Background

On May 21, 1997, the California Energy Commission adopted an Order Instituting Rulemaking to consider changes to its data collection and confidentiality regulations (Cal. Code Regs., title 20, sections 1301 et seq., and 2501 et seq.). On June 25, 1997, the Energy Commission adopted an Order Instituting Informational Proceeding to consider a broad range of changes to its data-related activities. The Energy Commission has joined these two proceedings into one docket: 97-DC&CR-1. This proceeding is informally referred to as the Energy Market Information proceeding, and the Commission delegated the authority to conduct the proceeding to the Ad Hoc Information Committee. This Committee was later abolished and delegation was assigned to the Electricty and Natural Gas Committee.

Scope of the Proceeding

The Energy Commission's adopted Strategic Plan (Publication No. P102-97-001) is a guiding document for this proceeding. This plan states that the Energy Commission should:

Collect targeted energy data and provide policy makers, consumers and other market participants with useful, objective information and analyses based on that data.

Within this proceeding, the committee will seek ideas and recommendations from participants on the kinds of activities the Energy Commission should undertake to identify and satisfy information needs. The committee will review the Energy Commission's current data-related activities and discuss options which may alter or eliminate them. This process will identify both market and government needs for new types of energy information.

The committee will use this proceeding to optimize the Commission's ability to guarantee access to the data required to monitor energy market performance, evaluate existing energy policies, and recommend new energy policies. The Commission's Strategic Plan states that the Energy Commission shall:

Make energy public policy recommendations based on relevant, objective information and analyses to the Governor, Legislature and other federal, state and local decision makers that promote affordable energy supplies, improve energy reliability and enhance health, economic well-being and environmental quality.

The committee will conduct several workshops and information system demonstrations in August, September and October. Our goal is to propose changes to our confidentiality regulations in September and to produce a planning document in November that includes:

• Proposed changes to the Title 20 data collection regulations
  
  
• Proposed changes to the Warren-Alquist Act
  
  
• Lists of current and proposed inter-agency agreements for the cooperative use of data
  
  
• A description of the framework the Energy Commission will use to store and publish information about energy markets and energy-related product and service markets
  
  
• Outstanding issues and a calendar of events for the remainder of the proceeding