July 15, 2026

Regulatory Update for July 15, 2026

(Covering July 8, 2026 - July 14, 2026)

Our energy regulatory team has compiled a list of state and federal energy regulatory developments to keep you up to speed on key energy regulatory matters from across the United States. Stoel’s energy regulatory team is always available to answer questions about any of these developments. Click here to meet the energy regulatory team.

Jump to the following jurisdictions:

State Regulatory Agencies

• California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
• California Energy Commission (CEC)
• California Air Resources Board (CARB)
• Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC)
• Pacific Northwest (OPUC, BPA)

Federal Regulatory Agencies

• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

Independent System Operators (ISO) and Regional Transmission Organizations (RTO)

• California Independent System Operator (CAISO)

Click here to download this update as a PDF

State Regulatory Agencies

CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION (CPUC or COMMISSION)[1]

Proposed Decisions and Resolutions

Resolution G-3620

Pursuant to Decision (D.) 09-11-006, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) submitted Advice Letter (AL) 6558-G, containing its 2025 Annual Compliance Report on the Utility System Operator’s Southern System Reliability Purchases and Sales for the period October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025. In AL 6558-G, SoCalGas also requested authorization to revise tariff guidelines in Section 15 and 19 of Gas Rule No. 41. The SoCalGas System Operator executed 49 gas purchase transactions and 54 gas sale transactions to satisfy the Southern System minimum flow requirement at a net cost of $5,524,502. This net cost includes $13,390,422 for purchases and $1,540,175 for transportation costs, less $9,406,095 in revenue from sales.

Application (A.)25-04-004 (Application of Pacific Gas and Electric Company for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity Authorizing the Construction of the S-238 Hinkley Compressor Station Electrical Upgrades Project)

This decision grants Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) motion to withdraw this instant application, with instructions for PG&E’s future cost recovery proceedings, including the next general rate case cycle. This proceeding is now closed.

Voting Meeting

The CPUC will hold a voting meeting in San Francisco, California, on July 16, 2026, at 11 a.m. PT. The energy-related items on the agenda are below:

Item 2. A.24-08-004 (Application of Pacific Gas and Electric Company for a Limited Capital Structure Adjustment)

In this Application, PG&E requests permission to deviate from its authorized capital rate structure, governed by Affiliate Transaction Rule IX B. Specifically, PG&E seeks to exclude $2.6 billion in expenses related to the Dixie Fire ($277 million at the time of filing), the Kincade Fire (approximately $1.2 billion at time of filing), and the Department of Water Resources loan (approximately $1.4 billion) when calculating its debt-to-equity ratio. The decision denies PG&E’s requested relief and finds that (1) the request does not qualify for an Affiliate Transaction Rule waiver, and (2) it would not be in the public interest to grant a deviation from PG&E’s recently adopted capital rate structure.

Item 3. Resolution E-5455

This resolution approves, with modifications, PG&E’s AL 7785-E, filed on December 18, 2025, requesting Commission approval of an exceptional case agreement between PG&E and Google LLC (Google) to support the energization of a new 250 megawatt (MW) transmission-level retail electric load at 230 kilovolts (kV) in San Jose, California. The Commission approves the AL with modifications, requiring additional ratepayer protections.

Item 5. Resolution G-3616

This resolution approves SoCalGas’ AL 6442-G, filed on February 7, 2025, requesting authority to recover the undercollected balance in its Storage Integrity Management Program Balancing Account (SIMPBA). SoCalGas seeks recovery of an undercollection of $54.4 million as of December 2024, associated with incurred Storage Integrity Management Program (SIMP) expenditures during Test Year 2019 General Rate Case (GRC) cycle (2019-2023), consistent with cost recovery mechanism adopted in D.19-09-051.

Item 6. A.25-10-004 (Application of Pacific Gas and Electric Company to increase its authority to finance short-term borrowing needs by $2.0 billion to an aggregate amount not to exceed $10.5 billion)

This decision grants, in part, PG&E’s request to increase its authorized amount of financing for its short-term borrowing needs. Specifically, this decision authorizes PG&E to increase its authorized amount of financing for its short-term borrowing needs by $1.0 billion, or half of PG&E’s total requested increase, up to an aggregate amount not to exceed $9.5 billion, subject to the conditions specified in the proposed decision. This decision does not address the associated costs, expenditures, or capital projects that may be financed through the short-term debt authorized by the proposed decision, which will be subject to consideration in future reasonableness review applications.

Item 12. A.24-09-001 (Application of Southwest Gas Corporation for Authority to Increase Rates and Charges for Gas Service in California, Effective January 1, 2026)

This decision resolves remaining contested issues in this proceeding. It establishes the gas utility’s capital structure, return in common equity, the operating revenues, and a rate increase of 5.17% for the Northern California/South Lake Tahoe territory, and a rate increase of 22.36% for southern California.

Item 14. A.23-09-001 (Application of PG&E for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity Authorizing the Construction of the Northern San Joaquin 230 kV Transmission Project)

This decision grants PG&E’s request for a certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing the construction of the Northern San Joaquin 230 kV Transmission Project subject to certain mitigation measures. This decision finds and certifies that the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Northern San Joaquin 230 Kilovolt Transmission Project meets the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act.

Item 19. Resolution E-5470

This resolution approves amendments to PG&E’s power purchase agreements with Atlas Solar XII, LLC and Atlas Solar XIII, LLC (Atlas Solar). The power purchase agreement amendments extend the expected initial delivery date from December 1, 2027 to September 1, 2028.

Events

Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Workshop on Net Cost of New Entry (CONE)

Energy Division staff will host a workshop from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. on July 23, 2026 to discuss IRP procurement compliance and solicit stakeholder feedback. Topics will include application of the Net CONE penalty mechanism for procurement non-compliance, the definition of good faith efforts and of resource online date criteria, capacity factor calculations, resource delays, and the issuance of citations. Additional details are available on the procurement service list, R.25-06-019.

CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION (CEC)

2026 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) Update

The CEC has set the following preliminary schedule for the 2026 IEPR. The schedule is available on the 2026 IEPR Update page.

Task/Event	Date
• Final 2026 IEPR Update Scoping Order released	April 2026
• Adopt order instituting informational proceeding	May 2026
• Public workshops on specific topics	May–December 2026
• Release draft 2026 IEPR Update	October 2026
• Release proposed 2026 IEPR Update	January 2027
• Adopt 2026 IEPR Forecast	January 2027
• Adopt 2026 IEPR Update	February 2027

The CEC’s 2026 IEPR Update workshop schedule (which remains subject to change) is set forth below. According to the workshop schedule, all workshops will be held via Zoom and the remaining workshops through December 2026 will run as follows:

• July 9, 2026: Commissioner Workshop on Geothermal Energy (Part 2).

• August 20, 2026: Commissioner Workshop on Forecast Inputs and Assumptions, 1 p.m.–5 p.m. PT.

• August 31, 2026: Commissioner Workshop on Load Modifier Inputs and Assumptions, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. PT.

• November 12, 2026: Commissioner Workshop on Load Modifier Draft Results, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. PT.

• December 14, 2026: Commissioner Workshop on Overall Forecast Results, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. PT.

For the two-day Workshop on Geothermal Energy held on June 19, 2026 and July 9, 2026, written comments are due to Docket No. 26-IEPR-04 by 5 p.m. PT on July 23, 2026.

For the June 30, 2026 Commissioner Workshop held on Energy Equity & Environmental Justice, written comments are due to the Docket Unit by 5 p.m. PT on July 14, 2026.

2025 Final IEPR

The CEC adopted the 2025 IEPR at the July 8, 2026 CEC Business Meeting.

Distributed Electricity Backup Assets (DEBA) Resource Planning and Reliability

The CEC is seeking public comments on the proposed draft solicitation for the Proposition 4 DEBA Grant Program docketed today. The draft solicitation is available at Docket No. 22-RENEW-01. The proposed solicitation is focused on supporting the deployment of new Distributed Energy Resources (DER) that can improve the reliability of California’s electrical grid during extreme events. The CEC hosted a virtual public workshop to discuss the proposed draft solicitation on June 23, 2026. Workshop information is available here. Written comments are due by July 15, 2026.

DER Workshop

The CEC will host a workshop on July 15, 2026, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. PT to provide an update on activities conducted under the Order Instituting Informational Proceeding on DERs in California’s Energy Future. This workshop will primarily focus on CEC’s use of advanced metering infrastructure data for DER planning, including demand flexibility, as well as the opportunities and challenges for front-of-the-meter DER in California. The workshop will be remote only, and access details are available here.

Transportation Electrification

Implementation Workshop for EV Charger Data and Reliability Standards. The CEC will host a workshop from 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. on July 22, 2026 to provide details on the technical implementation and data submission process of the EV Charger Data and Reliability Standards. These regulations, which became effective on April 1, 2026, require action by many operators of EV charging stations in California, including those that do not receive state or ratepayer funding. The workshop will be held via Zoom, and access details are available here.

Electric School Bus Grant Funding. On April 6, 2026, the CEC released the Reliable Electric Charging for Eligible School-bus Sites (RECESS) grant solicitation, which makes up to $22 million available for projects that will install charging infrastructure to support electric school buses. RECESS provides funding for projects that install new charging ports and/or replace eligible existing charging ports at an applicant’s bus yard or depot. Complete project requirements are provided in Section II.B. of the solicitation manual. Eligible applicants are encouraged to apply before August 31, 2026; applications may be submitted through the Energy Commission Agreement Management System.

Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC)

The CEC will host its annual EPIC Symposium on September 29, 2026, at the California Natural Resources Agency building at 715 P Street in Sacramento, California. More details will be provided when made available by the CEC.

CEC Business Meetings

The next CEC business meeting is scheduled for August 17, 2026. An agenda and supporting materials will be available here at least ten days prior to the meeting.

CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD (CARB)

Next Stop to Zero Webinar

CARB will host a webinar on August 5, 2026 from 11a.m.-12:30p.m. to hear presentations and engage discussions from various subject matter experts, incentive and funding program representatives, and fleet advisors to discuss adoption of zero-emission technologies. Zoom access details are available here.

Carbon Capture, Removal, and Storage Workshop Pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 905

On June 23, 2026, CARB staff held a workshop on concepts for potential regulations for establishing the Carbon Capture, Removals, Utilization, and Storage Program (authorized by SB 905, (Caballero, 2022)). SB 905 requires CARB to identify and implement policies and strategies that enable the removal of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere through carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies. SB 905 also requires CARB to create the CCUS Program to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and viability of CCUS and CDR projects and technologies, to ensure that CCUS and CDR projects meet certain monitoring, reporting, and financial responsibility requirements, and to provide other specified program elements.  

The workshop presented on the anticipated regulatory timeline and provided an overview of the Concepts for Potential Regulations for Establishing the Carbon Capture, Removals, Utilization, and Storage Program (Concepts), which was released for public review on May 7, 2026. Workshop materials, including presentation slides, submitted responses, and the Concepts report, are available here.

Board Meeting

CARB will hold a Board Meeting on July 23, 2026 at 1 p.m. A link to the agenda and Zoom access details is available here.

MINNESOTA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION (MPUC)

At its July 16, 2026 weekly agenda meeting, the MPUC will consider: (1) granting the Clean Energy Organizations’ petition for reconsideration regarding the MPUC’s investigation into the Fuel Life-Cycle Analysis Framework for utility compliance with the state’s Carbon-Free Standard (Docket No. E999/CI-24-352), (2) granting Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership, and Enbridge Pipelines (Southern Lights) LLC’s request to reconsider the MPUC’s May 6, 2026 order regarding the need for recertification and requiring preparation of an environmental assessment worksheet, (3) adoption of the ALJ Report and issuance of a site and route permit for Midwater BESS, LLC’s 150 MW Midwater Energy Storage Project and Associated 161 kV Transmission Line (Docket Nos. IP7138/ESS-24-294; IP7138/TL-24-295), and (4) resolution of Xcel Energy’s request to include in rate base the amount claimed as a prepaid pension asset  and earn a return at the Commission-authorized weighted average cost of capital, or whether a prepaid pension asset should be recovered through rate base at all (Docket Nos. E002/GR-21-630, G002/GR-23-413).

On July 13, 2026, the Minnesota Court of Appeals issued a decision affirming a state trial court’s dismissal of a complaint against Northern States Power Company, d/b/a Xcel Energy for multiple breaches of contract related to the Minnesota Community Solar Garden program (CSG Program). In its decision, the Court relies on a novel extension of the filed-rate doctrine to not only preclude a claim for breach of contract related to a bill-credit type modified by the MPUC post contract execution, but also to preclude a claim that Xcel Energy breached its commitment to not seek MPUC approval to modify an agreed upon bill-credit type. In other words, the Court of Appeals extended the filed-rate doctrine to bar a claim before the filed-rate at issue took effect. One potential impact of the decision is that contracts entered into per a statutory requirement provide no protection against regulator-approved rate changes, as any regulator-approved rate change arguably overrides all conflicting contracts, even if approved by the same regulator and required by the Minnesota Legislature. The opinion is available here.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST (OPUC, WUTC, BPA)

Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC)

Following its month-long review, the OPUC approved Portland General Electric’s (PGE) plan to raise rates for data centers by nearly 30%. The OPUC had initially paused the utility’s proposed rate hike in June, seeking some changes to PGE’s filing. PGE’s ensuing corrections included a minor increase to data center customer rates from 29% to 29.7%. PGE maintained the residential rate decrease at 1.3%. Local coverage is here.

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)

On July 15, 2026, BPA held a customer conference call to provide updates regarding BPA Transmission Services’ commercial systems support and development efforts for its transmission customers.

Federal Agencies

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE)

Draft 2026 Transmission Needs Study

DOE published a draft of its National Transmission Needs Study, which assesses current and future transmission needs within the United States. The study found that interregional and cross-interconnection linkages have the greatest potential to relieve transmission congestion and provide resource adequacy benefits. The study also noted that long-term, national-scale modeling studies find that significant transmission investment is needed to cost-effectively meet demand through 2050. The study is open for public comment for 60 days.

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION (FERC)

July 2026 Commission Meeting

FERC noticed its July 2026 Commission Meeting, which will take place on July 16, 2026, at 10 a.m. FERC stated it will consider matters related to western seams coordination, SPP’s revenue crediting process, and tariff revisions from PG&E, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric.

PJM Governance and Stakeholder Reforms Technical Conference

FERC issued a second supplemental notice for its upcoming technical conference on July 23, 2026 from 9a.m.-4p.m. ET, which will examine PJM’s governance and stakeholder processes, with a focus on identifying actionable reforms to improve PJM’s ability to address system needs efficiently and in a timely manner. The conference will be open to the public and will not address specific proceedings but rather focus on identifying reforms to improve PJM’s ability to address system needs in a timely and efficient manner. The technical conference will be in person at FERC and will be webcast. Advanced registration is not required. An agenda for the conference may be found here.

Independent System Operators (ISO) and Regional Transmission Organizations (RTO)

CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT SYSTEM OPERATOR (CAISO)

Stakeholder Initiatives: Upcoming Meetings and Deadlines

Transmission Development Forum Call

The CAISO, the CPUC, and participating transmission owners will hold the biannual stakeholder call on July 29, 2026, to provide status updates on transmission projects approved in the transmission planning process and network upgrades identified in the generation interconnection process. Meeting information can be found here.

2026-2027 Transmission Planning Process Study Plan Posted

The CAISO has posted the 2026-2027 Transmission Planning Process Study Plan, which can be found here.

2026 CAISO Stakeholder Symposium

The 2026 CAISO Stakeholder Symposium will take place on October 6, 2026, at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento, California. Registration is now open, and details can be found here. The Welcome Reception is scheduled for October 5, 2025.  

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[1] Per the CPUC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure Rule 14.3, comments on proposed decisions are due 20 days after issuance of the proposed decision, and reply comments are due five days thereafter.  Comments on draft resolutions are due 20 days after the draft resolution appears in the CPUC’s daily calendar, per Rule 14.5.