PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

ENERGY DIVISION 													RESOLUTION E-3665
April 20, 2000

R E S O L U T I O N

Resolution E-3665.  San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) requests deviation from Schedule A, General Service to effectuate an Agreement with Metricom, Inc. for unmetered electric service and proposes to revise its existing schedule of contracts and deviations.   Approved. 

By Advice Letter No. 1210-E filed January 21, 2000
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SUMMARY

By Advice Letter (AL) 1210-E filed January 21, 2000, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) requests approval of deviation from the terms of Schedule A, General Service for proposed radio installations of an existing customer, Metricom Inc. (Metricom).   SDG&E  also proposes to revise its existing electric List of Contracts and Deviations to reflect the addition of the implementing contract.  This resolution approves AL 1210-E.  
 
BACKGROUND
 
By AL 1210-E, SDG&E seeks a deviation from Schedule A, General Service to provide unmetered service to Metricom.  AL 1210-E requests two things: 1) approval to provide unmetered service to 3,500 installations in SDG&E’s service territory and 2) specified, limited deviation from Schedule A, General Service which is applicable to small, non-demand metered commercial electric customers.  In Resolutions E-3543, signed out on July 2, 1998 and E-3614, signed out on June 10, 1999, the Commission approved deviations for Metricom on similar schedules for Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (Edison) respectively.  

SDG&E proposes a monthly fixed energy usage of 19.18 kWh per meter per year (230.2 kWhrs per year) and a reduced customer charge of $1.10 per meter per installation. 

Metricom’s agreement with SDG&E calls for unmetered service for a delineated category of
radio installations.  According to the utility, the unique nature of Metricom’s service makes it unreasonably expensive and not very cost effective to meter each installation and to assess the
full customer charge. 
The proposed contract provides for SDG&E to charge Metricom for unmetered, but limited, service to small radio transmitters that support wireless telecommunications services.  Due to the 

small quantities of electricity used by these transmitters and the inefficiency of metering the
small discrete loads used, Metricom requested, and SDG&E proposes to offer unmetered service.  

Metricom currently has no radio installations in SDG&E’s service territory.  The contract
filed with this AL contemplates the installation of approximately 3,500 units.  

The table below compares Metricom’s existing tariffs approved by the Commission with SDG&E’s proposal.

| PG&E | SCE | SDG&E
Fixed Energy Usage (kWh) | 3.9 | 22 | 19.18 (230.2/12)
Direct photocell connection charge | $0.284 | $5.33 | $1.10

Although the customer charge reductions vary due to a number of factors, all three utilities requested a reduced customer charge to reflect the savings resulting from the elimination of hook up and meter reading costs.  

SDG&E, to effectuate the requested deviation from existing tariffs, submits a revised list of contracts and deviations adding Special Contract 277 and reflecting it as a deviation from Schedule A, General Service. 

NOTICE

Notice of the AL was made by publication in the Commission’s Daily Calendar and was distributed to parties in accordance with Section III-G of General Order 96-A.  
 
PROTEST

The Commission received no protests to this AL.

DISCUSSION

Energy Division recommends approval of AL 1210-E, permitting SDG&E to provide unmetered electric service for Metricom, Inc. and to deviate from Schedule A, General Service.  ED also recommends approval of the proposed revisions of its existing List of Contracts and Deviations.  

COMMENTS

This is an uncontested matter in which the resolution grants the relief requested.
Accordingly, pursuant to PU Code Section 311 (g)(2), the otherwise applicable 30-day period for public review and comment is being waived.  

FINDINGS

1.	By AL 1210-E, filed on January 21, 2000 on behalf of Metricom, SDG&E requests approval for deviation from Schedule A, General Service for unmetered, but limited, electric service.   

2.	SDG&E’s proposed energy and customer charges are reasonable given existing Commission policy and the unique circumstance and energy usage characteristics of the radio transmitters.

3.	SDG&E’s Advice Letter 1210-E should be approved.  

THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that:

Advice Letter 1210-E is approved.

This Resolution is effective today.

I certify that the foregoing resolution was duly introduced, passed and adopted at a conference of the Public Utilities Commission of the State of California held on April 20, 2000; the following Commissioners voted favorably thereon:

		_____________________
WESLEY M. FRANKLIN
Executive Director

	LORETTA M. LYNCH
	      	President
	HENRY M. DUQUE
	JOSIAH L. NEEPER
	RICHARD A. BILAS
	CARL W. WOOD
	      Commissioners