PG&E Corp

The electric power and natural gas industries are undergoing significant changes driven by technological advancements and a decarbonized economy, which could lead to the reduction in demand for natural gas as an energy resource that could impact the Utility’s ability to recover the value of its investments through rates.

The electric power industry is undergoing transformative change driven by technological advancements enabling customer choice and state climate policy supporting a decarbonized economy. California utilities also are experiencing increasing deployment by customers and third parties of distributed energy resources, such as on-site solar generation, electric vehicles, electric heat pump space conditioning and water heating, battery electric storage, fuel cells, energy efficiency, and demand response technologies. These developments will require further modernization of the electric distribution grid to, among other things, accommodate increasing two-way flows of electricity and increase the grid’s capacity to interconnect these resources. In addition, enabling California’s clean energy transition will require sustained investments in grid modernization, renewable energy integration projects, energy efficiency programs, energy storage options, electric vehicle infrastructure, and state infrastructure modernization (e.g., rail and water projects). The Utility may be unable to effectively adapt to these potential business and regulatory changes, for instance by failing to meet customer demand for new business interconnections in a timely manner. The CPUC is also conducting proceedings to evaluate changes to the planning and operation of the electric distribution grid in order to prepare for higher penetration of distributed energy resources and consider future grid modernization and grid reinforcement investments; evaluate if traditional grid investments can be deferred by distributed energy resources, and if feasible, what, if any, compensation to utilities would be appropriate for enabling those investments; and clarify the role of the electric distribution grid operator. If the Utility is unable to effectively adapt to these potential business and regulatory changes, its business model and its ability to execute on its strategy could be materially impacted.

Various jurisdictions within California have enacted prohibitions or restrictions on use and consumption of natural gas, for example in buildings, that will reduce the use of natural gas. Reducing natural gas use reduces the gas customer base and could diminish the need for gas infrastructure and, as a result, could lead to certain gas assets no longer being “used and useful” (under CPUC precedent, when an asset no longer meets the standard of “used and useful,” the asset is removed from rate base, which may result in a reduction in associated rate recovery). In that case, gas assets with substantial investment value could become stranded, resulting in accelerated depreciation or impairment of assets. The Utility could also be required to incur significant decommissioning costs, which may require additional funding. However, even as natural gas demand is projected to decline over time, the costs of operating a safe and reliable gas delivery system in California have been increasing, among other things, to cover the cost of long-term pipeline safety enhancements. If the Utility is unable to recover through rates its investments into the natural gas system while still ensuring gas system safety and reliability, its financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and cash flows could be materially affected.

These industry changes, costs associated with complying with new regulatory developments and initiatives and with technological advancements, or the Utility’s inability to successfully adapt to changes in the electric and gas industry, could materially affect the Utility’s financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and cash flows.