Pacific Gas & Electric seeks regulatory approval to shift $41 million of unspent energy efficiency funds dating to programs as far back as 1998 to its 2009 program. “[T]his raises a general issue of accountability for unspent ratepayer dollars that remain in investor-owned utility balancing accounts,” Division of Ratepayer Advocates program manager Linda Serizawa wrote in a July 21 protest letter. Of the $40.9 million at issue, $26.6 million came principally from the ratepayer-funded Public Goods Charge allocated for PG&E energy savings between 1998 and 2005. The utility wants to use the accumulated millions of dollars on this year’s efficiency program while it waits for the California Public Utilities Commission to vote on its delayed 2009-2011 portfolio application. “Issues such at this, as well as the lack of transparency in administrative costs for investor-owned utility program administrators, underscore the need for the commission to audit program administrator activities as part of its obligation to oversee the multi-billion dollar energy efficiency programs,” stated Serizawa. The CPUC scheduled an open meeting July 28th to give the public a chance to raise issues related to utility energy efficiency programs.
