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

CONTACT: Armando Rendon           December 18, 1995      CPUC-117
         415-703-1366                                (R93-09-026)

       CPUC SETS UTILITIES' GOALS FOR PROCUREMENT PROGRAM

     The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today set
1.5 percent as an interim goal through 1997 for utility companies
to purchase goods and services from disabled vets under the CPUC
Women/Minority/Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (WMDVBE)
program.
     The current goal of 15 percent minority and 5 percent women,
or 20 percent overall, was retained.  However, the  Commission
did consider raising the overall goal to as much as 30 percent,
but determined that not enough evidence was available to justify
an increase at this time.
     The Commission urged utility companies to purchase goods
and services from these firms to the greatest extent practicable.
Goals are targets that utilities voluntarily and in "good
faith" strive to meet without penalties for failure to do so.
     Figures released in today's order show that contracts
awarded to women and minority owned businesses by utility
companies in 1994 totaled 22.78 percent (7.67 percent women and
15.11 percent minority).  The 5 percent goal for Women Business
Enterprises was achieved in 1990 and the 15 percent goal for
Minority Businesses was achieved for the first time in 1994.
     The WMDVBE program was begun in 1989 by the State
Legislature to seek an increase in utilities' procurement of
goods and services from previously underrepresented sectors of
the business community.  Disabled veterans' firms were added in
1990.
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