Martha Guzman Aceves
CPUC Commissioner from January 2016 to December 2021
Resources
Commissioner’s testimony at the CA Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, Transportation on Feb 10, 2021 (Begins at 0:28).
Commissioner's testimony at the Senate Joint Hearing Education and Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response Committees on Oct 26, 2020 (Begins at 1:33)
April 30, 2021: CPUC Approves Emergency Utility Customer Protection Transition Plans. In accordance with the approved plans, utilities are communicating with customers about imminent protection expiration, providing support to customers transitioning off of customer protections, and helping customers enroll in applicable assistance programs. Final Transition Plan Advice Letters available on https://liob.cpuc.ca.gov/m-4849-utility-transition-plans/
January 15, 2021: The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued Draft Resolution M-4849 which will be on the CPUC's February 11, 2021 Voting Meeting agenda to approve an extension on emergency customer protections through June 30, 2021.
On June 11, 2020, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted to provide additional protections for utility customers in an effort to reduce customer disconnections.
CPUC Decision: 20-06-003 - Accepting Changes to Reduce CA Resident Disconnections
For more information on the disconnections rulemaking, please visit this page.
On August 27, 2020, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted to resolve Phase 1 issues in this proceeding. The decision evaluates sales forecasting processes used by water utilities and requires water utilities to propose Monterey-Style Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanisms in future general rate cases.
On June 2, 2020, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a scoping ruling directing comments to consider potential CPUC response to COVID-19 known as Phase II.
On October 8, 2020, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) initiated an Order Instituting Rulemaking (OIR) to Consider Regulating Telecommunications Services Used by Incarcerated People.
More info here.
Customers who install small solar, wind, biogas, and fuel cell generation facilities to serve all or a portion of onsite electricity needs are eligible for the state's net metering program. NEM allows customers who generate their own energy ("customer-generators") to serve their energy needs directly onsite and to receive a financial credit on their electric bills for any surplus energy fed back to their utility. Participation in the NEM does not limit a customer-generator's eligibility for any other rebate, incentive, or credit provided by an electric utility. More than 90% of all megawatts (MW) of customer-sited solar capacity interconnected to the grid in the three large investor-owned (IOU) territories (PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E) in California are on NEM tariffs.
The current NEM program was adopted by the CPUC in Decision (D.)16-01-044 on January 28, 2016 and is available to customers of PG&E, SCE and SDG&E. The current NEM program went into effect in SDG&E's service territory on June 29, 2016, in PG&E's service territory on December 15, 2016, and in SCE's service territory on July 1, 2017. The program provides customer-generators full retail rate credits for energy exported to the grid and requires them to pay a few charges that align NEM customer costs more closely with non-NEM customer costs.
Rulemaking R.20-08-020, please visit the proceeding's docket.
In our ongoing efforts to protect consumers in the industries we regulate, we have adopted several consumer protections targeted to solar customers, including a solar information packet for utility customers considering installing solar rooftop energy systems.
At our Voting Meeting on Thursday, September 27, 2018, the Commissioners approved a plan to develop a consumer information packet geared towards residential consumers of rooftop solar. The packet is intended to help consumers make an informed decision about installing solar, in response to aggressive or unscrupulous sales tactics. While solar remains an important part of our energy future, some customers have faced troubling issues like misleading marketing practices; pressure to sign a contract or agreement on the same day by solar salespersons; incomplete or incorrect information about the costs and benefits of rooftop solar; predatory financing; and more.
"Solar should bring real benefits and energy savings to everyone, and the choice to go solar in California should be an informed one," said Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves. "Unfortunately, this is not always the case. I'm proud that these new solar consumer protections have been adopted. There is much more to do beyond this important first step, and the CPUC will continue to work on ways to protect the public."
For more info on the solar guide, click here.
If you believe you are a victim of fraud - or believe an attempt was made - it is important to file a complaint. Contact the Contractors State License Board at 1-800-321-2752; the Consumer Affairs Branch of CPUC at 1-800-649-7570 and your local district attorney's office.
Contact: Sarah Sharpe (Advisor) at sarah.sharpe@cpuc.ca.gov
On September 10, 2020, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) initiated the Order Instituting Rulemaking Regarding Broadband Infrastructure Deployment and to Support Service Providers in the State of California.
On April 26, 2018, the CPUC adopted a Tribal Consultation Policy to better communicate and consult with California Indian Tribes. As Governor Brown stated in Executive Order B-10-11, "the State is committed to strengthening and sustaining effective government-to-government relationships between the State and the Tribes by identifying areas of mutual concern and working to develop partnerships and consensus."
The CPUC is considering a proposed land transfer policy:
At the Voting Meeting on December 13, 2018 the Commissioners approved a $56 million investment for pilot projects in 11 San Joaquin Valley communities that lack natural gas in an effort to increase access to clean affordable energy in disadvantaged communities and reduce the use of propane and wood burning.
"I am proud of the CPUC's decision to approve 11 pilot projects bringing cleaner, affordable energy to communities in California who have been long unserved and overlooked," said Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves. "I am even prouder of these communities themselves, and of their tenacity and commitment. It has been a long road, and these pilots are just another step, but they will provide energy efficiency upgrades, solar benefits, job training and more - while reducing energy costs and pollution."
To access the decision outlining the pilots, please click here.
Solar Programs - DACGT
SAN FRANCISCO, June 21, 2018 - The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), in its ongoing efforts to help improve air quality and economic conditions in disadvantaged communities, today adopted three new programs to promote the installation of solar energy to serve customers in disadvantaged communities. “Transitioning to a clean economy must include all Californians. Targeting solar investments in low income and disadvantaged communities will help ensure that all Californians have access to all the benefits of solar, whether on their roofs or nearby in their neighborhoods,” said Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves.
For more information:
Environmental and Social Justice Action Plan (EJSJ)
On February 21, 2019 the CPUC adopted an Environmental and Social Justice Action Plan to serve as roadmap for advancing equity in CPUC programs and policies.
Environmental and Social Justice Action Plan 2019
AB 617
On November 25, 2019, the Office of California Public Utilities Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves issued a report detailing agency programs with the potential to expand the benefits of clean energy and help reduce emissions in communities selected for the California Air Resources Board’s Community Air Protection Program.
CONTACT
California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102