It started as an alleged conspiracy born in a Phoenix motel room in 1996. Plaintiffs alleged that El Paso and SoCal Gas executives met in the Sky Harbor Airport Motel to fix gas prices and shield each other from competition. El Paso agreed to a $1.6 billion settlement in 2003. Sempra was the object of a $27 billion class action lawsuit. It settled in 2005 for $377 million. Fast forward to 2011. From that settlement, Pacific Gas & Electric maintains its customers continue to be saddled for $17 million that creates a “windfall” to Southern California Edison, according to a brief filed with the California Public Utilities Commission Sept. 30. Edison--an electric, not a gas utility--is involved because of the way the settlement funds were allocated by the court. Edison maintains it should get repaid according to its costs for natural gas used for its power plants during the 2000-01 energy crisis era. PG&E counters that the gas contracts for power plants during that time with Sempra were unavoidable and that its ratepayers should receive a share of the post-energy crisis, post-settlement, discounts to natural gas. In the middle is the Department of Water Resources. When the 2000-01 energy crisis hit, DWR took over most utility electricity contracts and those for natural gas to feed the power plants. While the department has been shedding itself of expensive legacy contracts, it--along with the CPUC--determines who gets what from the legacy contracts. Edison is requesting the commission to allocate the funds commensurate with costs. PG&E, with San Diego Gas & Electric’s backing, requests a discreet allocation--42.2 percent to PG&E’s customers, 47.5 percent to Edison customers, and 12.3 percent to SDG&E’s customers.