the Utility's website, www.pge.com, as promptly as practicable after they are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Additionally, PG&E Corporation and the Utility routinely provide links to the Utility’s principal regulatory proceedings before the CPUC and the FERC at http://investor.pgecorp.com, under the “Regulatory Filings” tab, so that such filings are available to investors upon filing with the relevant agency. It is possible that these regulatory filings or information included therein could be deemed to be material information. The information contained on this website is not part of this or any other report that PG&E Corporation or the Utility files with, or furnishes to, the SEC. PG&E Corporation and the Utility are providing the address to this website solely for the information of investors and do not intend the address to be an active link. PG&E Corporation and the Utility also routinely post or provide direct links to presentations, documents, and other information that may be of interest to investors at http://investor.pgecorp.com, under the “News & Events: Events & Presentations” tab, in order to publicly disseminate such information.
This 2017 Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that are necessarily subject to various risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of the significant risks that could affect the outcome of these forward-looking statements and PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s future financial condition and results of operations, see Item 1A. Risk Factors and the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” in Item 7. MD&A.
Regulatory and Enforcement Environment
The Utility's business is subject to the regulatory jurisdiction of various agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. At the state level, the Utility is regulated primarily by the CPUC. At the federal level, the Utility is subject to the jurisdiction of the FERC and the NRC. The Utility is also subject to the requirements of other federal, state and local regulatory agencies, including with respect to safety, the environment, and health. This section and the “Ratemaking Mechanisms” section below summarize some of the more significant laws, regulations, and regulatory proceedings affecting the Utility.
PG&E Corporation is a “public utility holding company” as defined under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 and is subject to regulatory oversight by the FERC. PG&E Corporation and its subsidiaries are exempt from all requirements of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 other than the obligation to provide access to their books and records to the FERC and the CPUC for ratemaking purposes.
The California Public Utilities Commission
The CPUC is a regulatory agency that regulates privately owned public utilities in California. The CPUC has jurisdiction over the rates and terms and conditions of service for the Utility's electric and natural gas distribution operations, electric generation, and natural gas transmission and storage services. The CPUC also has jurisdiction over the Utility's issuances of securities, dispositions of utility assets and facilities, energy purchases on behalf of the Utility's electric and natural gas retail customers, rates of return, rates of depreciation, oversight of nuclear decommissioning, and aspects of the siting of facilities used in providing electric and natural gas utility service.
The CPUC enforces state laws and regulations that set forth safety requirements pertaining to the design, construction, testing, operation, and maintenance of utility gas and electric facilities. The CPUC can impose penalties of up to $50,000 per day, per violation, for violations that occurred after January 1, 2012. (The statutory maximum penalty for violations that occurred before January 1, 2012 is $20,000 per violation.) The CPUC has wide discretion to determine the amount of penalties based on the totality of the circumstances, including such factors as the gravity of the violations; the type of harm caused by the violations and the number of persons affected; and the good faith of the entity charged in attempting to achieve compliance, after notification of a violation. The CPUC also is required to consider the appropriateness of the amount of the penalty to the size of the entity charged.
The CPUC has delegated authority to the SED to issue citations and impose penalties for violations identified through audits, investigations, or self-reports. Under the current gas and electric citation programs adopted by the CPUC in September 2016, the SED has discretion whether to issue a penalty for each violation, but if it assesses a penalty for a violation, it is required to impose the maximum statutory penalty of $50,000, with an administrative limit of $8 million per citation issued. The SED may, at its discretion, impose penalties on a daily basis, or on less than a daily basis, for violations that continued for more than one day. The SED has the discretion to either address each violation in a distinct citation or to include multiple violations in a single citation regardless of whether the violations occurred in the same incident or are of a similar nature. Penalty payments for citations issued pursuant to the gas and electric safety citation programs are the responsibility of shareholders of an issuer and must not be recovered in rates or otherwise directly or indirectly charged to customers.
The California State Legislature also directs the CPUC to implement state laws and policies, such as the laws relating to increasing renewable energy resources, the development and widespread deployment of distributed generation and self-generation resources, the reduction of GHG emissions, the establishment of energy storage procurement targets, and the development of a state-wide electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The CPUC is responsible for approving funding and administration of state-mandated public purpose programs such as energy efficiency and other customer programs. The CPUC also conducts audits and reviews of the Utility’s accounting, performance, and compliance with regulatory guidelines.
The CPUC has imposed various conditions that govern the relationship between the Utility and PG&E Corporation and other affiliates, including financial conditions that require PG&E Corporation’s Board of Directors to give first priority to the capital requirements of the Utility, as determined to be necessary and prudent to meet the Utility's obligation to serve or to operate the Utility in a prudent and efficient manner. (For more information, see “Liquidity and Financial Resources” in Item 7. MD&A and Item 1A. Risk Factors.)
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the California Independent System Operator
The FERC has jurisdiction over the Utility's electric transmission revenue requirements and rates, the licensing of substantially all of the Utility's hydroelectric generation facilities, and the interstate sale and transportation of natural gas. The FERC regulates the interconnections of the Utility’s transmission systems with other electric system and generation facilities, the tariffs and conditions of service of regional transmission organizations and the terms and rates of wholesale electricity sales. The FERC also is charged with adopting and enforcing mandatory standards governing the reliability of the nation’s electric transmission grid, including standards to protect the nation’s bulk power system against potential disruptions from cyber and physical security breaches. The FERC has authority to impose fines of up to $1 million per day for violations of certain federal statutes and regulations.
The CAISO is the FERC-approved regional transmission organization for the Utility’s service territory. The CAISO controls the operation of the electric transmission system in California and provides open access transmission service on a non-discriminatory basis. The CAISO also is responsible for planning transmission system additions, ensuring the maintenance of adequate reserves of generating capacity, and ensuring that the reliability of the transmission system is maintained.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The NRC oversees the licensing, construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear facilities, including the Utility’s two nuclear generating units at Diablo Canyon and the Utility’s retired nuclear generating unit at Humboldt Bay. (See “Electricity Resources” below.) NRC regulations require extensive monitoring and review of the safety, radiological, seismic, environmental, and security aspects of these facilities. In the event of non-compliance, the NRC has the authority to impose fines or to force a shutdown of a nuclear plant, or both. NRC safety and security requirements have, in the past, necessitated substantial capital expenditures at Diablo Canyon, and substantial capital expenditures could be required in the future. (For more information about Diablo Canyon, see “Regulatory Matters – Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant” in Item 7. MD&A and Item 1A. Risk Factors below.)
Third-party monitor
On April 12, 2017, the Utility retained a third-party monitor at the Utility’s expense as part of its compliance with the sentencing terms of the Utility’s January 27, 2017 federal criminal conviction, which sentenced the Utility to, among other things, a five-year corporate probation period and oversight by a third-party monitor for a period of five years, with the ability to apply for early termination after three years. The goal of the monitor is to help ensure that the Utility takes reasonable and appropriate steps to maintain the safety of its gas and electric operations and maintains effective ethics, compliance, and safety related incentive programs on a Utility-wide basis. (For additional information see Item 1A. Risk Factors.)
Other Regulators
The CEC is the state's primary energy policy and planning agency. The CEC is responsible for licensing all thermal power plants over 50 MW within California. The CEC also is responsible for forecasts of future energy needs used by the CPUC in determining the adequacy of the utilities' electricity procurement plans and for adopting building and appliance energy efficiency requirements.
The CARB is the state agency responsible for setting and monitoring GHG and other emission limits. The CARB is also responsible for adopting and enforcing regulations to implement state law requirements to gradually reduce GHG emissions in California. (See “Environmental Regulation - Air Quality and Climate Change” below.)
In addition, the Utility obtains permits, authorizations, and licenses in connection with the construction and operation of the Utility's generation facilities, electricity transmission lines, natural gas transportation pipelines, and gas compressor station facilities. The Utility also periodically obtains permits, authorizations, and licenses in connection with distribution of electricity and natural gas that grant the Utility rights to occupy and/or use public property for the operation of the Utility's business and to conduct certain related operations. The Utility has franchise agreements with approximately 300 cities and counties that permit the Utility to install, operate, and maintain the Utility's electric and natural gas facilities in the public streets and highways. In exchange for the right to use public streets and highways, the Utility pays annual fees to the cities and counties. In most cases, the Utility’s franchise agreements are for an indeterminate term, with no expiration date. (For additional information see Item 1A. Risk Factors.)
Ratemaking Mechanisms
The Utility’s rates for electric and natural gas utility services are set at levels that are intended to allow the Utility to recover its costs of providing service and a return on invested capital (“cost-of-service ratemaking”). Before setting rates, the CPUC and the FERC conduct proceedings to determine the annual amount that the Utility will be authorized to collect from its customers (“revenue requirements”). The Utility’s revenue requirements consist primarily of a base amount set to enable the Utility to recover its reasonable operating expenses (e.g., maintenance, administration and general expenses) and capital costs (e.g., depreciation, tax, and financing expenses). In addition, the CPUC authorizes the Utility to collect revenues to recover costs that the Utility is allowed to “pass-through” to customers (referred to as “Utility Revenues and Costs that did not Impact Earnings” in Item 7. MD&A), including its costs to procure electricity, natural gas and nuclear fuel, to administer public purpose and customer programs, and to decommission its nuclear facilities.
The Utility’s rate of return on electric transmission assets is determined in the FERC TO proceedings. Similarly, the authorized rate of return on all other Utility assets is set in the CPUC’s cost of capital proceeding. Other than its electric transmission and certain gas transmission and storage revenues, the Utility’s base revenues are “decoupled” from its sales volume. Regulatory balancing accounts, or revenue adjustment mechanisms, are designed to allow the Utility to fully collect its authorized base revenue requirements. As a result, the Utility’s base revenues are not impacted by fluctuations in sales resulting from rate changes or usage. The Utility’s earnings primarily depend on its ability to manage its base operating and capital costs (referred to as “Utility Revenues and Costs that Impacted Earnings” in Item 7. MD&A) within its authorized base revenue requirements.
Due to the seasonal nature of the Utility’s business and rate design, customer electric bills are generally higher during summer months (May – October) because of higher demand, driven by air conditioning loads. Customer bills related to gas service generally increase during the winter months (November – March) to account for the gas peak due to heating.
During 2017, the CPUC continued to implement state law requirements to reform residential electric rates to more closely reflect the utilities’ actual costs of service, reduce cross-subsidization among customer rate classes, implement new rules for net energy metering (which currently allow certain self-generating customers to receive bill credits for surplus power at the full retail rate), and allow customers to have greater control over their energy use. (See “Regulatory Matters” in Item 7. MD&A for more information on specific CPUC proceedings.)
From time to time, the CPUC may use incentive ratemaking mechanisms that provide the Utility an opportunity to earn some additional revenues. For example, the Utility has earned incentives for the successful implementation of energy efficiency programs. (See “Regulatory Matters – 2015 – 2016 Energy Efficiency Incentives Awards” in Item 7. MD&A.)
Base Revenues
General Rate Cases
The GRC is the primary proceeding in which the CPUC determines the amount of base revenue requirements that the Utility is authorized to collect from customers to recover the Utility’s anticipated costs, including return on rate base, related to its electric distribution, natural gas distribution, and Utility-owned electric generation operations. The CPUC generally conducts a GRC every three or four years. The CPUC approves the annual revenue requirements for the first year (or “test year”) of the GRC period and typically authorizes the Utility to receive annual increases in revenue requirements for the subsequent years of the GRC period (known as “attrition years”). Attrition year rate adjustments are generally provided for cost increases related to increases in invested capital and inflation. Parties in the Utility's GRC include the ORA and TURN, who generally represent the overall interests of residential customers, as well as a myriad of other intervenors who represent other business, community, customer, environmental, and union interests. The Utility plans to file the 2020 GRC in the third quarter of 2018. In December 2014, the CPUC established two new procedures concerning safety-related activities, the Safety Model Assessment Proceeding and the RAMP, preceding a utility’s GRC. The purpose of the Safety Model Assessment Proceeding is to undertake a comprehensive analysis of each utility’s risk-based decision making approach. The RAMP submittal includes a utility’s prioritization of the risks it is facing, and a prioritization of risk mitigation alternatives, as well as a risk mitigation plan. The Utility filed its first RAMP submittal with the CPUC on November 30, 2017.
(For more information about the Utility’s GRC, see “Regulatory Matters −2017 General Rate Case” and “Regulatory Matters −2020 General Rate Case” in Item 7. MD&A.)
Natural Gas Transmission and Storage Rate Cases
The CPUC determines the Utility’s authorized revenue requirements and rates for its natural gas transmission and storage services in the GT&S rate case. The CPUC generally conducts a GT&S rate case every three or four years. Similar to the GRC, the CPUC approves the annual revenue requirements for the first year (or “test year”) of the GT&S rate case period and typically determines annual increases in revenue requirements for attrition years of the GT&S rate case period. Parties in the Utility's GT&S rate case include the ORA and TURN, who generally represent the overall interests of residential customers, as well as other intervenors who represent other business, community, customer, environmental, and union interests. The Utility filed the 2019 GT&S rate case application on November 17, 2017. (For more information, see “Regulatory Matters – 2015 Gas Transmission and Storage Rate Case” and “Regulatory Matters – 2019 Gas Transmission and Storage Rate Case” in Item 7. MD&A.)
Cost of Capital Proceedings
The CPUC periodically conducts a cost of capital proceeding to authorize the Utility's capital structure and rates of return for its electric generation, electric and natural gas distribution, and natural gas transmission and storage rate base. The CPUC has authorized the Utility’s capital structure through 2019, consisting of 52% common equity, 47% long-term debt, and 1% preferred stock. The CPUC also set the authorized ROE through 2017 at 10.40% and 10.25% beginning on January 1, 2018 and reset the cost of debt to 4.89%. The CPUC adopted an adjustment mechanism to allow the Utility’s capital structure and ROE to be adjusted if the utility bond index changes by certain thresholds on an annual basis.
(For more information, see “Regulatory Matters – CPUC Cost of Capital” in Item 7. MD&A.)
Electricity Transmission Owner Rate Cases
The FERC determines the amount of authorized revenue requirements, including the rate of return on electric transmission assets, that the Utility may collect in rates in the TO rate case. The Utility has historically filed a TO rate case every year. The FERC typically authorizes the Utility to charge new rates based on the requested revenue requirement, subject to refund, before the FERC has issued a final decision. These FERC-approved rates are included by the CPUC in the Utility's retail electric rates and by the CAISO in its Transmission Access Charges to wholesale customers. (For more information, see “Regulatory Matters –Transmission Owner Rate Cases” in Item 7. MD&A.) The Utility also recovers a portion of its revenue requirements for its wholesale electric transmission costs through charges collected under specific contracts with wholesale transmission customers that the Utility entered into before the CAISO began its operations. These wholesale customers are charged individualized rates based on the terms of their contracts.
Revenues to Recover Energy Procurement and Other Pass-Through Costs
Electricity Procurement Costs
California investor-owned electric utilities are responsible for procuring electrical capacity required to meet bundled customer demand, plus applicable reserve margins, that are not satisfied from their own generation facilities and existing electric contracts. The utilities are responsible for scheduling and bidding electric generation resources, including certain electricity procured from third parties into the wholesale market, to meet customer demand according to which resources are the least expensive (i.e., using the principles of “least-cost dispatch”). In addition, the utilities are required to obtain CPUC approval of their bundled customer procurement plans based on long-term demand forecasts. In October 2015, the CPUC approved the Utility’s most recent bundled customer procurement plan. It was revised since its initial approval and will remain in effect as revised until superseded by a subsequent CPUC-approved plan.
California law allows electric utilities to recover the costs incurred in compliance with their CPUC-approved bundled customer procurement plans without further after-the-fact reasonableness review by the CPUC. The CPUC may disallow costs associated with electricity purchases if the costs were not incurred in compliance with the CPUC-approved plan or if the CPUC determines that the utility failed to follow the principles of least-cost dispatch. Additionally, the CPUC may disallow the cost of replacement power procured due to unplanned outages at Utility-owned generation facilities.
The Utility recovers its electric procurement costs annually primarily through the energy resource recovery account. (See Note 3 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.) Each year, the CPUC reviews the Utility’s forecasted procurement costs related to power purchase agreements, derivative instruments, GHG emissions costs, and generation fuel expense, and approves a forecasted revenue requirement. The CPUC may adjust the Utility’s retail electric rates more frequently if the forecasted aggregate over-collections or under-collections in the energy resource recovery account exceed 5% of its prior year electric procurement and Utility-owned generation revenues. The CPUC performs an annual compliance review of the transactions recorded in the energy resource recovery account.
The CPUC has approved various power purchase agreements that the Utility has entered into with third parties in accordance with the Utility’s CPUC-approved procurement plan, to meet mandatory renewable energy targets, and to comply with resource adequacy requirements. (For more information, see “Electric Utility Operations – Electricity Resources” below as well as Note 13 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.)
Natural Gas Procurement, Storage, and Transportation Costs
The Utility recovers the cost of gas used in generation facilities as a cost of electricity that is recovered annually through retail electric rates.
The Utility sets the natural gas procurement rate for small commercial and residential customers (referred to as “core” customers) monthly, based on the forecasted costs of natural gas, core pipeline capacity and storage costs. The Utility recovers the cost of gas purchased on behalf of core customers as well as the cost of derivative instruments for its core gas portfolio, through its retail gas rates, subject to limits as set forth in its core procurement incentive mechanism described below. The Utility reflects the difference between actual natural gas purchase costs and forecasted natural gas purchase costs in several natural gas balancing accounts, with under-collections and over-collections taken into account in subsequent monthly rate changes.
The core procurement incentive mechanism protects the Utility against after-the-fact reasonableness reviews of its gas procurement costs for its core gas portfolio. Under the core procurement incentive mechanism, the Utility’s natural gas purchase costs for a fixed 12-month period are compared to an aggregate market-based benchmark based on a weighted average of published monthly and daily natural gas price indices at the points where the Utility typically purchases natural gas. Costs that fall within a tolerance band, which is 99% to 102% of the commodity benchmark, are considered reasonable and are fully recovered in customers’ rates. One-half of the costs above 102% of the benchmark are recoverable in customers’ rates, and the Utility's customers receive in their rates 80% of any savings resulting from the Utility’s cost of natural gas that is less than 99% of the benchmark. The Utility retains the remaining amount of these savings as incentive revenues, subject to a cap equal to 1.5% of total natural gas commodity costs. While this mechanism remains in place, changes in the price of natural gas, consistent with the market-based benchmark, are not expected to materially impact net income.
The Utility incurs transportation costs under various agreements with interstate and Canadian third-party transportation service providers. These providers transport natural gas from the points at which the Utility takes delivery of natural gas (typically in Canada, the U.S. Rocky Mountains, and the southwestern United States) to the points at which the Utility's natural gas transportation system begins. These agreements are governed by FERC-approved tariffs that detail rates, rules, and terms of service for the provision of natural gas transportation services to the Utility on interstate and Canadian pipelines. The FERC approves the United States tariffs that shippers, including the Utility, pay for pipeline service, and the applicable Canadian tariffs are approved by the National Energy Board, a Canadian regulatory agency. The transportation costs the Utility incurs under these agreements are recovered through CPUC-approved rates as core natural gas procurement costs or as a cost of electricity.
Costs Associated with Public Purpose and Customer Programs
The CPUC authorizes the Utility to recover the costs of various public purpose and other customer programs through the collection of rates from most Utility customers. These programs relate to energy efficiency, demand response, distributed generation, energy research and development, and other matters. Additionally, the CPUC has authorized the Utility to provide a discount rate for low-income customers, known as California Alternate Rates for Energy (“CARE”), which is subsidized by the Utility’s other customers.
Nuclear Decommissioning Costs
The Utility's nuclear power facilities consist of two units at Diablo Canyon and the retired facility at Humboldt Bay. Nuclear decommissioning requires the safe removal of nuclear facilities from service and the reduction of residual radioactivity to a level that permits termination of the NRC license and release of the property for unrestricted use. Nuclear decommissioning costs are collected in advance through rates and are held in nuclear decommissioning trusts to be used for the eventual decommissioning of each nuclear unit. The Utility files an application with the CPUC every three years requesting approval of the Utility’s updated estimated decommissioning costs and any rate change necessary to fully fund the nuclear decommissioning trusts to the levels needed to decommission the Utility’s nuclear plants.
On January 11, 2018, the CPUC approved the retirement of Diablo Canyon’s two nuclear power reactor units by 2024 and 2025. (For more information, see “Regulatory Matters” in Item 7. MD&A.)
Electric Utility Operations
The Utility generates electricity and provides electric transmission and distribution services throughout its service territory in northern and central California to residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers. The Utility provides “bundled” services (i.e., electricity, transmission and distribution services) to most customers in its service territory. Customers also can obtain electricity from alternative providers such as municipalities or CCAs, as well as from self-generation resources, such as rooftop solar installations.
The Utility has continued to invest in its vision for a future electric grid which will allow customers to choose new, advanced energy supply technologies and services to meet their needs consistent with safe, reliable and affordable electric service. In 2017, the Utility continued to work on the foundation for its program to deploy up to 7,500 charging stations. (For more information, see “Regulatory Matters” in Item 7. MD&A.)
Electricity Resources
The Utility is required to maintain generating capacity adequate to meet its customers’ demand for electricity (“load”), including peak demand and planning and operating reserves, deliverable to the locations and at times as may be necessary to provide reliable electric service. The Utility is required to dispatch, or schedule all of the electric resources within its portfolio in the most cost-effective way.
The following table shows the percentage of the Utility’s total deliveries of electricity to customers in 2017 represented by each major electric resource, and further discussed below.
Total 2017 Actual Electricity Generated and Procured – 61,397 GWh (1):
| Percent of Bundled Retail Sales | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owned Generation Facilities | ||||||||
| Nuclear | 27.4 | % | ||||||
| Large Hydroelectric | 15.1 | % | ||||||
| Fossil fuel-fired | 8.7 | % | ||||||
| Small Hydroelectric | 1.7 | % | ||||||
| Solar | 0.5 | % | ||||||
| Total | 53.4 | % | ||||||
| Qualifying Facilities | ||||||||
| Non-Renewable | 3.9 | % | ||||||
| Renewable | 1.9 | % | ||||||
| Total | 5.8 | % | ||||||
| Other Third-Party Purchase Agreements | ||||||||
| Renewable | 29.0 | % | ||||||
| Non-Renewable | 7.3 | % | ||||||
| Large Hydroelectric | 3.3 | % | ||||||
| Total | 39.6 | % | ||||||
| Others, Net (2) | 1.2 | % | ||||||
| Total (3) | 100 | % | ||||||
(1) This amount excludes electricity provided to direct access customers and CCAs who procure their own supplies of electricity.
(2) Mainly comprised of net CAISO open market purchases.
(3) Non-renewable sources, including nuclear, large hydroelectric, and fossil fuel-fired are offset by transmission and distribution related system losses.
Renewable Energy Resources
California law established an RPS that requires load-serving entities, such as the Utility, to gradually increase the amount of renewable energy they deliver to their customers. In October 2015, the California Governor signed SB 350, the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015 into law. SB 350 became effective January 1, 2016, and increases the amount of renewable energy that must be delivered by most load-serving entities, including the Utility, to their customers from 33% of their total annual retail sales by the end of the 2017-2020 compliance period, to 50% of their total annual retail sales by the end of the 2028- 2030 compliance period, and in each three-year compliance period thereafter, unless changed by legislative action. SB 350 provides compliance flexibility and waiver mechanisms, including increased flexibility to apply excess renewable energy procurement in one compliance period to future compliance periods. The Utility will incur additional costs to procure renewable energy to meet the new renewable energy targets, which the Utility expects will continue to be recoverable from customers as “pass-through” costs. The Utility also may be subject to penalties for failure to meet the higher targets. The CPUC is required to open a new rulemaking proceeding to adopt regulations to implement the higher renewable targets.
Renewable generation resources, for purposes of the RPS requirements, include bioenergy such as biogas and biomass, certain hydroelectric facilities (30 MW or less), wind, solar, and geothermal energy. During 2017, 33.1% of the Utility’s energy deliveries were from renewable energy sources, exceeding the annual RPS target of 27%. Approximately 29% of the renewable energy delivered to the Utility’s customers was purchased from non-QF third parties. Additional renewable resources were provided by QFs (1.9%), the Utility’s small hydroelectric facilities (1.7%), and the Utility’s solar facilities (0.5%).
The total 2017 renewable deliveries shown above were comprised of the following:
| Type | GWh | Percent of Bundled Retail Sales | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | 8,294 | 13.5 | % | |||||
| Wind | 5,047 | 8.2 | % | |||||
| Geothermal | 2,796 | 4.6 | % | |||||
| Biopower | 2,217 | 3.6 | % | |||||
| RPS-Eligible Hydroelectric | 1,943 | 3.2 | % | |||||
| Total | 20,297 | 33.1 | % |
Energy Storage
As required by California law, the CPUC has opened a proceeding to establish a multi-year energy storage procurement framework, including energy storage procurement targets to be achieved by each load-serving entity under the CPUC jurisdiction, including the Utility. Under the adopted energy storage procurement framework, the Utility is required to procure 580 MW of qualifying storage capacity by 2020, with all energy storage projects required to be operational by the end of 2024.
The CPUC also adopted biennial interim storage targets for the Utility, beginning in 2014 and ending in 2020. Under the adopted framework, the Utility is required to conduct biennial competitive request for offer to help meet its interim storage targets.
The Utility’s 2017 energy storage target is 120 MW, plus an additional amount to replace failed and rejected agreements for a total of approximately 160 MW. On November 30, 2016, the Utility issued its 2016 request for offer. On December 1, 2017, the Utility submitted contracts for 165 MW of energy storage projects for CPUC review. One of the projects is a 20 MW distribution deferral project that would be Utility-owned.
The Utility currently owns or operates three battery storage facilities, each less than 10 MW.
Owned Generation Facilities
At December 31, 2017, the Utility owned the following generation facilities, all located in California, listed by energy source and further described below:
| Generation Type | County Location | Number of Units | Net Operating Capacity (MW) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear (1): | ||||||
| Diablo Canyon | San Luis Obispo | 2 | 2,240 | |||
| Hydroelectric (2): | ||||||
| Conventional | 16 counties in northern and central California | 103 | 2,680 | |||
| Helms pumped storage | Fresno | 3 | 1,212 | |||
| Fossil fuel-fired: | ||||||
| Colusa Generating Station | Colusa | 1 | 657 | |||
| Gateway Generating Station | Contra Costa | 1 | 580 | |||
| Humboldt Bay Generating Station | Humboldt | 10 | 163 | |||
| Fuel Cell: | ||||||
| CSU East Bay Fuel Cell | Alameda | 1 | 1 | |||
| SF State Fuel Cell | San Francisco | 2 | 2 | |||
| Photovoltaic (3): | Various | 13 | 152 | |||
| Total | 136 | 7,687 | ||||
(1) The Utility's Diablo Canyon power plant consists of two nuclear power reactor units, Units 1 and 2. The NRC operating licenses expire in 2024 and 2025, respectively. On January 11, 2018, the CPUC approved the Utility’s application to retire Unit 1 by 2024 and Unit 2 by 2025. (See “Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant” in. Item 7. MD&A and Item 1A. Risk Factors.)
(2) The Utility’s hydroelectric system consists of 106 generating units at 66 powerhouses. All of the Utility’s powerhouses are licensed by the FERC (except for two small powerhouses not subject to FERC licensing requirements), with license terms between 30 and 50 years.
(3) The Utility’s large photovoltaic facilities are Cantua solar station (20 MW), Five Points solar station (15 MW), Gates solar station (20 MW), Giffen solar station (10 MW), Guernsey solar station (20 MW), Huron solar station (20 MW ), Stroud solar station (20 MW), West Gates solar station (10 MW), and Westside solar station (15 MW). All of these facilities are located in Fresno County, except for Guernsey solar station, which is located in Kings County.
Generation Resources from Third Parties.
The Utility has entered into various agreements to purchase power and electric capacity, including agreements for renewable energy resources, in accordance with its CPUC-approved procurement plan. (See “Ratemaking Mechanisms” above.) For more information regarding the Utility’s power purchase agreements, see Note 13 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.
Electricity Transmission
At December 31, 2017, the Utility owned approximately 19,200 circuit miles of interconnected transmission lines operating at voltages ranging from 60 kV to 500 kV. The Utility also operated 92 electric transmission substations with a capacity of approximately 64,700 MVA. The Utility’s electric transmission system is interconnected with electric power systems in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council, which includes many western states, Alberta and British Columbia, and parts of Mexico.
Decisions about expansions and maintenance of the transmission system can be influenced by decisions of our regulators. For example, in 2013, the Utility, MidAmerican Transmission, LLC, and Citizens Energy Corporation were selected by the CAISO to jointly develop a new 230-kV transmission line to address the growing power demand in the Fresno, Madera and Kings counties area. However, the 2022 in-service date for the 70-mile line was subsequently postponed by the CAISO, and the CAISO has placed the project on hold. The Utility has stopped all work on the project pending a decision from the CAISO that could defer or cancel the project. A decision by the CAISO is expected by March 2018. In addition, as a part of the CAISO's 2016-2017 planning efforts, the CAISO found that a number of lower-voltage transmission projects were no longer required and recommended cancelling or requiring further review in the 2017-2018 planning cycle.
Throughout 2017, the Utility upgraded several substations and re-conductored a number of transmission lines to improve maintenance and system flexibility, reliability and safety. The Utility expects to undertake various additional transmission projects over the next several years to upgrade and expand the capacity of its transmission system to secure access to renewable generation resources and replace aging or obsolete equipment and improve system reliability. The Utility also has taken steps to improve the physical security of its transmission substations and equipment.
Electricity Distribution
The Utility's electric distribution network consists of approximately 107,200 circuit miles of distribution lines (of which approximately 20% are underground and approximately 80% are overhead), 59 transmission switching substations, and 605 distribution substations, with a capacity of approximately 31,800 MVA. The Utility’s distribution network interconnects with its transmission system, primarily at switching and distribution substations, where equipment reduces the high-voltage transmission voltages to lower voltages, ranging from 44 kV to 2.4 kV, suitable for distribution to the Utility’s customers.
These distribution substations serve as the central hubs for the Utility’s electric distribution network. Emanating from each substation are primary and secondary distribution lines connected to local transformers and switching equipment that link distribution lines and provide delivery to end-users. In some cases, the Utility sells electricity from its distribution facilities to entities, such as municipal and other utilities, that resell the electricity. The Utility operates electric distribution control center facilities in Concord, Rocklin, and Fresno, California; these control centers form a key part of the Utility’s efforts to create a smarter, more resilient grid.
In 2017, the Utility continued to deploy its fault location, isolation, and service restoration circuit technology that involves the rapid operation of smart switches to reduce the duration of customer outages. Another 92 circuits were outfitted with this equipment, bringing the total deployment to 882 of the Utility’s 3,200 distribution circuits. The Utility plans to continue performing work to improve the reliability and safety of its electric distribution operations in 2018.
Electricity Operating Statistics
The following table shows certain of the Utility’s operating statistics from 2015 to 2017 for electricity sold or delivered, including the classification of revenues by type of service. No single customer of the Utility accounted for 10% or more of consolidated revenues for electricity sold in 2017, 2016 and 2015.
| 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customers (average for the year) | 5,384,525 | 5,349,691 | 5,311,178 | ||||||||
| Deliveries (in GWh) (1) | 82,226 | 83,017 | 85,860 | ||||||||
| Revenues (in millions): | |||||||||||
| Residential | $ | 5,693 | $ | 5,409 | $ | 5,032 | |||||
| Commercial | 5,431 | 5,396 | 5,278 | ||||||||
| Industrial | 1,603 | 1,525 | 1,555 | ||||||||
| Agricultural | 1,069 | 1,226 | 1,233 | ||||||||
| Public street and highway lighting | 79 | 80 | 83 | ||||||||
| Other (2) | (294) | (68) | (84) | ||||||||
| Subtotal | 13,581 | 13,568 | 13,097 | ||||||||
| Regulatory balancing accounts (3) | (344) | 297 | 560 | ||||||||
| Total operating revenues | $ | 13,237 | $ | 13,865 | $ | 13,657 | |||||
| Selected Statistics: | |||||||||||
| Average annual residential usage (kWh) | 6,231 | 6,115 | 6,294 | ||||||||
| Average billed revenues per kWh: | |||||||||||
| Residential | $ | 0.1936 | $ | 0.1887 | $ | 0.1719 | |||||
| Commercial | 0.1716 | 0.1716 | 0.1640 | ||||||||
| Industrial | 0.1055 | 0.0990 | 0.0973 | ||||||||
| Agricultural | 0.2041 | 0.1814 | 0.1610 | ||||||||
| Net plant investment per customer | $ | 7,486 | $ | 7,195 | $ | 6,660 | |||||
(1) These amounts include electricity provided to direct access customers and CCAs who procure their own supplies of electricity.
(2) This activity is primarily related to provisions for rate refunds and unbilled electric revenue, partially offset by other miscellaneous revenue items.
(3) These amounts represent revenues authorized to be billed.
Natural Gas Utility Operations
The Utility provides natural gas transportation services to “core” customers (i.e., small commercial and residential customers) and to “non-core” customers (i.e., industrial, large commercial, and natural gas-fired electric generation facilities) that are connected to the Utility’s gas system in its service territory. Core customers can purchase natural gas procurement service (i.e., natural gas supply) from either the Utility or non-utility third-party gas procurement service providers (referred to as core transport agents). When core customers purchase gas supply from a core transport agent, the Utility continues to provide gas delivery, metering and billing services to customers. When the Utility provides both transportation and procurement services, the Utility refers to the combined service as “bundled” natural gas service. Currently, more than 95% of core customers, representing approximately 80% of the annual core market demand, receive bundled natural gas service from the Utility.
The Utility generally does not provide procurement service to non-core customers, who must purchase their gas supplies from third-party suppliers, unless the customer is a natural gas-fired generation facility that the Utility has a power purchase agreement with that includes its generation fuel expense. The Utility offers backbone gas transmission, gas delivery (local transmission and distribution), and gas storage services as separate and distinct services to its non-core customers. Access to the Utility's backbone gas transmission system is available for all natural gas marketers and shippers, as well as non-core customers. The Utility also delivers gas to off-system customers (i.e., outside of the Utility’s service territory) and to third-party natural gas storage customers.
Natural Gas Supplies
The Utility can receive natural gas from all the major natural gas basins in western North America, including basins in western Canada, the Rocky Mountains, and the southwestern United States. The Utility can also receive natural gas from fields in California. The Utility purchases natural gas to serve its core customers directly from producers and marketers in both Canada and the United States. The contract lengths and natural gas sources of the Utility’s portfolio of natural gas purchase contracts have varied generally based on market conditions. During 2017, the Utility purchased approximately 291,100 MMcf of natural gas (net of the sale of excess supply of gas). Substantially all of this natural gas was purchased under contracts with a term of one year or less. The Utility’s largest individual supplier represented approximately 14% of the total natural gas volume the Utility purchased during 2017.
Natural Gas System Assets
The Utility owns and operates an integrated natural gas transmission, storage, and distribution system that includes most of northern and central California. At December 31, 2017, the Utility’s natural gas system consisted of approximately 42,800 miles of distribution pipelines, over 6,400 miles of backbone and local transmission pipelines, and various storage facilities. The Utility owns and operates eight natural gas compressor stations on its backbone transmission system and one small station on its local transmission system that are used to move gas through the Utility’s pipelines. The Utility’s backbone transmission system, composed primarily of Lines 300, 400, and 401, is used to transport gas from the Utility’s interconnection with interstate pipelines, other local distribution companies, and California gas fields to the Utility’s local transmission and distribution systems.
The Utility has firm transportation agreements for delivery of natural gas from western Canada to the United States-Canada border with TransCanada NOVA Gas Transmission, Ltd. interconnecting downstream with TransCanada Foothills Pipe Lines Ltd., B.C. System. The Foothills system interconnects at the border to the pipeline system owned by Gas Transmission Northwest, LLC, which provides natural gas transportation services to a point of interconnection with the Utility’s natural gas transportation system on the Oregon-California border near Malin, Oregon. The Utility also has firm transportation agreements with Ruby Pipeline, LLC to transport natural gas from the U.S. Rocky Mountains to the interconnection point with the Utility’s natural gas transportation system in the area of Malin, Oregon, at the California border. Similarly, the Utility has firm transportation agreements with Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC and El Paso Natural Gas Company to transport natural gas from supply points in the Southwestern United States to interconnection points with the Utility's natural gas transportation system in the area of California near Topock, Arizona. The Utility also has a transportation agreement with Kern River Gas Transmission Company to transport gas from the U.S. Rocky Mountains to the interconnection point with the Utility’s natural gas system in the area of Daggett, California. (For more information regarding the Utility’s natural gas transportation agreements, see Note 13 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.)
The Utility owns and operates three underground natural gas storage fields and has a 25% interest in a fourth storage field, all of which are connected to the Utility’s transmission system. The Utility owns and operates compressors and other facilities at these storage fields that are used to inject gas into the fields for storage and later withdrawal. In addition, four independent storage operators are interconnected to the Utility's northern California transmission system. Changes to gas storage safety requirements by DOGGR have led the Utility to develop and propose in its 2019 GT&S rate case application a natural gas storage strategy which includes the discontinuation (through closure or sale) of operations at two gas storage fields. (For more information, see “Regulatory Matters” in Item 7. MD&A.)
In 2017, the Utility continued upgrading transmission pipeline to allow for the use of in-line inspection tools and continued its work on the final NTSB recommendation from its San Bruno investigation to hydrostatically test all high consequence pipeline mileage. The Utility currently plans to complete this NTSB recommendation by 2022 for remaining short pipeline segments that include tie-in pieces, fittings or smaller diameter off-takes from the larger transmission pipelines.
Natural Gas Operating Statistics
The following table shows the Utility's operating statistics from 2015 through 2017 (excluding subsidiaries) for natural gas, including the classification of revenues by type of service. No single customer of the Utility accounted for 10% or more of consolidated revenues for bundled gas sales in 2017, 2016 and 2015.
| 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customers (average for the year) | 4,467,657 | 4,442,379 | 4,415,332 | ||||||||
| Gas purchased (MMcf) | 234,181 | 208,260 | 209,194 | ||||||||
| Average price of natural gas purchased | $ | 2.30 | $ | 1.83 | $ | 2.11 | |||||
| Bundled gas sales (MMcf): | |||||||||||
| Residential | 160,969 | 149,483 | 144,885 | ||||||||
| Commercial | 50,329 | 46,507 | 43,888 | ||||||||
| Total Bundled Gas Sales | 211,298 | 195,990 | 188,773 | ||||||||
| Revenues (in millions): | |||||||||||
| Bundled gas sales: | |||||||||||
| Residential | $ | 2,298 | $ | 1,968 | $ | 1,816 | |||||
| Commercial | 541 | 439 | 403 | ||||||||
| Other | (25) | 149 | 125 | ||||||||
| Bundled gas revenues | 2,814 | 2,556 | 2,344 | ||||||||
| Transportation service only revenue | 976 | 800 | 649 | ||||||||
| Subtotal | 3,790 | 3,356 | 2,993 | ||||||||
| Regulatory balancing accounts | 221 | 446 | 183 | ||||||||
| Total operating revenues | $ | 4,011 | $ | 3,802 | $ | 3,176 | |||||
| Selected Statistics: | |||||||||||
| Average annual residential usage (Mcf) | 38 | 36 | 35 | ||||||||
| Average billed bundled gas sales revenues per Mcf: | |||||||||||
| Residential | $ | 14.27 | $ | 13.10 | $ | 12.53 | |||||
| Commercial | 11.36 | 9.45 | 9.18 | ||||||||
| Net plant investment per customer | $ | 3,093 | $ | 2,808 | $ | 2,573 |
Competition
Competition in the Electricity Industry
California law allows qualifying non-residential electric customers of investor-owned electric utilities to purchase electricity from energy service providers rather than from the utilities up to certain annual and overall GWh limits that have been specified for each utility. This arrangement is known as “direct access.” In addition, California law permits cities, counties, and certain other public agencies that have qualified to become a CCA to generate and/or purchase electricity for their local residents and businesses. By law, a CCA can procure electricity for all of its residents and businesses that do not affirmatively elect to continue to receive electricity generated or procured by a utility.
The Utility continues to provide transmission, distribution, metering, and billing services to direct access customers, although these customers can choose to obtain metering and billing services from their energy service provider. The CCA customers continue to obtain transmission, distribution, metering, and billing services from the Utility. In addition to collecting charges for transmission, distribution, metering, and billing services that it provides, the Utility is able to collect charges intended to recover the generation-related costs that the Utility incurred on behalf of direct access and CCA customers while they were the Utility’s customers. The Utility remains the electricity provider of last resort for these customers.
The Utility is also impacted by the increasing viability of distributed generation and energy storage. The levels of self-generation of electricity by customers (primarily solar installations) and the use of customer net energy metering (“NEM”), which allows self-generating customers to receive bill credits at the full retail rate, are increasing. These factors result in a shift of cost responsibility for grid and related services to other customers of the Utility. For example, increasing levels of self-generation of electricity by customers (primarily solar installations) and the use of customer NEM, which allows self-generating customers to receive bill credits for surplus power at the full retail rate, puts upward rate pressure on remaining customers. New rules and rates became effective for new NEM customers of the Utility in December 2016. New NEM customers are required to pay an interconnection fee, comply with time of use rates, and are required to pay certain non-bypassable charges to help fund some of the costs of low income, energy efficiency, and other programs that other customers pay. Significantly higher bills for remaining customers may result in a decline of the number of such customers as they may seek alternative energy providers. The CPUC has indicated that it intends to revisit these rules in 2019.
Further, in some circumstances, governmental entities such as cities and irrigation districts, which have authority under the state constitution or state statute to provide retail electric service, may seek to acquire the Utility’s distribution facilities, generally through eminent domain. These same entities may, and sometimes do, construct duplicate distribution facilities to serve existing or new Utility customers.
The effect of such types of retail competition generally is to reduce the amount of electricity purchased by customers from the Utility.
The Utility also competes for the opportunity to develop and construct certain types of electric transmission facilities within, or interconnected to, its service territory through a competitive bidding process managed by the CAISO. The FERC's transmission planning requirements rules, effective in 2011, removed the incumbent public utility transmission owners' federally-based right of first refusal to construct certain new transmission facilities and mandated regional and interregional transmission planning. In 2014, the FERC approved the CAISO's process for regional planning and competitive solicitations and the CAISO's interregional planning process.
(For risks in connection with increasing competition, see Item 1A. Risk Factors.)
Competition in the Natural Gas Industry
The Utility competes with other natural gas pipeline companies for customers transporting natural gas into the southern California market on the basis of transportation rates, access to competitively priced supplies of natural gas, and the quality and reliability of transportation services. The Utility also competes for storage services with other third-party storage providers, primarily in northern California.
Environmental Regulation
The Utility’s operations are subject to extensive federal, state and local laws and requirements relating to the protection of the environment and the safety and health of the Utility's personnel and the public. These laws and requirements relate to a broad range of activities, including the remediation of hazardous and radioactive substances; the discharge of pollutants into the air, water, and soil; the reporting and reduction of CO2 and other GHG emissions; the transportation, handling, storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel; and the environmental impacts of land use, including endangered species and habitat protection. The penalties for violation of these laws and requirements can be severe and may include significant fines, damages, and criminal or civil sanctions. These laws and requirements also may require the Utility, under certain circumstances, to interrupt or curtail operations. (See Item 1A. Risk Factors.) Generally, the Utility recovers most of the costs of complying with environmental laws and regulations in the Utility's rates, subject to reasonableness review. Environmental costs associated with the clean-up of most sites that contain hazardous substances are subject to a ratemaking mechanism described in Note 13 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.
Hazardous Waste Compliance and Remediation
The Utility's facilities are subject to various regulations adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, including the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 as amended. The Utility is also subject to the regulations adopted by other federal agencies responsible for implementing federal environmental laws. The Utility also must comply with environmental laws and regulations adopted by the State of California and various state and local agencies. These federal and state laws impose strict liability for the release of a hazardous substance on the (1) owner or operator of the site where the release occurred, (2) on companies that disposed of, or arranged for the disposal of, the hazardous substances, and (3) in some cases, their corporate successors. Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, these persons (known as “potentially responsible parties”) may be jointly and severally liable for the costs of cleaning up the hazardous substances, monitoring and paying for the harm caused to natural resources, and paying for the costs of health studies.
The Utility has a comprehensive program in place to comply with these federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Under federal and California laws, the Utility may be responsible for remediation of hazardous substances even if it did not deposit those substances on the site. The Utility’s remediation activities are overseen by the California DTSC, several California regional water quality control boards, and various other federal, state, and local agencies. The Utility has incurred significant environmental remediation liabilities associated with former manufactured gas plant sites, power plant sites, gas gathering sites, sites where natural gas compressor stations are located, and sites used by the Utility for the storage, recycling, or disposal of potentially hazardous substances. Groundwater at the Utility’s Hinkley and Topock natural gas compressor stations contains hexavalent chromium as a result of the Utility’s past operating practices. The Utility is responsible for remediating this groundwater contamination and for abating the effects of the contamination on the environment.
For more information about environmental remediation liabilities, see Note 13 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.
Air Quality and Climate Change
The Utility's electric generation plants, natural gas pipeline operations, vehicle fleet, and fuel storage tanks are subject to numerous air pollution control laws, including the federal Clean Air Act, as well as state and local statutes. These laws and regulations cover, among other pollutants, those contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone, CO2, sulfur dioxide (SO2), mono-nitrogen oxide (NOx), particulate matter, and other GHG emissions.
Federal Regulation
At the federal level, the EPA is charged with implementation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act. Although there have been several legislative attempts to address climate change through imposition of nationwide regulatory limits on GHG emissions, comprehensive federal legislation has not yet been enacted. In the absence of federal legislative action, the EPA has used its existing authority under the Clean Air Act to address GHG emissions.
The federal administration of President Donald Trump has led to significant uncertainty with regard to what further actions may occur regarding climate change at the federal level. Upon taking office, President Trump issued an executive order to freeze all regulations issued in the 60 days preceding his inauguration and directed the EPA and the White House to remove climate change-related materials and web pages. In October 2017, the EPA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to formally repeal the Clean Power Plan regulations. The Trump administration is expected to take further action to substantially limit climate related regulatory and funding activities. In light of the policy reversal at the federal level, the State of California has indicated that it intends to continue and enhance its leadership on climate change nationally and globally.
State Regulation
California’s AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, provides for the gradual reduction of state-wide GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The CARB has approved various regulations to achieve the 2020 target, including GHG emissions reporting and a state-wide, comprehensive cap-and-trade program that sets gradually declining limits (or “caps”) on the amount of GHGs that may be emitted by major GHG emission sources within different sectors of the economy. The cap-and-trade program’s first compliance period, which began on January 1, 2013, applied to the electric generation and large industrial sectors. The next compliance period, which began on January 1, 2015, expanded to include the natural gas and transportation sectors, effectively covering all the economy’s major sectors until 2020. The Utility’s compliance obligation as a natural gas supplier applies to the GHG emissions attributable to the combustion of natural gas delivered to the Utility’s customers other than natural gas delivery customers that are separately regulated as covered entities and have their own compliance obligation. During each year of the program, the CARB issues emission allowances (i.e., the rights to emit GHGs) equal to the amount of GHG emissions allowed for that year. Emitters can obtain allowances from the CARB at quarterly auctions or from third parties or exchanges. Emitters may also satisfy a portion of their compliance obligation through the purchase of offset credits; e.g., credits for GHG reductions achieved by third parties (such as landowners, livestock owners, and farmers) that occur outside of the emitters’ facilities through CARB-qualified offset projects such as reforestation or biomass projects. SB 32 (2016) requires that CARB ensure a 40% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. In 2017, AB 398 extended the cap-and-trade program to 2030. The Utility expects all costs and revenues associated with the GHG cap-and-trade program to be passed through to customers. The California RPS program that requires the utilities to gradually increase the amount of renewable energy delivered to their customers is also expected to help reduce GHG emissions in California.
Climate Change Resilience Strategies
During 2017, the Utility continued its programs to mitigate the impact of the Utility’s operations (including customer energy usage) on the environment and to plan for the actions that it will need to take to increase its resilience in light of the likely impacts of climate change on the Utility’s operations. The Utility regularly reviews the most relevant scientific literature on climate change such as rising sea levels, major storm events, increasing temperatures and heatwaves, wildfires, drought and land subsidence, to help the Utility identify and evaluate climate change-related risks and develop the necessary resilience strategies. The Utility maintains emergency response plans and procedures to address a range of near-term risks, including wildfires, extreme storms, and heat waves and uses its risk-assessment process to prioritize infrastructure investments for longer-term risks associated with climate change. The Utility also engages with leaders from business, government, academia, and non-profit organizations to share information and plan for the future.
The Utility is working to better understand the current and future impacts of climate change. In 2017, the Utility filed its first RAMP submittal with the CPUC, which examined Utility safety risks. The Climate Resilience RAMP model indicated potential additional Utility safety consequences due to climate change, including in the near term. The Utility is conducting foundational work to help anticipate and plan for evolving conditions in terms of weather and climate-change related events. This work will guide efforts to design a Utility-wide climate change risk integration strategy. This strategy will inform resource planning and investment, operational decisions, and potential additional programs to identify and pursue mitigations that will incorporate the resilience and safety of the Utility’s assets, infrastructure, operations, employees, and customers.
With respect to electric operations, climate scientists project that, sometime in the next several decades, climate change will lead to increased electricity demand due to more extreme, persistent, and frequent hot weather. The Utility believes its strategies to reduce GHG emissions through energy efficiency and demand response programs, infrastructure improvements, and the use of renewable energy and energy storage are effective strategies for adapting to the expected changes in demand for electricity. The Utility is making substantial investments to build a more modern and resilient system that can better withstand extreme weather and related emergencies. Over the long-term, the Utility also faces the risk of higher flooding and inundation potential at coastal and low elevation facilities due to sea level rise combined with high tides, storm runoff and storm surges. As the state continues to face increased risk of wildfire, the Utility’s vegetation management activities will continue to play an important role to help reduce the risk of wildfire and its impact on electric and gas facilities.
Climate scientists predict that climate change will result in varying temperatures and levels of precipitation in the Utility’s service territory. This could, in turn, affect the Utility’s hydroelectric generation. To plan for this potential change, the Utility is engaging with state and local stakeholders and is also adopting strategies such as maintaining higher winter carryover reservoir storage levels, reducing discretionary reservoir water releases, and collaborating on research and new modeling tools.
With respect to natural gas operations, both safety-related pipeline strength testing and normal pipeline maintenance and operations release the GHG methane into the atmosphere. The Utility has taken steps to reduce the release of methane by implementing techniques including drafting and cross-compression, which reduce the pressure and volume of natural gas within pipelines prior to venting. In addition, the Utility continues to achieve reductions in methane emissions by implementing improvements in leak detection and repair, upgrades at metering and regulating stations, and maintenance and replacement of other pipeline materials.
Emissions Data
PG&E Corporation and the Utility track and report their annual environmental performance results across a broad spectrum of areas. The Utility reports its GHG emissions to the CARB and the EPA on a mandatory basis. On a voluntary basis, the Utility reports a more comprehensive emissions inventory to The Climate Registry, a non-profit organization. The Utility’s third-party verified voluntary GHG inventory reported to The Climate Registry for 2016, the most recent data available, totaled more than 50 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent, three-quarters of which came from customer natural gas use. The following table shows the 2016 GHG emissions data the Utility reported to the CARB under AB 32. PG&E Corporation and the Utility also publish additional GHG emissions data in their annual Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report.
| Source | Amount (metric tonnes CO2) | |
|---|---|---|
| Fossil Fuel-Fired Plants (1) | 2,261,032 | |
| Natural Gas Compressor Stations and Storage Facilities (2) | 295,851 | |
| Distribution Fugitive Natural Gas Emissions | 605,690 | |
| Customer Natural Gas Use (3) | 38,697,656 | |
(1) Includes nitrous oxide and methane emissions from the Utility’s generating stations.
(2) Includes emissions from compressor stations and storage facilities that are reportable to CARB.
(3) Includes emissions from the combustion of natural gas delivered to all entities on the Utility’s distribution system, with the exception of gas delivered to other natural gas local distribution companies.
The following table shows the Utility’s third-party-verified CO2 emissions rate associated with the electricity delivered to customers in 2016 as compared to the national average for electric utilities:
| Amount (pounds of CO2 per MWh) | ||
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Average (1) | 1,123 | |
| Pacific Gas and Electric Company (2) | 294 | |
(1) Source: EPA eGRID.
(2) Since the Utility purchases a portion of its electricity from the wholesale market, the Utility is not able to track some of its delivered electricity back to a specific generator. Therefore, there is some unavoidable uncertainty in the Utility’s emissions rate.
Air Emissions Data for Utility-Owned Generation
In addition to GHG emissions data provided above, the table below sets forth information about the air emissions from the Utility’s owned generation facilities. The Utility’s owned generation (primarily nuclear and hydroelectric facilities) comprised approximately one-half of the Utility’s delivered electricity in 2016. PG&E Corporation and the Utility also publish air emissions data in their annual Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report.
| 2016 | 2015 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total NOx Emissions (tons) | 141 | 160 | ||
| NOx Emissions Rate (pounds/MWh) | 0.01 | 0.01 | ||
| Total SO2 | 13 | 17 | ||
| SO2 | 0.001 | 0.001 |
Water Quality
In 2014, the EPA issued final regulations to implement the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act that require cooling water intake structures at electric power plants, such as the nuclear generation facilities at Diablo Canyon, to reflect the best technology available to minimize adverse environmental impacts. Various industry and environmental groups have challenged the federal regulations in proceedings pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. California’s once-through cooling policy discussed below is considered to be at least as stringent as the new federal regulations. Therefore, California’s implementation process for the state policy will likely continue without any significant change.
At the state level, in 2010, the California Water Board adopted a policy on once-through cooling that generally requires the installation of cooling towers or other significant measures to reduce the impact on marine life from existing power generation facilities in California by at least 85%. The policy also provided for an alternative compliance approach for nuclear plants if certain criteria were met. As required by the policy, the California Water Board appointed a committee to evaluate the feasibility and cost of using alternative technologies to achieve compliance at Diablo Canyon. The committee’s consultant submitted its final report to the California Water Board in September 2014. The report addressed feasibility, costs and timeframes to install alternative technologies at Diablo Canyon, such as cooling towers.
On June 20, 2016, the Utility entered into a joint proposal with certain parties to retire Diablo Canyon’s two nuclear power reactor units at the expiration of their current operating licenses in 2024 and 2025. As a result of the planned retirement, the California Water Board will no longer need to address alternative compliance measures for Diablo Canyon. As required under the policy, the Utility paid an annual interim mitigation fee beginning in 2017, which it will continue to pay until operations cease in 2025.
Additionally, the Utility expects that its decision to retire Diablo Canyon will affect the terms of a final settlement agreement between the Utility, the Central Coast Board and the California Attorney General’s Office regarding the thermal component of the plant’s once-through cooling discharge. (For more information, see “Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant” in Item 3. Legal Proceedings below.)
Nuclear Fuel Disposal
Under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, the DOE and electric utilities with commercial nuclear power plants were authorized to enter into contracts under which the DOE would be required to dispose of the utilities’ spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste by January 1998, in exchange for fees paid by the utilities’ customers. The DOE has been unable to meet its contractual obligation with the Utility to dispose of nuclear waste from the Utility’s two nuclear generating units at Diablo Canyon and the retired nuclear facility at Humboldt Bay. As a result, the Utility constructed interim dry cask storage facilities to store its spent fuel onsite at Diablo Canyon and at Humboldt Bay until the DOE fulfills its contractual obligation to take possession of the spent fuel. The Utility and other nuclear power plant owners sued the DOE to recover the costs that they incurred to construct interim storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel.
In September 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Utility executed a settlement agreement that awarded the Utility $266 million for spent fuel storage costs incurred through December 31, 2010. The settlement agreement also provided a claims process by which the Utility submits annual requests for reimbursement of its ongoing spent fuel storage costs. Through 2017, the Utility has been awarded an additional $114 million through these annual submissions, including $15 million for costs incurred between June 1, 2015 and May 31, 2016. The claim for the period June 1, 2016 through May 31, 2017, totaled approximately $29 million and is currently under review by the DOE. These proceeds are being refunded to customers through rates. A new settlement agreement, for costs through 2019 was executed in March 2017. Considerable uncertainty continues to exist regarding when and whether the DOE will meet its contractual obligation to the Utility and other nuclear power plant owners to dispose of spent fuel.
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