State’s public utilities consistently missing interconnection deadlines with waiting customers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KEYT) – Assemblymember Dawn Addis issued a letter last week noting that the state's public utilities consistently fail to meet interconnection deadlines with customers.

"[The signers of the letter] are writing to urge the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to hold Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE) accountable for repeatedly missing state-mandated timelines to interconnect solar and storage," began Friday's letter to the state regulatory body overseeing public utilities. "When utilities drag out interconnection, customers are forced to carry loans and leasing costs for potentially unreasonably or unpredictably long periods of time, all while accruing additional interest payments. Further, each day mired in interconnection is another day where the customer must pay high rates to the utility instead of earning savings from their system."

Utility companies are required to meet certain deadlines when Californians install solar and energy storage infrastructure under Electric Rule 21 which is enforced by The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), a five-member board responsible for regulating all privately owned electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, railroad, rail transit, and passenger transportation companies statewide.

Data collected over almost the last five years by the CPUC shows that some of these deadlines are being missed by utility companies up to 73 percent of the time.

Those delays directly impact consumers, as Friday's letter explained, and imperil access to federal tax credits for the installation of renewable energy sources that are coming to an accelerated end.

Systems eligible for the federal tax credits must be started by mid-2026 or completed by the end of 2027 noted Assemblymember Addis' Office.

"Despite this clear record of non-compliance, the CPUC has not chosen to enforce the rules," concluded Friday's letter. "PG&E and SCE must be held accountable as soon as possible to ensure that California installs as much solar and storage as it can before the end of the tax credit and beyond. This will put our state in the best position possible to meet our ambitious climate goals and make electric rates more affordable for all Californians."

The California Public Utilities Commission's next public meeting is on Dec. 4 of this year.