Decision issued regarding COVID-19 Relief Payment Plans

The Commission orders the following:

• The Investor-owned Utilities ("IOUs") shall not resume disconnections for nonpayment until September 30, 2021.
• By September 30, 2021, the IOUs shall automatically enroll any eligible residential and small business customers in "COVID-19 Relief Payment Plans" according to the terms in Appendices A-D.
• “COVID-19 Relief Payment Plans” are available only once per customer between July 2021and September 2022.
• To the extent that the energy utilities require additional budgets to implement today's orders, they may track costs in their existing COVID-19 Pandemic Protection Memorandum Accounts ("CPPMA") authorized by the Commission in Resolution M-4842, which will be subject to review in accordance with Commission Resolution E-3238 and Public Utilties Code Section 454.9.
• Within 60 days of the issuance of this decision, the IOUs shall jointly file via Tier 2 Advice Letter a reporting template that displays their current Community Based Organizations (CBO) networks, their structures for compensating CBOs, and that reveals each CBO’s links and benefit delivered to disadvantaged communities, Environmental and Social Justice Communities, Small Business customers, tribes, access and functional needs communities, and other hard-to-reach populations.
• Within 120 days of the issuance of this decision, the IOUs shall jointly file via Tier 2 Advice Letter a pilot plan proposal for outreach and verbal counseling to Small Business customers in disadvantaged communities on appropriate programs, incentives and rates available to lower their bills.
• The IOUs shall continue the pro-rata allocation of payments between utilities and CCAs approved in Resolution M-4849 through time disconnections are suspended until September 30, 2021. A permanent determination on allocation requires further consideration and is slated in the immediate next phase of this proceeding, after September 30, 2021.

Please see June 22, 2021 update below for a brief summary of the material contained in D. 21-06-036.