CPUC Certification

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)

The California Public Utilities Commission serves the public interest by protecting consumers and ensuring the provision of safe, reliable utility service and infrastructure at reasonable rates, with a commitment to environmental enhancement and a healthy California economy. We regulate utility services, stimulate innovation and promote competitive markets, where possible, in the communications, energy, transportation and water industries.

CPUC Supplier Clearinghouse

In May 1988, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued General Order 156 (GO 156). Under GO 156, the CPUC required all investor-owned electric, gas, water and telecommunication utility companies with gross annual revenues in excess of $25 million, and their regulated subsidiaries and affiliates, to develop and implement programs to increase the utilization of woman- and minority-owned businesses. Procurement goals of 5% for women and 15% for minorities were initially established, and later expanded to include a goal of 1.5% for service-disabled veterans.

Certification of eligible suppliers was designed to encourage, recruit and utilize woman- and minority-owned businesses by participating utilities.

The Clearinghouse is a Commission-supervised entity whose primary purpose is to audit and verify the status of woman- and minority-owned businesses and to establish and maintain a database of woman-, minority- and service disabled veteran-owned businesses that is accessible to the CPUC and to participating utilities. The Clearinghouse Audit and Verification Program precludes the need for individual utilities to audit and verify woman- and minority-owned businesses with whom they do business.

CPUC Certification Benefits

Benefits of registering and receiving CPUC Certification include:

• Official recognition of your Women- or Minority-owned Business Enterprise (WMBE) Status
• Promotion and visibility to the CPUC and sixteen major utilities
• Involvement in frequent marketing and bid announcement events
• Faster contracting processes

Suppliers certified by the Clearinghouse are officially recognized by the CPUC and sixteen participating utilities which service the California market. Certification by the Clearinghouse of eligible suppliers was designed to encourage, recruit and utilize WMBEs by participating utilities.

Via this registration and certification process, and through numerous marketing activities, events and bid announcements, participating utilities are informed about, and actively select from, a certified-suppliers list to meet procurement goals of 5% for women and 15% for minorities which were initially established under California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued General Order 156 (GO 156), and later expanded to include a goal of 1.5% for service-disabled veterans.

By participating, your company is identified as an eligible, certified supplier in a centralized database used by many utilities to search for suppliers and, when matched with a purchasing requirement, your certification speeds the contracting process.

Types of CPUC Certifications:

• MBE- Minority Business Enterprise;
• WBE- Women Business Enterprise;
• and WMBE- Women Minority Business Enterprise

Learn more about CPUC Certifications.

Learn more about the CPUC Clearinghouse.

Contact CPUC

Contact us about supplier diversity via Email at wmdvbe@cpuc.ca.gov

or Write us:

Utility Supplier Diversity Program
California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 2006
San Francisco, CA 94102-3298

LBA/LBA-Institute Supplier Diversity Boot Camp Training Program

The Latin Business Association, in collaboration with its sister-organization the Latin Business Association Institute proudly present the LBA/LBA-Institute Supplier Diversity Boot Camp Training Program, a comprehensive, seven-week course designed to provide business owners the knowledge and tools they need to become certified, qualified for and able to successfully obtain diverse contract opportunities!

Read about the 2012 LBA/LBA-Institute Supplier Diversity Boot Camp Training Program, which took place June 2 through July 14, 2012,

and watch for future announcements regarding upcoming
LBA/LBA-Institute Supplier Diversity
Boot Camp Training Programs for 2013!