Didn't do a detailed reading of Sepmra or Southwest Gas, but the PG&E one
gives no indication of them making ANY investments to improve records
systems.  This is a filing with the PUC for approval to RAISE RATES to
implement a system that includes a component allowing them to also manage
information assets, but the primary focus is on pipeline replacement and
safety, the records are an 'also ran'.

What's most interesting is the PUC previously approved funding for a decade
long "Pipeline Replacement Program" where as I recall most of the money was
spent, but a lot of the work never got done, primarily due to under
estimating the cost and complexity of some of the work. And a lot of the
records generated during that project were misplaced, improperly entered,
lost during conversions between systems, etc. simply because insufficient
safeguards were put in place.  

A great deal of THAT project was funded by ratepayers just as PG&E is
seeking to have the vast majority of THIS project funded through rate
increases. 

You're right that much of this is happening NOW because of the San Bruno
incident, but the utility isn't planning to do it on their dime.  The whole
concept that having this information electronically improves things is a
really a smoke screen. 

As frequently discussed here, there are reasons for
converting/scanning/imaging content that make sense, and there are other
reasons that just plain don't.  If your access is so infrequent that you can
just as easily manage the content in physical (original source) form,
support it with a good index that includes pointers to locations, and then
access the materials as needed, the whole concept of a vast electronic
library of seldom used information that has to be periodically
converted/migrated and storage media refreshed to ensure continual access is
a ruse. 

If I were the regulatory body evaluating this request to build the costs
into rate increases, I would deny it and instead tell the utility to fund it
out of the 'projected savings from increased efficiencies by eliminating the
need to store and manage the information in physical form' that service
providers and others continually crow about.  
 
Larry
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