The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) held an outreach hearing yesterday in Stockton to discuss the impacts of the proposed rate structure under the 2017 PG&E General Rate Case (GRC).  Association President/CEO Roger Isom testified at the hearing by demanding that this “not just be another meeting!  Electricity prices are already too high!”  The hearing was to take public comments on the Phase 2 portion of the 2017 PG&E GRC.  CPUC Administrative Law Judge Michele Cooke presided over the hearing since she is the ALJ assigned to this case and will ultimately be making the recommendation to the Commissioners on the GRC.  During the hearing, Isom specifically commented on the proposed rates for cotton gins, and tree nut hullers and processors.  Isom also expressed major concerns with shifting the “peak period” and the impact it would have on growers in terms of irrigation scheduling and on the businesses that installed solar and made financials decisions on an assumed rate of return that would now be completely turned upside down. The meeting was fairly well attended, especially by growers and members of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau.  These growers did an outstanding job of expressing their specific concerns with changing the time of use periods.  Phase 2 of the GRC is where rates are divided up amongst the various rate classes and those negotiations are ongoing.  This was an important meeting where industry could express their specific concerns outside of the negotiations.