20th Annual Supplier Diversity En Banc

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will hold its annual Utility Supplier Diversity En Banc virtually on October 13, 2022, following the release this month of its annual supplier diversity report showing that in 2021 utilities procured more than $12.3 billion (31.2 percent) in goods and services from minority; women; disabled veteran; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) businesses. This is an increase from $11.7 billion (30.1 percent) in 2020.

The CPUC’s General Order 156, revised in April 2022 (Decision 22-04-035), encourages regulated utilities, community choice aggregators, and electric service providers to purchase 15 percent from minority businesses; 5 percent from women businesses; 1.5 percent from disabled veteran businesses; and from LGBT businesses 0.5 percent for 2022, 1 percent for 2023, and 1.5 percent for 2024 and beyond.

At the CPUC’s 20^th annual supplier diversity En Banc, entitled “Implementing Best Practices to Reshape the Future of Supplier Diversity,” utilities, community choice aggregators, electric service providers, and others will discuss the program and hear from stakeholders and the public. The En Banc will be held virtually on October 13, 2022, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. For more information, please see: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/about-cpuc/divisions/news-and-public-information-office/business-and-community-outreach/supplier-diversity-program/annual-supplier-diversity-en-banc.

Access the En Banc via webcast or phone, as follows:

• Live webcast with English or Spanish captions: www.adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc
• Participants who choose to participate via webcast only will have audio and video, but will not be able to make verbal comment. If you would like to make comments during the meeting, refer to the phone-in information.
• For captions, after clicking on the name of the workshop, click the green button below the video for captions. Then select captions by clicking on the white icon next to the word “live” at the bottom of the video.
• The webcast will be recorded and archived for future viewing.
• Phone English: 1-800-857-1917, passcode 1673482#
• Phone Spanish: 1-800-857-1917, passcode: 3799627#
• Participants will have audio and will be able to make comments during the public comment period of the En Banc.
• To make a public comment during the public comment period, press *1 (star one) when prompted to be placed in a queue by the operator.
• Participants will be placed on mute in “listen-only” mode until the public comment period of the En Banc, which will take place at the end of the En Banc.

Interested participants may submit comments about the Supplier Diversity Program by emailing supplierdiversity@cpuc.ca.gov.

If you plan to participate in the En Banc and need specialized accommodations, such as language interpreters, please contact the CPUC’s Public Advisor’s Office at least five business days in advance of the En Bacn at CPUC Public Advisor, 505 Van Ness Ave., Room 2103, San Francisco, CA 94102 or call 1-866-849-8390 or 1-415-703-2074; or email public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov.

While a quorum of Commissioners and/or their staff may attend the En Banc, no official action will be taken.

The CPUC’s supplier diversity report, the reports filed by utilities and CCAs, and more information about the En Banc are available at www.cpuc.ca.gov/supplierdiversity.