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SDG&E crews work
around the clock to
maintain electric
service and, in 2003,
the company achieved
its highest customer-
satisfaction ratings in
the past eight years.
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San Diego Gas & Electric
In 2003, SDG&E extended service to some 11,000 new gas and 18,000 new electric customers, resulting in a total of 800,000 metered gas customers and
1.3 million metered electric customers.
Meeting the needs of customers and providing high levels of service remain key focuses at SDG&E, which, in 2003, resulted in the highest customer-satisfaction levels since 1996. This achievement was even more notable due to such challenges as high call volumes and extraordinary service needs related to the firestorms in October 2003.
On January 1, 2003, a new California law took effect restoring utilities to their prior roles as full-service energy providers, responsible for planning and procuring energy for their customers, as well as energy delivery.
In late 2003, SDG&E filed its power-procurement plan with the CPUC to fulfill its expanded role, assure grid reliability in the coming years and deliver value to customers. The plan reflects the company's commitment to create a balanced portfolio of resource types, calling for a new mix of resources and conservation, including energy from renewable resources such as biomass energy and solar thermal-generation technology. Purchasing locally generated electricity is an important part of the proposed plan, which includes ownership of the Palomar power plant being developed by Sempra Energy Resources, and a 10-year power-purchase contract with Calpine's Otay Mesa plant. This procurement plan would add more than $600 million to SDG&E's rate base.
Another important CPUC filing was made in 2003 when SDG&E reached a multi-party settlement with the majority of parties in its Cost-of-Service rate case.
SDG&E also made important infrastructure investments to expand three electric-transmission and substation systems. The projects were designed to improve reliability and create better access to cost-effective generating resources, at a cost of about $66 million. In December 2003, SDG&E became the first investor-owned electric utility in the Western United States to put formula-based rates in place for its electric-transmission
revenue requirements. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved SDG&E's plan, ensuring the recovery of all costs associated with maintaining and expanding its infrastructure, while earning an 11.25-percent return on equity.
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