Minutes
Ratesetting Working Group
July 26, 1996

  1. Meeting was facilitated by, and minutes prepared by, Jim Price. Announcements included, among other introductory matters, that a letter was sent to the service list announcing meetings and broad agendas, with future continuation meetings to be scheduled at the announced meetings, and that some documents received recently had the MS Word "Concept" virus. The affected documents have been disinfected, and anyone needing more information about the Concept virus can refer to http://www.microsoft.com/KB/deskapps/word/Q134727.htm. Minutes of last meeting and agenda for this meeting are on the Working Group's Web site. Discussions of July 25 subteam meetings were summarized. In addition to the August 12/13 meetings, meetings were tentatively scheduled via the subteam meetings for Wednesday, Sept. 4 (subteams) and Thursday, Sept. 5 (full group), with locations to be determined. On August 12 (full group meeting), representatives of the Low Income Working Group will be invited to discuss baseline rate issues, and a report (lead: Jeff Nahigian) will review the status of line extension issues in relation to the line extension OII; these discussions may result in "closure" on these issues for the foreseeable future.

  2. Patrick McDonnell of Agland Energy Services provided a presentation on "Identification and Timing for Analysis of Functions and Products to be Unbundled: Marketers Perspective". Agland's and Utility Solution's position papers are on the Web site.

  3. Due to the extent of discussion on "Definition of Track 1 vs. Track 2 Issues, Strategy for Working Group's 8/26/96 Filing with CPUC", the scheduled presentations by the utilities on "Clarification and Review of Utilities' July 15 Filings" were deferred, with their prepared materials to be posted on the Web site.

  4. The gist of the scheduled presentations by DRA and CEC on "Identification of Alternative Approaches or Perspectives" occurred during the extensive discussion of "Definition of Track 1 vs. Track 2 Issues, Strategy for Working Group's 8/26/96 Filing with CPUC".

  5. "Definition of Track 1 vs. Track 2 Issues, Strategy for Working Group's 8/26/96 Filing with CPUC": The group developed an outline for reporting its recommendations on scheduling of "Track 2" items to the Commission. The group recognized that no consensus would be reached on overall goals for restructuring or on identification of Track 1 vs. Track 2 items, with 5 options for unbundling strategies to be discussed in a written report. The outline developed from discussion of a paper by Mike Jaske (CEC), which has been posted on the Web site. The outline and drafts will be posted on the Web site. Refinement of the draft report will occur as a major focus of the August 12 meeting.

  6. Implications and Approaches Concerning PBR: Deferred to future meetings

  7. Set Agendas for Next WG and Subteam Meetings: See items 1 and 5


Next full group meeting is scheduled for August 12. Sub-groups will meet on August 13, with the Analysis team tentatively meeting in the morning and the Interpretation of Existing Tariffs team meeting in the afternoon. Both days will begin at 9:30 AM (afternoon subteam meeting at 1 PM).