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.

This is a combined Annual Report on Form 10-K for PG&E Corporation and the Utility. Each of PG&E Corporation and the Utility is a separate entity, with distinct creditors and claimants, and is subject to separate laws, rules, and regulations.

At December 31, 2019, PG&E Corporation and the Utility had approximately 23,000 regular employees, approximately 12 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 (IBEW) Local 1245; the Engineers and Scientists of California (ESC) IFPTE 20; and the Service Employees International Union. The collective bargaining agreements currently in effect will expire on December 31, 2021. As part of the bankruptcy plan of reorganization, the IBEW Local 1245, and the Utility reached a tentative agreement to extend the current collective bargaining agreement that is set to expire on December 31, 2021 through December 31, 2025. The tentative agreement increases wages annually by 3.75% from 2022 through 2025 and maintains current contributions to specified benefits. The IBEW represents approximately 50% of the Utility’s employee workforce, and supports several areas of the Utility’s business, including gas and electric operations. The Utility plans to work with its other unions, the Engineers and Scientists of California, Local 20, and Service Employees International Union, Local 24/7 to negotiate potential contract extensions.

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. 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 “Chapter 11,” “Wildfire Updates” and “News & Events: Events & Presentations” tabs, respectively, in order to publicly disseminate such information. It is possible that any of these filings or information included therein could be deemed to be material information. The information contained on such websites are 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 such websites solely for the information of investors and do not intend the addresses to be an active link.

In 2019, 2018 and 2017, Northern California experienced major wildfires. For more information about the 2019 Kincade fire, the 2018 Camp fire and the 2017 Northern California wildfires, see Item 3. Legal Proceedings, Item 7. MD&A, and Note 14 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.

This 2019 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, results of operations, liquidity, and cash flows, see Item 1A. Risk Factors and the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” above.

Chapter 11 Proceedings

On January 29, 2019, PG&E Corporation and the Utility filed for Chapter 11 protection. For more information about the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings see Item 7. MD&A and Note 2 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.

PG&E Corporation and the Utility suffered material losses as a result of the 2017 Northern California wildfires and the 2018 Camp fire, which contributed to the decision to file for Chapter 11 protection. Management has concluded that these circumstances raise substantial doubt about PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s ability to continue as going concerns, and their independent registered public accountants have included an explanatory paragraph in their auditors’ report which states certain conditions exist which raise substantial doubt about PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s ability to continue as going concerns in relation to the foregoing. For more information about these matters, see Item 7. MD&A and Note 1 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.

Regulatory 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 exercised 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 $100,000 per day, 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 has the authority to impose the maximum statutory penalty of $100,000, 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 wildfires and wildfire cost recovery, 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. FERC approval is also required under Federal Power Act Section 203 before undertaking certain transactions, including most mergers and consolidations, certain transactions that result in a change in control of a utility, purchases of utility securities and dispositions of utility property. 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 is also responsible for planning transmission system additions, ensuring the maintenance of adequate reserves of generating capacity, ensuring that the reliability of the transmission system is maintained, and operating an interstate EIM.

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 Item 3. Legal Proceedings 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 third-party 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 more information see Item 1A. Risk Factors and in Note 15 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.)

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 more 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, 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 certain gas transmission and storage revenues, the Utility’s base revenues are “decoupled” from its sales volume through certain regulatory balancing accounts, or revenue adjustment mechanisms, that 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, for example, weather or economic conditions. 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.

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” in Item 7. MD&A for more information on specific CPUC proceedings.

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 PAO and TURN, which generally represent the overall interests of residential customers, as well as numerous intervenors that represent other business, community, customer, environmental, and union interests.

On January 16, 2020, the CPUC approved a final decision in its OIR to Develop a Risk-Based Decision-Making Framework to Evaluate Safety and Reliability Improvements and Revise the GRC Plan, as a result of which the Utility will combine its GRC and GT&S rate cases starting with the 2023 GRC and 2023 GT&S rate case. (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 PAO 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.

As previously mentioned, on January 16, 2020, the CPUC approved a final decision that requires the Utility to combine its GRC and GT&S rate cases starting with the 2023 GRC and 2023 GT&S rate case. (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. On December 19, 2019, the CPUC issued a final decision that authorizes the Utility’s capital structure through 2023, consisting of 52% common equity, 47.5% long-term debt, and 0.5% preferred stock. The CPUC also set the authorized ROE through 2023 at 10.25% and reset the cost of debt to 5.16%. The CPUC also authorized the continuation of an adjustment mechanism to allow the Utility’s cost of debt and ROE to be adjusted if the utility bond index changes by certain thresholds, which are reviewed annually. The CPUC has indicated it will determine in the OII to Consider PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s Proposed Plan of Reorganization if the Utility needs to submit a cost of capital application after it emerges from Chapter 11.

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. In 2018, the Utility filed a formula rate at FERC, which would be updated annually according to the formula. 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.

Memorandum Account Costs

Periodically, costs arise which could not be anticipated by the Utility during CPUC GRC rate requests or which are deliberately excluded therefrom. These costs may result from catastrophic events, changes in regulation, or extraordinary changes in operating practices. The Utility may seek authority to track incremental costs in a memorandum account and the CPUC may authorize recovery of costs tracked in memorandum accounts if the costs are deemed incremental and prudently incurred. These accounts allow the Utility to track the costs associated with work related to disaster and wildfire response, and other wildfire prevention-related costs. While the Utility believes such costs are recoverable, rate recovery requires CPUC authorization in separate proceedings or through a GRC. (For more information, see “Regulatory Matters - Wildfire Expense Memorandum Account,” “Regulatory Matters - Catastrophic Expense Memorandum Account,” and “Regulatory Matters - Fire Hazard Prevention Memorandum Account” in Item 7. MD&A.)

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 BPPs based on long-term demand forecasts. In October 2015, the CPUC approved the Utility’s most recent comprehensive BPP. It was revised since its initial approval and will remain in effect as revised until superseded by a subsequent CPUC-approved plan. On February 8, 2019, the CPUC approved the Utility’s filing that permitted the Utility to temporarily manage certain elements of its current BPP as a result of its financial condition, effective as of January 16, 2019. Additionally, on January 25, 2019, the Utility filed with the CPUC an update to its BPP to further refine how it manages certain elements of its procurement activity and provide detail of its sales framework. The updated BPP was effective upon CPUC approval on May 30, 2019.

California law allows electric utilities to recover the costs incurred in compliance with their CPUC-approved BPPs 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 balancing accounts. (See Note 4 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 15 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 discounted rates for specified types of customers, such as for low-income customers under the California Alternate Rates for Energy (“CARE”) program, which is paid for 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 generally 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.

For costs related to Asset Retirement Obligations see “Nuclear Decommissioning Obligation” in Note 3 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in item 8.

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 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. (For more information, see “Regulatory Matters” in Item 7. MD&A.)

Electricity Resources

The Utility is required to maintain 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 using least-cost dispatch**.**

The following table shows the percentage of the Utility’s total deliveries of electricity to customers in 2019 represented by each major electric resource, and further discussed below.

Total 2019 actual electricity generated and procured (net) - 35,956 GWh (1):

			Percent of Bundled Retail Sales (actual procurement)						Percent of Bundled Retail Sales (Power Content Label) (2)
Owned Generation Facilities
Nuclear			45.0		%				41.7		%
Small Hydroelectric			2.4		%				2.2		%
Large Hydroelectric			28.3		%				26.3		%
Fossil fuel-fired			17.6		%				—		%
Solar			0.8		%				0.7		%
Total			94.1		%				70.9		%
Qualifying Facilities
Renewable			0.6		%				0.6		%
Non-Renewable			6.4		%				—		%
Total			7.0		%				0.6		%
Irrigation Districts and Water Agencies
Small Hydroelectric			0.1		%				0.1		%
Large Hydroelectric			—		%				—		%
Total			0.1		%				0.1		%
Other Third-Party Purchase Agreements
Renewable			25.8		%				23.8		%
Large Hydroelectric			5.0		%				4.6		%
Non-Renewable			12.6		%				—		%
Total			43.4		%				28.4		%
Others, Net (2)(3)			(44.6)		%				—		%
Total			100.0		%				100.0		%

(1) This amount excludes electricity provided by direct access providers and CCAs that procure their own supplies of electricity for their respective customers.

(2) The allocation of bundled retail sale amounts and “Others, Net” in the “Power Content Label” column is consistent with current CEC guidelines, applied to specified electric generation and procurement volumes (i.e., fossil fuel-fired, nuclear, large hydroelectric, and renewable). Total reported generation and procurement volumes equate to actual electric retail sales.

(3) Amount is mainly comprised of net CAISO open market (sales)/purchases.

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. In September 2018, the California Governor signed SB 100 into law, increasing from 50% to 60% of California’s electricity portfolio that must come from renewables by 2030; and established state policy that 100 percent of all retail electricity sales must come from RPS-eligible or carbon-free resources by 2045. The Utility may 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. RPS requirements are based on actual procurement, which aligns with the methodology presented in the first column of the table above. Actual procurement from renewable energy sources was 29.7% in 2019. Per the Power Content Label methodology presented in the table above, 27.4% of the Utility’s energy deliveries were from renewable energy sources.

The total 2019 renewable deliveries shown above were comprised of the following:

Type						GWh						Percent of Bundled Retail Sales
Biopower						1,322						3.7		%
Geothermal						539						1.5		%
Wind						3,412						9.5		%
RPS-Eligible Hydroelectric						827						2.3		%
Solar						4,574						12.7		%
Total						10,674						29.7		%

Energy Storage

As required by California law, the CPUC established 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 the end of 2021, 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 submit biennial energy storage procurement plans to describe its strategy to meet its interim and total energy storage targets.

Through its procurements to date, the Utility has largely met its storage targets. The Utility expects to meet its remaining target through existing customer programs. This outcome may change in the future if projects under contract are terminated or if projects fail to be developed.

Owned Generation Facilities

At December 31, 2019, 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						102						2,679
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												135						7,686

(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 3. Legal Proceedings.)

(2) The Utility’s hydroelectric system consists of 105 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 15 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.

Electricity Transmission

At December 31, 2019, the Utility owned approximately 18,000 circuit miles of interconnected transmission lines operating at voltages ranging from 60 kV to 500 kV. The Utility also operated 33 electric transmission substations with a capacity of approximately 65,000 MVA. The Utility’s electric transmission system is interconnected with electric power systems in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council, which includes many western states, the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, and parts of Mexico.

Decisions about expansions and maintenance of the transmission system can be influenced by decisions of the Utility’s regulators and the CAISO.

Electricity Distribution

The Utility’s electric distribution network consists of approximately 107,000 circuit miles of distribution lines (of which, as of December 31, 2019, approximately 25% are underground and approximately 75% are overhead), 68 transmission switching substations, and 760 distribution substations, with a capacity of approximately 32,000 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.

Electricity Operating Statistics

The following table shows certain of the Utility’s operating statistics from 2017 to 2019 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 2019, 2018 or 2017.

			2019						2018						2017
Customers (average for the year)			5,457,101						5,428,318						5,384,525
Deliveries (in GWh) (1)			78,070						79,774						82,226
Revenues (in millions):
Residential			$	4,847					$	5,051					$	5,693
Commercial			4,756						4,908						5,431
Industrial			1,493						1,532						1,603
Agricultural			1,106						1,234						1,069
Public street and highway lighting			67						72						79
Other (2)			168						(720)						(294)
Subtotal			12,437						12,077						13,581
Regulatory balancing accounts (3)			303						636						(344)
Total operating revenues			$	12,740					$	12,713					$	13,237
Selected Statistics:
Average annual residential usage (kWh)			5,750						5,772						6,231
Average billed revenues per kWh:
Residential			$	0.1762					$	0.1838					$	0.1936
Commercial			0.1585						0.1627						0.1716
Industrial			0.1015						0.1010						0.1055
Agricultural			0.2172						0.1968						0.2041
Net plant investment per customer			$	8,375					$	7,950					$	7,486

(1) These amounts include electricity provided by direct access providers and CCAs that procure their own supplies of electricity for their respective customers.

(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 97% of core customers, representing approximately 82% 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 with which the Utility has a power purchase agreement 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 2019, the Utility purchased approximately 282,000 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 20% of the total natural gas volume the Utility purchased during 2019.

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, 2019, the Utility’s natural gas system consisted of approximately 43,300 miles of distribution pipelines, over 6,300 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 a firm transportation agreement with Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC 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. (For more information regarding the Utility’s natural gas transportation agreements, see Note 15 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. In 2019, the CPUC approved the discontinuation (through closure or sale) of operations at two gas storage fields. (For more information, see “Regulatory Matters - 2019 Gas Transmission and Storage Rate Case” in Item 7. MD&A.)

In 2019, 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 2017 through 2019 (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 2019, 2018 or 2017.

			2019						2018						2017
Customers (average for the year) (1)			4,518,209						4,495,279						4,467,657
Gas purchased (MMcf)			227,621						219,061						234,181
Average price of natural gas purchased			$	2.08					$	2.02					$	2.3
Bundled gas sales (MMcf):
Residential			162,876						156,917						160,969
Commercial			54,479						51,357						50,329
Total Bundled Gas Sales			217,355						208,274						211,298
Revenues (in millions):
Bundled gas sales:
Residential			$	2,325					$	2,042					$	2,298
Commercial			605						537						541
Other			123						75						(25)
Bundled gas revenues			3,053						2,654						2,814
Transportation service only revenue			1,249						1,151						976
Subtotal			4,302						3,805						3,790
Regulatory balancing accounts (2)			87						242						221
Total operating revenues			$	4,389					$	4,047					$	4,011
Selected Statistics:
Average annual residential usage (Mcf)			38						38						38
Average billed bundled gas sales revenues per Mcf:
Residential			$	13.88					$	12.67					$	14.27
Commercial			9.72						9.04						11.36
Net plant investment per customer			$	3,522					$	3,417					$	3,093

(1) These amounts include natural gas provided by core transport agents and CCAs that procure their own supplies of natural gas for their respective customers.

(2) These amounts represent revenues authorized to be billed.

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,” or DA. In 2018, the California legislature passed a bill to expand the statewide DA cap by 4,000 GWh, and directed the CPUC to consider whether DA should be further expanded, and to present a report on this matter to the legislature by June 30, 2020. 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. On June 3, 2019, the CPUC issued an order implementing the 4,000 GWh increase for DA transactions, including an apportionment to the Utility’s service area of approximately 1,873 GWh. The CPUC is currently conducting a study to inform its recommendations to the legislature on implementing a further direct transaction reopening schedule and plans to issue a proposed decision on these issues on May 22, 2020.

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. SB 520 (codified at Section 387 of the Public Utilities Code), which was signed by the governor and became law on October 2, 2019, allows for a request to transfer the responsibilities of the provider of last resort obligation from investor-owned utilities to other entities.

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 employing qualifying renewable resources to receive bill credits at the full retail rate, are increasing, putting upward rate pressure on remaining customers. New NEM customers are required to pay an interconnection fee, utilize 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 or adopt self-generation technologies. The CPUC has indicated that it intends to commence a new proceeding to revisit its rules related to NEM customers in 2020.

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, through eminent domain (although eminent domain is stayed while the Utility is in Chapter 11, unless the Bankruptcy Judge lifts the stay). In 2019, three entities communicated an interest in acquiring certain Utility assets through a voluntary sale during the bankruptcy. It is also possible that some of the governmental entities interested in acquiring the Utility’s assets will construct duplicate distribution facilities to serve existing or potential new Utility customers.

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 effect of such types of retail competition generally is to reduce the number of utility customers, leading to a reduction in the amount of electricity purchased from the Utility.

(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 15 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 (EPA), 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 15 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), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter, and other 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 generated significant uncertainty with regard to what further actions may occur regarding climate change at the federal level. In the absence of policy 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. In the subsequent compliance period, which began on January 1, 2015, the scope of the regulation was expanded to include the natural gas and transportation sectors, effectively covering all of the state economy’s major sectors through 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 large natural gas delivery customers that are separately regulated as covered entities and have their own compliance obligation. In 2017, AB 398 extended the program through January 1, 2031. 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. Entities with a compliance obligation can obtain allowances from the CARB at quarterly auctions or from third parties or exchanges. Complying entities 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 entities’ 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 through 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. In September 2018, SB 100 was signed into law, which accelerated the state’s 50% RPS target to December 31, 2026, increased the RPS target to 60% by December 31, 2030, and further amended the RPS statute to set a policy of meeting 100% of retail sales from eligible renewables and zero-carbon resources by December 31, 2045.

Climate Change Resilience Strategies

During 2019, 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 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 is guiding 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 projected sea level rise combined with high tides, storm runoff and storm surges. As the state continues to face increased risk of wildfires, the Utility’s activities, including vegetation management, 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 2018, which is the most recent data available, totaled about 47 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent, more than three-quarters of which came from customer natural gas use. The following table shows the 2018 GHG emissions data the Utility reported to the CARB under AB 32, which is the most recent data available. 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 equivalent)
Fossil Fuel-Fired Plants (1)			2,512,130
Natural Gas Compressor Stations and Storage Facilities (2)			299,256
Distribution Fugitive Natural Gas Emissions			497,299
Customer Natural Gas Use (3)			41,664,525

(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 2018, which is the most recent data available, as compared to the national average for electric utilities:

			Amount (pounds of CO2 per MWh)
U.S. Average (1)			998
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (2)			206

(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 estimated 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 more than one-half of the Utility’s delivered electricity in 2018. PG&E Corporation and the Utility also publish air emissions data in their annual Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report.

			2018						2017
Total NOx Emissions (tons)			134						155
NOx Emissions Rate (pounds/MWh)			0.01						0.01
Total SO2 Emissions (tons)			15						14
SO2 Emissions Rate (pounds/MWh)			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 challenged the federal regulations and they were upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. California’s once-through cooling policy adopted by the California Water Board in 2010 is considered to be at least as stringent as the new federal regulations and therefore governs implementation in California.

The California Water Board’s policy 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. The CPUC approved the retirement in January 2018. 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 will continue to pay an annual interim mitigation fee 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 Regional Water Quality Control 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 U.S. Department of Energy (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 and the Utility executed a settlement agreement that provided a claims process by which the Utility submits annual requests for reimbursement of its ongoing spent fuel storage costs. The claim for the period June 1, 2018 through May 31, 2019, totaled approximately $19 million and is currently under review by the DOE. Amounts reimbursed by DOE are refunded to customers through rates. 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.