Public utilities: electricity rates.

Assembly Member Patterson's proposal to modify California's utility rate review process would require the Public Utilities Commission to conduct full hearings on all electricity rate increase applications, removing the option to expedite these requests through the consent calendar system. The legislation mandates a minimum 30-minute public comment period during rate increase hearings, unless insufficient speakers are present.

The bill maintains existing requirements that utilities justify rate changes before the Commission and notify affected customers of proposed increases. Current notification rules require utilities to include the proposed rate changes in dollar and percentage terms for each customer class, explain the rationale, and provide Commission contact information for customer inquiries. Water utilities serving more than 2,000 connections must also detail estimated impacts across different customer categories.

These procedural changes would apply specifically to electrical corporations' rate increase applications, while leaving intact the Commission's broader authority to establish rules for rate change submissions, presentations, and hearing procedures across other utility sectors. The Commission retains discretion over how to evaluate rate change justifications and manage public testimony, provided it does not restrict relevant, non-repetitive comments.