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Edison and SDG&E 2015 Triennial Review of
Nuclear DecommissioningTrust and Costs

Background

Every 3 years the CPUC reviews the investor owned utilities proposed costs required for decommissioning California’s nuclear power plants.

On March 1, 2016, Edison and SDG&E filed an Application for their Nuclear Decommissioning Cost Triennial proceeding, seeking CPUC approval for cost recovery related to Palo Verde and SONGS nuclear power plants. SDG&E owns a minority share of SONGS.

Edison requests Palo Verde and SONGS Unit 1 approvals for:

$521.9 million Decommissioning cost estimates
Keep contributions to the Palo Verde Trusts at $0
Keep contributions to the SONGS Unit 1 Trusts at $0

Edison and SDG&E request SONGS approvals for:

$13.9 million for SONGS Unit 1 decommissioning expenses, 2009-2012
$6.2 million for SONGS Unit 1 decommissioning expenses, 2013-2015
$239.4 million updated Decommissioning cost estimates for SONGS Unit 1 remaining work
Reasonableness of 2014 and 2015 SONGS Units 2 & 3 decommissioning expenses

SDG&E request SONGS approvals for:

$2.8 million for SONGS Unit 1 decommissioning expenses, 2009-2012
$1.3 million for SONGS Unit 1 decommissioning expenses, 2013-2015
$47.9 million for updated SONGS Unit 1 Decommissioning cost estimates for remaining work
$42.6 million in future costs for SONGS Units 1, 2 & 3
Costs for 2014 SONGS Units 1, 2 & 3 expenses
Keep contributions to SONGS Unit 1 Trusts at $0

Edison and SDG&E will submit their Decommissioning cost estimates for SONGS Units 2 & 3 to the CPUC in December 2016, as Phase 2 of this proceeding.

ORA Position

ORA finds that there may be material issues of fact in dispute regarding PG&E’s Application requests, including PG&E’s proposed decommissioning costs and forecast revenue requirements. ORA plans to make an in-depth review of PG&E’s Application, as well as conduct additional discovery on these issues.

ORA noted in its Protest that the CPUC previously reviewed the $13.9 million in SONGS 1 decommissioning costs (2009-2012), and that the CPUC found that the utilities failed to meet their burden of proof.

ORA expects to serve its full analysis via written Testimony on August 25, 2016.

See ORA’s:

April 4, 2016 Protest to the utilities’ Application.