• New PG&E Gas Qualification Deadline Set for Jan. 1, 2019

  • After a six-month delay, PG&E has set a new deadline of Jan. 1, 2019, for certain personnel in the homebuilding industry working on gas lines to obtain qualifications from the utility company.  PG&E’s gas qualifications team has been working with the contractor community for the past several months on the new date, according to PG&E Director Andy Dashner. Originally set for July 1, Dashner cited feedback both internally and from developers as reasons for the delay. 
     
    The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) voted to add new residential construction to its gas worker qualification regulation effective Jan. 1, 2017, a move that significantly expanded the program’s scope.
     
    Fearful of labor shortages  in an already tight market, BIA members have voiced concerns to PG&E about low passage rates on the written portion of the new English-only test among workers whose first language is not English. However, PG&E is allowing higher ratios of certified workers to trainees on specific tasks in the field, which will help ease the labor problem. For more details about the new gas qualification program, CLICK HERE to view a PG&E slideshow presented to BIA members during a recent meeting. 
     
    PG&E has offered the following tips to avoid qualification-related construction delays:
    1. Discuss qualification requirements during your pre-construction meeting with PG&E.  
    2. Send employees to the testing center as soon as possible and have them take a shot at the test. This will leave more time for employees that fail the test to focus on their weak areas and retake the test before the deadline.
    3. Employees should make use of PG&E’s study guides (available online) and schedule a time to observe someone going through the skills qualification portion of the test.

    If you have additional questions for PG&E, contact Raymond Wong at Raymond.Wong@pge.com or 925-328-5265. CLICK HERE to view the full PG&E leadership contact list. For other comments or questions, contact BIA’s Lisa Vorderbrueggen at lvorderbrueggen@biabayarea.org or 925-348-1956.

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