SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION (SONGS)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Regulated Operations [Abstract]

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS)

SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION (SONGS)

SDG&E has a 20-percent ownership interest in SONGS, a nuclear generating facility near San Clemente, California, which ceased operations in June 2013. On June 6, 2013, after an extended outage beginning in 2012, Southern California Edison Company (Edison), the majority owner and operator of SONGS, notified SDG&E that it had reached a decision to permanently retire SONGS and seek approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to start the decommissioning activities for the entire facility. SONGS is subject to the jurisdiction of the NRC and the CPUC.

SDG&E, and each of the other owners, holds its undivided interest as a tenant in common in the property. Each owner is responsible for financing its share of expenses and capital expenditures. SDG&E’s share of operating expenses is included in Sempra Energy’s and SDG&E’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

SONGS Steam Generator Replacement Project

As part of the Steam Generator Replacement Project, the steam generators were replaced in SONGS Units 2 and 3, and the Units returned to service in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Both Units were shut down in early 2012 after a water leak occurred in the Unit 3 steam generator. Edison concluded that the leak was due to unexpected wear from tube-to-tube contact. At the time the leak was identified, Edison also inspected and tested Unit 2 and subsequently found unexpected tube wear in Unit 2’s steam generator. These issues with the steam generators ultimately resulted in Edison’s decision to permanently retire SONGS.

The replacement steam generators were designed and provided by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems, Inc., and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc. (collectively MHI). In July 2013, SDG&E filed a lawsuit against MHI seeking to recover damages SDG&E has incurred and will incur related to the design defects in the steam generators. In October 2013, Edison instituted binding arbitration proceedings against MHI seeking damages as well. SDG&E is participating in the arbitration as a claimant and respondent. The arbitration hearing concluded in April 2016, and a decision could come as early as this year. We discuss these proceedings in Note 11.

Settlement Agreement to Resolve the CPUC’s Order Instituting Investigation (OII) into the SONGS Outage (SONGS OII)

In November 2012, in response to the outage, the CPUC issued the SONGS OII, which was intended to determine the ultimate recovery of the investment in SONGS and the costs incurred since the commencement of this outage, including purchased replacement power costs, which are typically recovered through the Energy Resource Recovery Account (ERRA).

In April 2014, SDG&E filed with the CPUC in the SONGS OII proceeding a Settlement Agreement, along with Edison, The Utility Reform Network (TURN), the CPUC Office of Ratepayer Advocates (ORA) and two other intervenors who joined the Settlement Agreement (collectively, the Settling Parties).

In September 2014, the Settling Parties executed an Amended and Restated Settlement Agreement (Amended Settlement Agreement), which amended the Settlement Agreement, and in November 2014, the CPUC issued a final decision approving the Amended Settlement Agreement. The Amended Settlement Agreement does not affect on-going or future proceedings before the NRC, or litigation or arbitration related to potential future recoveries from third parties (except for the allocation to ratepayers of any recoveries as described below) or proceedings addressing decommissioning activities and costs. We discuss the terms of the Amended Settlement Agreement and related filings in Note 13 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Annual Report.

In April 2015, a petition for modification (PFM) was filed with the CPUC by Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility (A4NR), an intervenor in the SONGS OII proceeding, asking the CPUC to set aside its decision approving the Amended Settlement Agreement and reopen the SONGS OII proceeding. In June 2015, TURN, a party to the Amended Settlement Agreement, filed a responsesupporting the A4NR petition. TURN does not question the merits of the Amended Settlement Agreement, but is concerned that certain allegations regarding Edison raised by A4NR have undermined the public’s confidence in the regulatory process. SDG&E has responded that TURN’s concerns regarding public perception do not impact the reasonableness of the Amended Settlement Agreement and are insufficient to overturn it.

In August 2015, ORA, also a party to the Amended Settlement Agreement, filed a PFM with the CPUC, withdrawing its support for the Amended Settlement Agreement and asking the CPUC to reopen the SONGS OII proceeding. The ORA does not question the merits of the Amended Settlement Agreement, but is concerned with the CPUC’s approach toward disclosures concerning Edison ex parte communications with the CPUC. SDG&E responded that the ORA’s PFM is insufficient to overturn the Amended Settlement Agreement, because the ORA fails to make a case that the Amended Settlement Agreement is no longer in the public interest.

In May 2016, the CPUC issued a ruling reopening the record of the OII to address the issue of whether the Amended Settlement Agreement is reasonable and in the public interest. In accordance with the ruling, Edison and SDG&E filed separate reports with the CPUC in June 2016 on the Amended Settlement Agreement and the status of its implementation, and filed separate legal briefs in July 2016 asserting that the Amended Settlement Agreement is reasonable and in the public interest.

Accounting and Financial Impacts

Through December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2016, the cumulative after-tax loss from plant closure recorded by Sempra Energy and SDG&E is $125 million, including a reduction in the after-tax loss of $13 million recorded in the first quarter of 2015. The remaining regulatory asset for the expected recovery of SONGS costs, consistent with the Amended Settlement Agreement, is $195 million ($45 million current and $150 million long-term) at September 30, 2016 and is recorded on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets in Other Current Assets and Regulatory Assets Noncurrent, respectively, at Sempra Energy, and in Regulatory Assets Current and Other Regulatory Assets Noncurrent, respectively, at SDG&E. The amortization period prescribed for the regulatory asset is 10 years, which commenced in January 2015 following the CPUC’s final decision approving the Amended Settlement Agreement in November 2014.

Settlement with Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (NEIL)

NEIL insures domestic and international nuclear utilities for the costs associated with interruptions, damages, decontaminations and related nuclear risks. In October 2015, the SONGS co-owners (Edison, SDG&E and the City of Riverside) reached an agreement with NEIL to resolve all of SONGS’ insurance claims arising out of the failures of the replacement steam generators for a total payment by NEIL of $400 million, SDG&E’s share of which is $80 million. Pursuant to the terms of the SONGS OII Amended Settlement Agreement, after reimbursement of legal fees and a 5-percent allocation to shareholders, the net proceeds of $75 million were allocated to ratepayers through ERRA. We discuss NEIL further in Note 11.

Nuclear Decommissioning and Funding

As a result of Edison’s decision to permanently retire SONGS Units 2 and 3, Edison has begun the decommissioning phase of the plant. We discuss the process of decommissioning SONGS and oversight by the NRC in Note 13 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Annual Report.

In accordance with state and federal requirements and regulations, SDG&E has assets held in trusts, referred to as the Nuclear Decommissioning Trusts (NDT), to fund decommissioning costs for SONGS Units 1, 2 and 3. Decommissioning of Unit 1, removed from service in 1992, is largely complete. The remaining work will be done when Units 2 and 3 are decommissioned. At September 30, 2016, the fair value of SDG&E’s NDT assets was $1.1 billion. Except for the use of funds for the planning of decommissioning activities or NDT administrative costs, CPUC approval is required for SDG&E to access the NDT assets to fund SONGS decommissioning costs for Units 2 and 3.

In April 2016, the CPUC adopted a decision approving a total decommissioning cost estimate for SONGS Units 2 and 3 of $4.411 billion (in 2014 dollars), of which SDG&E’s share is $899 million. The decision also approves an annual advice letter request process for SDG&E to request trust fund disbursements for decommissioning costs based on a forecast for 2016 and thereafter. Disbursements from the trust will then be made up to this annual forecast amount as decommissioning expenses are incurred. All disbursements will be subject to future refund until a reasonableness review of the actual decommissioning costs is conducted, which would be no less frequently than every three years.

SDG&E has received authorization from the CPUC to access trust funds for SONGS decommissioning costs of up to $218 million for 2013 through 2016 (forecasted). The total of $218 million includes $37 million authorized for withdrawal that is pending satisfactory clarification by final settlement of unresolved spent fuel storage costs with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) or clarification by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that certain spent fuel costs and other costs are eligible decommissioning costs, payable from qualified nuclear decommissioning trusts. We are uncertain as to when such settlement or clarification will be obtained.

We discuss the NDT and matters related to its funding and the funding of decommissioning costs by the NDT further in Note 13 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Annual Report. We discuss matters related to spent nuclear fuel in Note 11.

Nuclear Decommissioning Trusts

The amounts collected in rates for SONGS’ decommissioning are invested in the NDT, which is comprised of externally managed trust funds. Amounts held by the trusts are invested in accordance with CPUC regulations. These trusts are presented on the Sempra Energy and SDG&E Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value with the offsetting credits recorded in Regulatory Liabilities Arising from Removal Obligations.

The following table shows the fair values and gross unrealized gains and losses for the securities held in the NDT. We provide additional fair value disclosures for the NDT in Note 8.

NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING TRUSTS
(Dollars in millions)
	Cost		Gross unrealized gains		Gross unrealized losses			Estimated fair value
At September 30, 2016:
Debt securities:
Debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury and other
U.S. government corporations and agencies(1)	$	95	$	5	$	—		$	100
Municipal bonds(2)	150		11		—			161
Other securities(2)	183		9		(4		)	188
Total debt securities	428		25		(4		)	449
Equity securities	188		422		(3		)	607
Cash and cash equivalents	12		—		—			12
Total	$	628	$	447	$	(7	)	$	1,068
At December 31, 2015:
Debt securities:
Debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury and other
U.S. government corporations and agencies	$	89	$	2	$	—		$	91
Municipal bonds	148		8		—			156
Other securities	194		1		(13		)	182
Total debt securities	431		11		(13		)	429
Equity securities	214		412		(7		)	619
Cash and cash equivalents	15		—		—			15
Total	$	660	$	423	$	(20	)	$	1,063

(1) Maturity dates are 2017-2065.

(2) Maturity dates are 2016-2115.

The following table shows the proceeds from sales of securities in the NDT and gross realized gains and losses on those sales:

SALES OF SECURITIES
(Dollars in millions)
	Three months ended September 30,						Nine months ended September 30,
	2016			2015			2016			2015
Proceeds from sales(1)	$	282		$	210		$	486		$	431
Gross realized gains	24			18			32			24
Gross realized losses	(3		)	(6		)	(14		)	(13		)

(1) Excludes securities that are held to maturity.

Net unrealized gains (losses) are included in Regulatory Liabilities Arising from Removal Obligations on Sempra Energy’s and SDG&E’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. We determine the cost of securities in the trusts on the basis of specific identification.

CALIFORNIA UTILITIES’ REGULATORY MATTERS

We discuss regulatory matters affecting our California Utilities in Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Annual Report, and provide updates to those discussions and details of any new matters below.

JOINT MATTERS

CPUC General Rate Case (GRC)

The CPUC uses a general rate case proceeding to set sufficient rates to allow the California Utilities to recover their reasonable cost of operations and maintenance and to provide the opportunity to realize their authorized rates of return on their investment.

The California Utilities filed their 2016 General Rate Case (2016 GRC) applications in November 2014. In September 2015, the California Utilities filed settlement agreements with the CPUC to resolve all material matters related to the proceeding, except for the revenue requirement implications of certain income tax benefits associated with flow-through tax repair deductions, discussed below. The settlement agreements were with eight of eleven intervening parties.

In June 2016, the CPUC issued a final decision in the 2016 GRC. The final decision (2016 GRC FD) adopts substantially all of the terms of the settlement agreements entered into between SDG&E and SoCalGas and eight of the eleven intervening parties in the 2016 GRC. The 2016 GRC FD adopts two revenue requirement changes, the first of which, relating to the extension of bonus depreciation, is the only significant change to the settlement agreements. The second revenue requirement adjustment relates to income tax benefits associated with flow-through repair deductions (the settling parties did not reach agreement on this second matter). With these adjustments, the final decision adopts a 2016 revenue requirement of $1.791 billion for SDG&E, which is $20 million less than the $1.811 billion proposed in the settlement agreements. For SoCalGas, the final decision’s adjustments result in a 2016 revenue requirement of $2.204 billion, which is $15 million less than the $2.219 billion proposed in the settlement agreements. The 2016 GRC FD also requires certain refunds to be paid to customers and establishes a two-way income tax expense memorandum account, each discussed below.

Consistent with the settlement agreements, the 2016 GRC FD adopts subsequent annual escalation of the adopted revenue requirements by 3.5 percent for years 2017 and 2018 and continuation of the Z-Factor mechanism for qualifying cost recovery. The Z-Factor mechanism allows the California Utilities to seek cost recovery of significant cost increases, under certain unforeseen circumstances, incurred between GRC filings, subject to a $5 million deductible per event. Also, the 2016 GRC FD denies a separate agreement between the ORA and the California Utilities requesting a four-year GRC period and instead adopts a three-year GRC period (through 2018).

The California Utilities recorded revenues in the first quarter of 2016 based on levels authorized for 2015 under the 2012 GRC, because a final decision in the 2016 GRC was not issued by March 31, 2016. The 2016 GRC FD is effective retroactive to January 1, 2016, and the California Utilities recorded the retroactive impacts in the second quarter of 2016. For SoCalGas and SDG&E, these amounts include an incremental after-tax earnings impact of $12 million and $9 million, respectively, related to the first quarter of 2016. The adopted revenue requirements associated with the seven-month period through July 2016 will be recovered in rates over a 17-month period, beginning August 2016. At September 30, 2016, SoCalGas is reporting on its Condensed Balance Sheet a regulatory asset of $58 million, with $12 million as noncurrent, representing retroactive revenue from the 2016 GRC FD from January 1 through June 30, 2016 to be recovered in rates through December 2017. At September 30, 2016, SDG&E is reporting on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet a regulatory asset of $25 million, with $5 million as noncurrent, representing retroactive revenue from the 2016 GRC FD from January 1 through June 30, 2016 to be recovered in rates through December 2017.

The 2016 GRC FD results in certain accounting impacts associated with the income tax repairs deduction matter. In general, the 2016 GRC FD considers that the income tax benefits obtained from income tax repairs deductions exceeded amounts forecasted by the California Utilities from 2011 to 2015, and that they were attributed to shareholders during that time. The 2016 GRC FD reallocates the economic benefit of this tax deduction forecasting difference to ratepayers. Accordingly, revenues corresponding to income tax repair deductions that exceeded forecasted amounts relating to 2015, which have been tracked in memorandum accounts, are ordered to be refunded to customers. The 2015 estimated amounts in the memorandum accounts totaled $72 million for SoCalGas and $37 million for SDG&E. Pursuant to this refund requirement, SoCalGas and SDG&E recorded regulatory liabilities for these amounts, resulting in after-tax charges to earnings of $43 million and $22 million, respectively, in the second quarter of 2016 (summarized below). In addition, the 2016 GRC FD reduced rate base by $38 million at SoCalGas and $55 million at SDG&E. The corresponding reductions in the 2016 revenue requirement will be $5 million at SoCalGas and $7 million at SDG&E (which reductions are included in the adopted 2016 revenue requirement amounts described above). The rate base reductions reallocate to ratepayers the economic benefits associated with tax repair deductions that were previously provided to the shareholders for the period of 2012-2014 for SoCalGas and 2011-2014 for SDG&E. The rate base reductions do not result in an impairment of any of our reported assets, but will impact our revenues and earnings prospectively.

The 2016 GRC FD also requires us to notify the CPUC if the 2012-2015 repairs deductions estimated in this GRC are different from the actual repairs deductions for SDG&E and SoCalGas. SoCalGas and SDG&E recorded regulatory liabilities of $11 million and $15 million, respectively, related to 2012-2014, resulting in after-tax charges to earnings for these differences of $6 million and $9 million in the second quarter of 2016 for SoCalGas and SDG&E, respectively (summarized below). In the third quarter of 2016, SDG&E and SoCalGas completed their 2015 calendar year tax returns, and final tax deductions associated with tax repair benefits to be refunded to ratepayers associated with the 2015 memo account are lower than the amounts estimated in 2015. Accordingly, the amounts to be refunded decreased by $5 million for SDG&E and $19 million for SoCalGas. In October 2016, SDG&E and SoCalGas filed a regulatory account update with the CPUC to reflect their final total 2015 repair allowance deductions of $32 million and $53 million, respectively. After recording the related income tax effect and corresponding regulatory revenue adjustments for income tax purposes, there was no net impact to earnings from the adjustments to the 2015 tax repairs deductions recorded in the third quarter of 2016. Accordingly, the earnings impacts in the table below are also the impacts in the nine months ended September 30, 2016.

Following is a summary of immediate earnings impacts from the 2016 GRC FD recorded in the second quarter of 2016:

EARNINGS IMPACTS FROM THE 2016 GRC FD RECORDED IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2016
(Dollars in millions)
	SoCalGas						SDG&E
	Pretax earnings (charge)			After-tax earnings (charge)			Pretax earnings (charge)			After-tax earnings (charge)
Retroactive revenue requirement increase
for the first quarter of 2016	$	20		$	12		$	15		$	9
Adjustments to revenue related to tax
repairs deductions:
2015 memorandum account balance	$	(72	)	$	(43	)	$	(37	)	$	(22	)
True-up of 2012-2014 estimates to actuals	(11		)	(6		)	(15		)	(9		)
Total	$	(83	)	$	(49	)	$	(52	)	$	(31	)

In July 2016, SDG&E, SoCalGas and the parties to the settlement agreements filed a joint motion indicating their agreement to accept the CPUC’s adjustments to the original settlements with one additional change. The settlement parties agree that SDG&E and SoCalGas will retain the right to seek further review and modification of the bonus depreciation adjustment made by the CPUC, so that SDG&E and/or SoCalGas can pursue relief in the form of full or partial restoration of the total revenue requirements reflected in the original settlement agreements. We expect CPUC action on the joint motion in 2016 or 2017.

Finally, the 2016 GRC FD requires the establishment of a two-way income tax expense memorandum account to track any revenue differences resulting from differences between the income tax expense forecasted in the GRC and the income tax expense incurred by the California Utilities from 2016 through 2018. The differences tracked are to specifically include tax expense differences relating to

▪ net revenue changes;

▪ mandatory tax law, tax accounting, tax procedural, or tax policy changes; and

▪ elective tax law, tax accounting, tax procedural, or tax policy changes.

The account will remain open, and the balance in the account will be reviewed in subsequent GRC proceedings, until the CPUC decides to close the account. In July 2016, to address the implementation of the 2016 GRC FD, the California Utilities filed an advice letter to establish a two-way memorandum account to track revenue requirement differences resulting from the differences in the income tax expense forecasted in the GRC proceedings of SDG&E and SoCalGas and the income tax expense incurred by them during the GRC period. Starting in the second quarter of 2016, SoCalGas and SDG&E are recording liabilities associated with tracking the differences in the income tax expense forecasted in the GRC proceedings and the income tax expense incurred, which for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2016 resulted in after-tax charges to earnings of $2 million ($4 million pretax) and $11 million ($19 million pretax), respectively, for SoCalGas and negligible amounts for SDG&E.

Natural Gas Pipeline Operations Safety Assessments

In June 2014, the CPUC issued a final decision addressing SDG&E’s and SoCalGas’ Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan (PSEP). Specifically, the decision determined the following for Phase 1 of the program:

▪ approved the utilities’ model for implementing PSEP;

▪ approved a process, including a reasonableness review, to determine the amount that the utilities will be authorized to recover from ratepayers for the interim costs incurred through the date of the final decision to implement PSEP, which is recorded in regulatory accounts authorized by the CPUC;

▪ approved balancing account treatment, subject to a reasonableness review, for incremental costs yet to be incurred to implement PSEP; and

▪ established the criteria to determine the amounts that would not be eligible for cost recovery, including:

◦ certain costs incurred or to be incurred searching for pipeline test records,

◦ the cost of pressure testing pipelines installed after July 1, 1961 for which the company has not found sufficient records of testing, and

◦ any undepreciated balances for pipelines installed after 1961 that were replaced due to insufficient documentation of pressure testing.

As a result of this decision, SoCalGas recorded an after-tax earnings charge of $5 million in 2014 for costs incurred in prior periods that were no longer subject to recovery. After taking the amounts disallowed for recovery into consideration, as of September 30, 2016, SDG&E and SoCalGas have recorded PSEP costs of $18 million and $212 million, respectively, in the CPUC-authorized regulatory account.

In July 2014, the ORA and TURN filed a joint application for rehearing of the CPUC’s June 2014 final decision. In March 2015, the CPUC issued a decision denying the ORA’s and TURN’s second request for rehearing, but keeping the record open to admit additional evidence on the limited issue of pressure testing or replacing pipelines installed between January 1, 1956 and July 1, 1961. The ORA and TURN allege that the CPUC made a legal error in directing that ratepayers, not shareholders, be responsible for the costs associated with testing or replacing transmission pipelines that were installed between January 1, 1956 and July 1, 1961 for which the California Utilities do not have a record of a pressure test. In December 2015, the CPUC issued a final decision finding that ratepayers should not bear the costs associated with pressure testing subject pipelines, or, if replaced, ratepayers should bear neither the average cost of pressure testing nor the undepreciated balance of abandoned pipelines. In January 2016, SoCalGas and SDG&E jointly filed a request with the CPUC seeking rehearing of its December 2015 decision. In May 2016, the CPUC issued a decision denying the request for rehearing. Through September 30, 2016, the after-tax disallowed costs for SoCalGas and SDG&E are $3.6 million and $0.5 million, respectively.

In October 2014, SDG&E and SoCalGas filed a petition with the CPUC requesting authority to begin to recover PSEP costs from customers in the year in which the costs are incurred, subject to refund pending the results of a reasonableness review by the CPUC, instead of recovery of such costs in a subsequent year.

In August 2016, the CPUC issued a final decision authorizing SoCalGas and SDG&E to recover, subject to refund pending reasonableness reviews, the revenue requirements associated with 50 percent of their incurred PSEP Phase 1 costs recorded to regulatory accounts; file two reasonableness review applications for Phase 1 projects completed through 2017; file a Phase 2 revenue requirement forecast application for costs to be incurred in 2017 and 2018; and include in their 2019 GRC applications, and any future GRCs, all other PSEP costs not the subject of prior applications.

In December 2014, SDG&E and SoCalGas filed an application with the CPUC for recovery of $0.1 million and $46 million, respectively, in costs recorded in the regulatory account through June 11, 2014. In June 2015, SDG&E and SoCalGas agreed to remove certain projects from the filing and defer their review to future proceedings when the projects are fully completed. The ORA, TURN and the Southern California Generation Coalition (SCGC) have recommended disallowances related to completed projects, as well as facilities build-out costs, de-scoped projects, and project management and consulting costs. The CPUC issued a proposed decision in September 2016, revised in October 2016, finding the costs associated with completed projects reasonable and approving $0.1 million and $33.1 million of the total costs requested by SDG&E and SoCalGas, respectively. The proposed decision does not approve approximately $2 million in insurance-related costs, but allows SDG&E and SoCalGas to seek recovery at a later date. A final decision is expected in the fourth quarter of 2016.

In September 2016, SoCalGas and SDG&E filed a joint application with the CPUC for reasonableness review and rate recovery of costs of certain pipeline safety projects completed by June 30, 2015 and recorded in their authorized regulatory accounts. The total costs submitted for review are $180.5 million for SoCalGas and $14.9 million for SDG&E. SoCalGas and SDG&E expect a decision from the CPUC in 2017.

SDG&E MATTERS

Wildfire Claims Cost Recovery

In September 2015, SDG&E filed an application with the CPUC requesting rate recovery of an estimated $379 million in costs related to the October 2007 wildfires that have been recorded to the Wildfire Expense Memorandum Account (WEMA). These costs represent a portion of the estimated total of $2.4 billion in costs and legal fees that SDG&E has incurred to resolve third-party damage claims arising from the October 2007 wildfires. The requested amount of $379 million is the net estimated cost incurred by SDG&E after deductions for insurance reimbursement ($1.1 billion), third party settlement recoveries ($824 million) and allocations to FERC-jurisdictional rates ($80 million), and reflects a voluntary 10 percent shareholder contribution applied to the net WEMA balance ($42 million). SDG&E requested a CPUC decision by the end of 2016 and is proposing to recover the costs in rates over a six- to ten-year period. In April 2016, the CPUC issued a ruling establishing the scope and schedule for the proceeding, which will be managed in two phases. Phase 1 will address SDG&E’s operational and management prudence surrounding the 2007 wildfires. Phase 2 will address whether SDG&E’s actions and decision-making in connection with settling legal claims in relation to the wildfires were reasonable. In October 2016, intervening parties submitted Phase 1 testimony raising various concerns with SDG&E’s operations and management prior to and during the 2007 wildfires. Participating parties asked that the CPUC reject SDG&E’s request for cost recovery. Evidentiary hearings in Phase 1 are scheduled to be held in January 2017, with a final decision scheduled to be issued in the second half of 2017. The procedural schedule for Phase 2 will be determined after Phase 1 is concluded.

In September 2015, the presiding judge assigned by the FERC to SDG&E’s annual Electric Transmission Formula Rate filing (TO4 Formula Cycle 2) issued an initial decision and an order on summary judgment that authorized SDG&E to recover all of the costs incurred and allocated to SDG&E’s FERC-regulated operations, including $23.1 million of costs associated with the 2007 wildfires. In October 2015, the CPUC filed a request for rehearing of the FERC’s September 2015 order, which requested abeyance of SDG&E’s request to recover 2007 wildfire damage expenses. In April 2016, the FERC affirmed its findings in the September 2015 order and denied the CPUC’s request for rehearing. The FERC decision finalizes SDG&E’s base transmission revenue requirement and the recovery of $23.1 million of wildfire damage expenses allocated to SDG&E’s FERC-regulated operations.

We provide additional information about wildfire litigation costs and their recovery in Note 11.

SONGS

We discuss regulatory and other matters related to SONGS in Note 9.

SOCALGAS MATTERS

Aliso Canyon Turbine Replacement Project

In September 2016, SoCalGas received a citation from the CPUC alleging non-compliance with environmental mitigation measures outlined in the final environmental impact report for the Aliso Canyon Turbine Replacement Project. In particular, the allegations assert that SoCalGas failed to properly implement and maintain mitigation measures prescribed in the project’s Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan, which is designed primarily to protect overall water quality and to minimize erosion and sedimentation during construction. Additionally, the CPUC alleges that SoCalGas crews repeatedly encroached upon a nesting bird buffer zone during construction. As a result of procedural matters, the CPUC re-issued the citation on October 26, 2016. The fines associated with the citation are approximately $700,000. SoCalGas is in the process of evaluating the citation and its options in response to the citation.

Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility

We discuss various regulatory matters regarding the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility and leak in Note 11.

Natural Gas Procurement

In June 2016, SoCalGas filed an application for a gas cost incentive mechanism award of $5 million for natural gas procured for its core customers during the 12-month period ended March 31, 2016. The CPUC’s current schedule calls for a decision in the first half of 2017.

CALIFORNIA UTILITIES — MAJOR PROJECTS

We discuss the California Utilities’ major projects in detail in Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Annual Report, and provide updates to those discussions and details in the tables below.

MAJOR PROJECTS – UPDATES

Joint Utilities Projects

Southern Gas System Reliability Project (North-South Pipeline)

▪ In July 2016, the CPUC issued a final decision which denies the California Utilities’ request for a permit to construct.

▪ In June 2016, SoCalGas recorded an after-tax impairment charge of $13 million for the development costs it had invested in the project. The pretax charge of $22 million is included in Impairment Losses on Sempra Energy’s and SoCalGas’ Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. We expect to make a filing to the CPUC seeking recovery of all or a portion of these costs.

Pipeline Safety & Reliability Project

▪ SDG&E and SoCalGas filed an amended application with the CPUC in March 2016 providing detailed analysis and testimony supporting the proposed project. The revised request also presents additional information on the costs and benefits of project alternatives, safety evaluation and compliance analysis, and statutory and procedural requirements. SDG&E and SoCalGas seek approval to construct the proposed project, estimated at a cost of $633 million, and authority to recover the associated revenue requirement in rates.

SDG&E Projects

Cleveland National Forest (CNF) Transmission Projects

▪ In May 2016, the CPUC issued a final decision granting SDG&E a permit to construct. The project will be installed at an estimated cost of $680 million: $470 million for the various transmission-level facilities and $210 million for associated distribution-level facilities, including distribution circuits and additional undergrounding required by the final environmental impact statement.

▪ In July 2016, the Cleveland National Forest Foundation and the Protect Our Communities Foundation filed a joint application for rehearing of the final decision.

Sycamore-Peñasquitos Transmission Project

▪ In October 2016, the CPUC issued a final decision granting SDG&E a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to construct the project, with a cost cap of $260 million.

South Orange County Reliability Enhancement

▪ CPUC issued its final environmental impact report (EIR) for the project in April 2016. The EIR concluded that an alternative project is considered environmentally superior to SDG&E’s proposal. The final EIR states that the CPUC is not required to adopt the environmentally superior alternative if there are overriding considerations in favor of another alternative. The CPUC will consider the findings in determining whether to approve SDG&E’s proposed project or an alternative to it.

▪ In September 2016, draft and alternate decisions were issued by the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and Assigned Commissioner. The ALJ decision rejects SDG&E’s proposed project and grants a CPCN to construct the project identified as environmentally superior in the final EIR. The Assigned Commissioner decision determines that the environmentally superior project is infeasible and, given overriding considerations, grants SDG&E a CPCN to construct its proposed project with a project cost cap of $381 million.

▪ Final CPUC decision expected in fourth quarter of 2016.

Energy Storage Projects

▪ In August 2016, the CPUC approved SDG&E’s request to own and operate two energy storage projects totaling 37.5 MW. The purpose of the two projects is to enhance electric reliability in the San Diego service territory.

▪ Expected completion in the first quarter of 2017.