Natural gas surcharge.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including gas corporations, as defined. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law relative to the restructuring of the natural gas industry requires the commission to require each gas corporation to provide bundled basic gas service, as defined, to all core customers in its service territory unless the customer chooses or contracts to have natural gas purchased and supplied by another entity. Existing law requires the commission to establish a surcharge on all natural gas consumed in the state to fund certain low-income assistance programs, cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation activities, and public interest research and development. This bill would require the commission to open a ratemaking or other appropriate proceeding to reexamine the allocation of the natural gas surcharge on the different ratepayer classes and would require the commission to consider job creation, job retention, and job training as part of the reexamination.