California Public Utilities Commission

The California Solar Initiative (CSI) is overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and provides incentives for solar system installations to customers of the state’s three investor-owned utilities (IOUs): Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E). The CSI program provides upfront incentives for solar systems installed on existing residential homes, as well as existing and new commercial, industrial, government, non-profit, and agricultural properties within the service territories of the IOUs. The CSI program has a goal to install 1,800 MW of new solar (excluding solar water heating) by the end of 2016. As of January 13, 2015, the CSI program has achieved a total of 1,743 MW of installed capacity, 96.8% of the program's goal, since its inception.[24]

On January 12, 2006, the CPUC issued an Interim Order that set initial policy and funding for the program. The CPUC was nearing an August 24, 2006 Commission vote on proposed incentive level design, administrative structure, and planning schedule, when SB 1 was signed into law on August 21, 2006 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. While SB 1 codified the state's commitment to the creation of a self-sustaining solar market, it also introduced several unanticipated requirements for the program. In order to conform to state law, the CPUC then worked with parties to issue a proposed decision on SB 1's impacts to the California Solar Initiative program for public comment; this decision was approved by Commissioners on December 14, 2006. The program launched on January 1, 2007.[25]

The CSI Program was designed to be responsive to economies of scale in the California solar market – as the solar market grows, it was expected solar system costs would drop and incentives offered through the program decline. The CPUC divided the overall megawatt goal for the incentive program into ten programmatic incentive level steps, and assigned a target amount of capacity in each step to receive an incentive based on dollars per-watt or cents per-kilowatt-hour.[26]

In January 2007, the CPUC adopted a greenhouse gas emissions standard that required new long-term commitments for baseload generation to serve California consumers with power plants that have emissions no greater than a combined cycle gas turbine plant.[27] The CPUC said the emissions standard is a vital step in addressing global warming.

On February 8, 2008, CPUC President Michael Peevey issued a proposed decision on the implementation of California’s greenhouse gas emissions legislation, AB 32. The decision recommends a cap and trade program for the electricity sector in California that would impose regulations on owners and operators of generation in California and out-of-state generators delivering electricity to the California electrical grid.[28]

In 2007 the CPUC adopted goals to have all California residential construction use zero net energy by 2020, and all new commercial construction use zero net energy by 2030.[29] Zero Net Energy buildings each contribute an amount of renewable energy to a utility that will balance out any amount of non-renewable energy they extract from the utility. For residential buildings, the CPUC participates in California's Zero Net Energy program[30] that helps builders and homeowners select effective home energy upgrades.

The CPUC regulates intrastate telecommunications service and also the terms and conditions of service of wireless phone providers (but not entry or rates, which are the responsibility of the Federal Communications Commission.) The CPUC has developed a consumer-oriented communications website.[31] The CPUC also reviews third-party-verification recordings to monitor for telephone slamming.

The Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 (DIVCA) made the CPUC responsible for video (what were formerly known as cable TV) franchises. The DIVCA granted the CPUC limited authority to regulate video service providers via a statewide franchise scheme.[32] The CPUC is responsible for licensing video service providers, and enforcing certain anti discrimination and build out requirements imposed by the Act. Local franchise authorities will continue to regulate rights of way used by video providers, handle consumer complaints, and requirements as to public, educational, and government access (PEG) channels. Previously, licensing of franchises was handled by local authorities such as the Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission.

The CPUC also played a key role in the Governor's Broadband Task Force formed in 2006. The task force produced two reports making recommendations to the Governor on what could be done to enhance broadband in California, engaging in a broadband mapping project for California, and producing a broadband speed report. In response to the Task Force mapping project and report, the CPUC launched an innovative California Advanced Services Fund (CASF), which is an infrastructure grant program for deploying broadband in unserved areas of California. The program is funded by a telephone surcharge of 0.56% for the period of March 1, 2018 to December 31, 2022.[33] As of AB 1665, passed in October, 2017, broadband providers may apply for up to 100% funding of capital costs to deploy last-mile broadband in unserved areas. Unserved areas are those where no facility-based broadband provider offers service at speeds of at least 6 megabits per second downstream and 1 megabit per second upstream.[34]

The concept behind General Order 107-B is that telephone calls cannot be recorded in California unless all parties to the call know it is being recorded.

The order gives specific requirements for lawfully recording telephone calls. Based on the 1983 version, one way to meet the requirements may be to give a verbal warning. This often occurs by the playing of a recording in an automatic call distribution queue: "Your call may be recorded or monitored for quality assurance purposes."

Another method allowed to warn all callers a call is being recorded is the presence of a recorder warning tone: a 1,440 Hz tone repeating every fifteen seconds. In the 1960s, radio stations with call-in programs used to employ a recorder warning tone. The law now exempts lines used for call-in to broadcasts or cablecasts since it is presumed a caller to a telecast is aware their call is subject to being transmitted or recorded and intends for this to happen.

The order requires that telephone utilities disconnect telephone service for violating the order.

A transportation network company (TNC) is a company that uses an online-enabled platform to connect passengers with drivers using their personal, non-commercial, vehicles.[35] Examples include Lyft, Uber, Wingz, Haxi and Summon.[36][37]

The definition of a TNC was created by the CPUC in 2013, as a result of a rulemaking process around new and previously unregulated forms of transportation. Prior to the definition, the CPUC had attempted to group TNC services in the same category as limousines.[38] Taxi industry groups opposed the creation of the new category, arguing that TNCs are taking away their business as illegal taxicab operations.[39]

The CPUC established regulations for TNC services at the same time as the definition. These included driver background checks, driver training, drug and alcohol policies, minimum insurance coverage of $1 million, and company licensing through the CPUC.[40]

Prior to the federal Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, the CPUC regulated intrastate airlines operating in California including jet air carriers as Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) and Air California; both no longer exist.[41]