Business and Community Outreach

Outreach efforts focus on engaging and educating communities about the CPUC's programs, proceedings, decisions, and initiatives.

The Local Government and Community Outreach Liaisons lead the CPUC’s efforts to engage and educate the public while building and maintaining working relationships. Outreach Liaisons strive to reach diverse people and groups to meaningfully include them in CPUC decision-making process to ensure protections are afforded to all Californians. CPUC wants to be transparent about its activities and so we have liaison resources serving across the state to enable deeper engagement with local governments and communities. CPUC's Outreach Liaisons are available to assist with questions and concerns across the CPUC’s industry areas.

The Supplier Diversity program promotes and monitors supplier diversity in procurement by utilities, electric service providers, community choice aggregators, and other entities and oversees a certification clearinghouse. The CPUC encourages participating entities to purchase goods and services from diverse suppliers: 15 percent from minority, 5 percent from women, 1.5 percent from disabled veteran business enterprises, and for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) business enterprises, 0.5 percent for 2022, 1.0 percent for 2023, and 1.5 percent for 2024 and beyond.

The Small Business program focuses on two areas:

1. Promoting procurement opportunities with the state and utilities;
2. Providing education and outreach necessary to raise internal and external awareness of various regulatory and legislative policy issues impacting the small business community.

The CPUC also assists small businesses with utility related complaints, issues, and informs small businesses of CPUC contracting opportunities.