The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on September 12, 2024 approved a decision to establish statewide energization targets and timelines that require Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric to reduce delays in connecting customers to the electric grid. The action implements directives from SB 410 and AB 50, part of a broader strategy to streamline electrification critical to state climate and transportation objectives.
The decision, adopted under Rulemaking 24-01-018, sets average and maximum calendar day targets for utilities to complete specified energization steps once a customer requests new or upgraded service. For standard service extensions and for electrification infrastructure including EV charging, the CPUC established a 182-day average target and maximums ranging from 306 to 357 days.
Urgency Rooted in Clean Energy Law and Backlogs
SB 410, passed in 2023, moved to address concerns that slow energization processes were impeding deployment of housing electrification, commercial load growth, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The law mandated that the CPUC set reasonable energization timeframes and reporting procedures for delays, while AB 50 directed the commission to accelerate backlog resolution and create a streamlined Customer Delay Reporting process.
The CPUC based its targets on five years of historic utility energization data and stakeholder comments amassed in a process compressed to meet the statutory September 30, 2024 deadline. Commissioners said predictable timelines would improve investor confidence and support California’s climate goals by removing a long-standing barrier to grid connections.
New Metrics and Accountability Framework
Under the CPUC’s framework:
Utilities must reduce maximum energization intervals by up to 49% compared with historical performance if targets are met.
The commission imposed biannual reporting requirements, compelling utilities to disclose actual energization durations, delay causes, and constraints such as staffing or equipment shortages.
New Customer Engagement Plans require utilities to provide early, transparent updates on each step of the process and explain reasons for any delays. Customers also can file a delay reporting form directly with the commission.
The decision also delineates maximum timelines for distribution system capacity upgrades, setting a 684-day limit for new or upgraded circuits and a 1,021-day limit for substation upgrades. For entirely new substations, the cap extends to 3,242 days under current guidance, although these durations are subject to review in Phase 2 of the proceeding.
Phase 2 and Wider Electrification Integration
The proceeding’s Phase 1 outcomes focus on utility-controlled steps and meeting statutory deadlines. CPUC staff and stakeholders anticipate that Phase 2, expected in 2025, will address broader integration issues such as enforcement mechanisms, better alignment of targets across project types, and incentives for future-proofing grid planning to accommodate accelerating electrification.