The California Public Utilities Commission’s upcoming budget for regulating utilities takes a small hit under the governor’s newly released state spending proposal. Its total budget, however, is higher than the current fiscal year’s.<!--more--> The 2015-16 commission budget for regulating utilities is a proposed $746 million compared to this year’s $750 million. At the same time, funding for agency staffing is raised, including an addition of 18 positions in the area of administration. The commission’s total budget, including for telecommunications and transportation, is $1.524 billion, up from its 2014-15 budget of $1.33 billion. Included in the total budget is $551 million for legislatively-required natural gas leak abatement and funding for four new positions. The commission also would receive $178,000 and one position to improve its internal audits, as well as $81,000 for a fiscal audit. The agency came under harsh criticism last year for lax accounting practices and concerns over its audits of customer complaints. Gov. Jerry’s Brown’s budget for the Office of Ratepayer Advocates includes a slight increase. ORA’s upcoming expenditure authorization is a planned $29.3 million, up from this fiscal year’s $29.4 million. Staffing would remain at 162 positions. “Our primary budget is our staff positions,” said Mathew Marcus, ORA deputy director. The Department of Water Resources, which runs the state’s massive water supply project that is the biggest energy consumer in the state, would receive $3.3 million to improve the efficiency of its pumping plants. The proposed budget also would direct $23.2 million to the department for water conservation from a voter approved water bond. Because water and energy use are so closely linked, saving one resource automatically saves the other. DWR’s California Energy Resource Scheduling office, created during the 2000-01 energy crisis to buy power and pay off the related bonds, is not affected by the state budget. Its funds come from ratepayers. —Elizabeth McCarthy