PG&E Statement on CPUC Ex Parte Vote

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) today released the following statement in response to a vote by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) imposing sanctions for violation of ex parte rules: 

"We are committed to complying with both the letter and the spirit of the law and PG&E's own Code of Conduct at all times. No excuses. That is, and must be, the standard for our behavior individually and as a company.

There is no disagreement that the emails in question were inappropriate and, as we have acknowledged, we believe that some of them violated the CPUC's rules. We self-reported these violations, held individuals accountable, and are making significant changes designed to prevent this from happening again. In addition to self-reporting the violations, PG&E took the following specific actions:

• Three officers are no longer employed by the company.
• PG&E named a new senior vice president of regulatory relations.
• The company created the new role of chief regulatory compliance officer, whose mandate is to help oversee compliance with all requirements governing PG&E's interactions with the CPUC. The position reports to the CEO and to the Audit Committee of the PG&E Board of Directors.
• PG&E engaged former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior Ken Salazar, a partner in the WilmerHale law firm, as special counsel on regulatory compliance matters to assist in developing a best-in-class regulatory compliance model. Salazar has deep experience in regulatory and energy matters.
• The company committed to creating updated and enhanced training for all employees who routinely interact with the CPUC.

We fully understand that we are accountable when we fail to uphold high standards. However, in our view, the CPUC's decision doesn't appropriately take account of these corrective actions. It imposes sanctions that aren't warranted and that may go beyond the CPUC's legal authority. As a result, we will appeal the decision."

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.

SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E)

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