THURSDAY BRIEFING: Google's $150M Data Center Agreement; CPUC Delays; Gas Curtailment Rules
Good morning from the West Coast and congrats to the world champion Milwaukee Brewers.
PG&E and Google have revised their agreement for a 250-MW San Jose data center, adding a $150 million advance and other protections intended to limit ratepayer exposure. A new PG&E filing comes as the CPUC prepares to postpone the item once again at today's voting meeting.
Elsewhere, PG&E's revised natural gas curtailment rules take effect Sunday, putting dispatchable generators first in line for cuts during gas supply shortages. An ALJ established an expedited schedule for PG&E's ERRA trigger application. Two proposed decisions also emerged: one extends the solar-paired battery sizing waiver to 2030 in the CPUC's microgrid docket, while the other allows SDG&E to recover stranded green tariff procurement costs from former program participants.
Google's interconnection agreement isn't the only matter being held by the CPUC today. The CPUC's hold list also anticipates delays on the following items.
- Competing proposed decisions in the CPUC's biomethane cost-allocation rulemaking.
- Draft Resolution E-5474, which approves updates to the CPUC’s Database for Energy Efficient Resources.
- Draft Resolution G-3622, which approves $44.6 million of the California Energy Commission’s proposed natural gas research plans for fiscal years 2024-2025 and 2025-2026.
- A PD allowing Liberty Utilities to recover about $58.05 million in costs tied to the 2020 Mountain View Fire.
- A PD denying a petition by the Natural Resources Defense Council, CALSTART, Tesla, Walmart and the City of San Diego to modify language in the SoCalGas/SDG&E 2024 General Rate Case decision (D.24-12-074).
NEWS & NOTES: As noted in our Friday update, CRI is celebrating one year of existence. Feel free to drop us a line to say hello. Also, our friend and colleague Jalal Awan has created an energy-specific stock portfolio analysis tool using Claude. It covers 111 stocks and 19 Exchange Traded Funds across 15 energy-related segments, scored on data drawn from the Interactive Brokers API. Do check it out!