On Monday morning, the Supreme Court will file its opinion in Golden State Water Company v. Public Utilities Commission. (Briefs here; oral argument video here.)
The Golden State Water Company case (consolidated with California-American Water Company v. Public Utilities Commission) are writs of review invoking the Supreme Court’s exclusive jurisdiction of “decisions pertaining solely to water corporations.” (Public Utilities Code section 1756, subdivision (f); see also rule 8.724.) The writ petitions, filed in 2021, challenge — largely on procedural grounds — two PUC decisions revoking prior authorization for some water utilities to use billing systems the petitions say are crucial both to water conservation and to the water companies’ financial stability. More about the cases here.
This will be the second of nine opinions for cases argued on the early-May calendar. Opinions in the remaining seven cases are expected by August 5. Additional argued but undecided cases are the nine on the late-May calendar (opinions expected by August 19, except for the opinion in Castellanos v. State of California, which, because of post-argument briefing, isn’t expected until August 29), and the seven on the June calendar (opinions expected by August 29).
The opinion in the Water Company cases can be viewed Monday starting at 10:00 a.m.