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| Note: The charter of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company Audit
Committee is identical to the charter of the PG&E Corporation
Audit Committee in all material respects. |
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PG&E Corporation Audit Committee
RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF PG&E CORPORATION
June 20, 2007
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BE IT RESOLVED that, effective upon adjournment
of this meeting, an Audit Committee of this Board of Directors
hereby is established to consist of at least three directors,
one of whom shall be appointed by this Board of Directors as
the Committee’s chair; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all members of the Committee shall
satisfy applicable audit committee independence and qualification
requirements established by the Securities and Exchange Commission
and any stock exchange on which securities of this corporation
or Pacific Gas and Electric Company are traded, including the
requirement that the Board of Directors affirmatively determine
whether the members are “independent,” with reference
to any appropriate categorical or other standards established
by the Board as may be set forth in this corporation’s
Corporate Governance Guidelines; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED any member of the Committee must inform
the Board of Directors if he or she serves on the audit committee
of three or more public companies (other than this corporation
and its subsidiaries) and the Board of Directors must affirmatively
determine that such service does not impair the ability of such
member to serve effectively on the Audit Committee in order for
that member to continue serving on the Committee; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the basic purpose and responsibility
of the Audit Committee shall be to advise and assist this Board
in fulfilling its responsibilities for this corporation and its
subsidiaries and affiliates in connection with monitoring the
integrity of this corporation’s financial statements, financial
and accounting practices, internal controls, performance of external
and internal auditors, independence and qualification of the
independent auditors, business ethics, and compliance with laws,
regulations, and policies that may have a material impact on
the consolidated financial statements of this corporation and
its subsidiaries. The Audit Committee shall oversee these areas
for this corporation and all of its controlled subsidiaries and
affiliates, and, to the extent practicable, for any of this corporation’s
subsidiaries and affiliates that it does not control. The Audit
Committee shall be directly responsible for the appointment,
replacement, compensation, and oversight of the work of the independent
auditors, and the independent auditors shall report directly
to the Audit Committee. More specifically, the Audit Committee
shall:
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- Satisfy itself as to the independence of the independent auditors.
- Appoint the corporation’s independent auditors, which
the Board of Directors has the authority to submit to shareholders
for ratification.
- Review and evaluate the independence, qualifications, and
performance of the independent auditors, including (1) reviewing
the formal written statement submitted periodically by the
independent auditors delineating all relationships between them
and this corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates, consistent
with Independence Standards Board Standard 1, (2) discussing with
the independent auditors any disclosed relationships or services
that may impact their objectivity and independence, (3) reviewing,
at least annually, the independent auditors’ reports
regarding quality control procedures, including any material
issues raised by internal quality control or peer reviews
or by inquiries or investigations by governmental or professional
authorities during the past five years with respect to independent
audits performed by the independent auditors, as well as
any steps taken to address such issues, (4) reviewing and
evaluating the lead partner of the independent auditors,
and (5) assuring regular rotation of the lead audit partner
as required by law.
- Review and recommend to the Board the results of such evaluation
of the independent auditors and any action the Audit Committee
deems appropriate based on the evaluation, including considering
whether, in order to assure continuing auditor independence,
there should be regular rotation of the audit firm itself.
- Review and act upon the scope of the independent audit, including
the terms of engagement and compensation of the independent
auditors, pre-approve any audit and non-audit services to be performed
by the independent auditors, and delegate to one or more
independent members of the Committee the authority to pre-approve
auditing and non-audit services provided by the independent auditors,
and any such pre-approvals must be presented to the full
Audit Committee at the next regularly scheduled Committee meeting.
- Set clear hiring policies with respect to employees or former
employees of the independent auditors.
- Review the adequacy and direction of the internal audit function,
including the appointment and replacement of the
senior internal auditor.
- Review the adequacy of the internal controls of this corporation
and its subsidiaries and affiliates (in consultation
with the independent auditors and the senior internal auditor).
- Meet separately, at each regularly scheduled meeting, with
management, the independent auditors, and the
senior internal auditor.
- Meet to review and discuss with management and the independent
auditors, prior to issuance, the audited consolidated
annual and interim financial statements of this corporation and
its subsidiaries (the “Financial Statements”), including
reviewing this corporation’s specific
disclosures under “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations.”
- Discuss with management and the independent auditors any
significant financial reporting, accounting,
and audit issues and judgments (including any report or other analyses
rendered by the independent auditors or management in connection
with the Financial Statements) pertinent to the preparation of
the Financial Statements, including the quality of this corporation’s
accounting principles, and any audit problems
or difficulties, any significant changes in this corporation’s
selection or application of accounting principles,
any effect of off balance sheet structures,
any special audit steps adopted in light
of material control deficiencies, and any
major issues as to the effects of alternative
generally accepted accounting principles
(GAAP) methods on the Financial Statements.
- Discuss with the independent auditors matters required by
Statement of Auditing Standards No. 61,
as may be modified or supplemented, including any difficulties
encountered in the course of the audit work, any restrictions on
the scope of activities or access to requested information, and
any significant disputes between management and the independent
auditors that arose in connection with the preparation of the Financial
Statements, and management’s response.
- Receive, prior to the corporation’s filing of an audit
report with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (1) the independent auditors’ report on all critical
accounting policies and practices to be used, (2) the independent
auditors’ report
on all alternative treatments within
GAAP for policies and practices related
to material items that have been discussed
with management, including ramifications
of the use of such alternative disclosures
and treatments, and the treatment preferred
by the independent auditors, and (3)
other material written communications
between the independent auditors and
management, such as any management letter
or schedule of unadjusted differences.
- Review disclosures made by the principal executive officer
and principal financial officer in
connection with the officer certifications required for this corporation’s
annual report on Form 10-K and the quarterly reports on Form 10-Q,
regarding all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses
in the design or operation of internal controls over financial
reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect this
corporation’s
ability to record, process, summarize,
and report financial information, or any fraud that involves management
or other employees who have a significant role in the corporation’s
internal control over financial reporting.
- Based on its review and discussion with the independent
auditors and management, recommend
to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements
be included in this corporation’s
annual report on Form 10-K.
- Review and oversee related party transactions involving
this corporation.
- Receive reports from attorneys (including the chief legal
officer) that represent or have
represented the corporation, about certain information regarding
credible evidence of material violations of securities law or material
breach of duty to the corporation, by the corporation and its agents.
- Establish procedures for (a) the receipt, retention, and
treatment of complaints received
by this corporation regarding accounting, internal accounting controls,
or auditing matters, and (b) the confidential, anonymous submission
by employees of the corporation of concerns regarding questionable
accounting or auditing matters.
- Prepare the Audit Committee’s report that is filed
with this corporation’s annual proxy statement.
- Review legal and regulatory matters, including regulatory
and accounting initiatives,
that may have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements
of this corporation and its subsidiaries, and monitor related compliance
with laws, regulations, policies and programs, including the existence
and adequacy of statements of policy concerning conflicts of interest
and general business ethics.
- Discuss this corporation’s policies on risk assessment
and risk management,
including the major financial risk exposures of this corporation
and the steps that management has taken to monitor and control
such exposures.
- Discuss the types of information to be disclosed and the
types of presentation
to be made in connection with this corporation’s
earnings press releases
(paying particular attention to any use of “pro forma” or “adjusted” non
GAAP information) and
financial information
and earnings guidance
provided to analysts and rating agencies.
- Review periodically, and no less than annually, expense
reimbursements paid
to the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, and
the President, if those positions are filled, and to such other
officers of this corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates
as may be deemed appropriate by the Committee.
- Serve as a channel of communication between the independent
auditors and the
Board of Directors and between the senior internal auditor and
the Board, and report regularly to the Board on the Committee’s
deliberations and actions taken, and any issues that arise concerning
the quality or integrity of the Financial Statements, compliance
with legal or regulatory requirements, performance and independence
of the independent auditors, or performance of the internal auditors.
- Review and reassess annually the adequacy of the Audit Committee’s charter as set forth in this resolution and perform an annual
evaluation of the Committee’s performance.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Audit Committee
shall have the authority to obtain advice and assistance from outside
legal, accounting, or other advisors, as the Committee deems necessary
or appropriate, without requiring Board approval; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this corporation shall provide appropriate
funding for the Audit Committee, as determined by the Committee,
in the Committee’s capacity as a committee of the Board of
Directors, for payment of (1) compensation to any independent auditors,
(2) compensation to any advisors, and (3) ordinary administrative
expenses that are necessary or appropriate for carrying out its
duties; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Audit Committee shall fix its
own time and place of meetings and shall prescribe its own rules
of procedure; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that officers of this corporation shall
attend meetings of the Audit Committee only upon the express invitation
of the Chair of the Audit Committee; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, unless otherwise designated by the
Committee, the Corporate Secretary of this corporation, or an Assistant
Corporate Secretary, shall serve as secretary to the Audit Committee;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the resolution on this subject adopted
by the Board of Directors on June 15, 2005 is hereby superseded. |
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