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             California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 5301            San Francisco, CA 94102

CONTACT: Armando Rendon           May 22, 1996          CPUC-044
         415-703-1366                    (A94-12-005, A94-11-013
                                                      I91-10-029)

      CPUC COMPENSATES ADVOCACY GROUPS FOR INTERVENOR WORK

     The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today
awarded compensation to four consumer advocacy groups for their
"substantial contribution" to Commission decisions in major
telecommunications and energy cases.
     Toward Utility Rate Normalization (TURN), a statewide
advocacy group, earned $147,164 as repayment for its role in
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Co.'s 1996 general rate case and
related hearings on PG&E's service response during rainstorms in
early 1995.
     In the same case, the Natural Resources Defense Council
(NRDC) and the California/Nevada Community Action Association
(Cal/Neva) received $18,098 and $8,474 respectively for their
efforts.
     Moreover, the Commission found eligible for compensation the
coalition of Filipino Civil Rights, Filipinos for Affirmative
Action, Korean Youth and Community Center, National Council of La
Raza, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
     NRDC influenced CPUC policy on market transformation
programs and proposed a surcharge to recover environmental and
social program costs which the Commission adopted.  Cal/Neva's
main contribution was in protecting low-income customers, and
helping return at least half of the Direct Assistance program
savings back into the program.
     Utility Consumers' Action Network (UCAN) earned $75,624 and
TURN $10,212 for their "extensive efforts" in reaching a
settement on the proposed low emission vehicle programs of San
Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Gas Company
                             -more-
(SoCalGas).  Although the settlement was not adopted, the groups
made good faith efforts in seeking an agreement, and, in fact,
the negotiation process led to the utilities agreeing to use a
bidding system for construction of new compressed natural gas
refueling stations.  Also, SoCal Gas withdrew both its requests
for funds to develop a commercial fuel program and for recovery
of costs for its natural gas vehicle programs from SDG&E.
     UCAN also obtained $42,447 for its active participation in
negotiating an agreement with SDG&E concerning its reorganization
plan for the formation of a holding company.
     The Public Utilities Code provides for reimbursing groups or
individuals that are not associated with the CPUC or a utility
who have had an impact on a CPUC decision and can show financial
hardship.  The CPUC then orders the utility or utilities involved
to reimburse these participants.  Funds are derived from customer
utility rates.
                               ###