State lawmakers to question former PUC president Michael Peevey

California lawmakers are wading into an unfolding scandal at the Public Utilities Commission, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Members of a legislative panel are expected to pummel regulators with questions about a growing scandal at the powerful state agency. They’re eager to learn more about the overly cozy relations between utility brass and PUC officials that have spurred federal and state law enforcement to open criminal probes.

Both the investigations and a series of hearings this month in the state Senate and Assembly are scrutinizing the 12-year tenure of former President Michael Peevey. The former president of Southern California Edison Co. and a La Cañada Flintridge homeowner retired at the end of last year.

The state Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee has scheduled a first in a series of oversight hearings for Tuesday afternoon.

Chairman Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) and committee members plan to take testimony and question the commission’s new president, Michael Picker, and his top lieutenants dealing with electricity, natural gas and safety.

Joe Como, the interim director of the commission’s independent advocate for ratepayers, also will report on this office’s activities.

“These hearings will be a great opportunity for all members to hear from and speak with commissioners, stakeholders and interest groups,” said Hueso.

The first hearing will focus on hundreds of emails released by the commission and utilities that portray usually chummy contacts between senior PUC officials, including Peevey, and utility executives.

Law enforcement agencies have served search warrants on the La Canada Flintridge home of Peevey, the PUC executive office in San Francisco and at the Bay Area home of a former vice president of the Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

Subsequent Senate committee hearings, set for March 11 and March 17 are expected to deal with ensuring public access to PUC decision-making and upgrading utility infrastructure safety, five years after a fatal PG&E pipeline explosion killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes in the San Francisco bedroom community of San Bruno.

Separately, the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee, has scheduled its own hearing for March 16.

-- Marc Lifsher, Los Angeles Times