Clean Energy Fuels Corp. v. Public Utilities Commission

Clean Energy Fuels Coip. (Clean Energy) has filed petitions for writ of review to challenge the Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) decisions approving Southern California Gas Company’s (SoCalGas) application for a “Compression Services Tariff.” Under the tariff, SoCalGas would design, build, own, operate, and maintain equipment on nonresidential customers’ property to compress, store, and dispense natural gas above standard line pressure for customer end-use applications, including natural gas vehicle refueling, combined heat and power facilities, and peaking powerplants.

Clean Energy contends we must annul the PUC’s decisions because the competitive advantages SoCalGas has as a regulated monopoly utility allows it to unfairly compete with nonutility enterprises in the unregulated compressed natural gas market. According to Clean Energy, the PUC’s decisions approving the Compression Services Tariff are inconsistent with approximately 20 years of PUC precedent establishing policies and rules to promote the development of . alternative fuel vehicle markets through fair competition. Clean Energy also contends the PUC failed to make adequate findings explaining its reasons…