Public utilities: Electric Program Investment Charge: contracting.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as defined. The Reliable Electric Service Investments Act required the commission to require the state's 3 largest electrical corporations, until January 1, 2012, to identify a separate electrical rate component, commonly referred to as the public goods charge, to collect specified amounts to fund energy efficiency, renewable energy, and research, development, and demonstration programs that enhance system reliability and provide in-state benefits. Existing decisions of the commission institute an Electric Program Investment Charge, referred to as EPIC, to fund research, development, and demonstration programs. The California Constitution authorizes the commission to establish rules for all public utilities, subject to control by the Legislature. Existing law directs the commission to require every electrical, gas, water, wireless telecommunications service provider, and telephone corporation with annual gross revenues exceeding $25,000,000, and their regulated subsidiaries and affiliates, to implement a program developed by the commission to encourage, recruit, and utilize minority, women, and disabled veteran-owned business enterprises, as defined, in the procurement of contracts from those corporations or from their regulated subsidiaries and affiliates. The commission, by its rulemaking authority, has adopted General Order 156, applicable to certain electrical, gas, and telephone corporations, to effectuate these requirements. This bill would require the commission to establish a program to encourage the use of women, minority, and disabled veteran-owned businesses as prime contractors and subcontractors for all grants, contracts, subsidies, financing, and activities administered through the EPIC consistent with General Order 156 of the commission. Existing law requires the commission to provide to the Legislature a specified report on the progress of activities undertaken by certain entities in the implementation of women, minority, and disabled veteran-owned business enterprise development programs. This bill would require the commission to include in its 2014 report a status report on the commission's progress in increasing the participation of women, minorities, and disabled veteran-owned businesses, as specified.