California Public Utilities Commission acting chief administrative law judge Timothy Sullivan has replaced administrative law judge John Wong with administrative law judge Amy Yip-Kikugawa on Pacific Gas & Electric’s gas transmission and storage tariff proceeding. Sullivan told the commission of the change Oct. 2. He outlined several other changes in the proceeding, including suspension of the schedule to give Yip-Kikugawa time to come up to speed. PG&E also was recently ordered to show why it should not be held in contempt for improper communications with commission staff concerning which judge should handle the case. Meanwhile, in the PG&E penalty proceeding involving the San Bruno pipeline explosion in 2010, PG&E and other parties face a new order to disclose communications with commission staff regarding the case, said Sullivan. Sullivan’s moves came after a scandal broke last month concerning “judge shopping” by the utility for its gas transmission and storage tariff case. Both PG&E and CPUC staff were let go after the revelations of improper communications. Sullivan issued a statement by the commission’s administrative law judges at the meeting. In it, they pledged their commitment to administer “a fair and impartial process” and their commitment to following “judicial norms.” In addition, he said that the administrative law judge staff plans to help educate other commission staff members on judicial proceedings.
