California Lawmakers Press CPUC to Enforce Rule 21 After Years of Solar Interconnection Delays

Overview

• In a letter led by Assemblymember Dawn Addis, 18 legislators urged the CPUC to hold PG&E and SCE accountable for repeatedly missing state interconnection timelines for customer-sited solar and storage.
• The lawmakers cited five years of utility data showing some Rule 21 steps meet deadlines only 27%–45% of the time, with misses reaching as much as 73% despite a 95% on-time requirement.
• An August complaint by the California Solar & Storage Association said years of informal efforts failed to halt violations and disputed utility claims that backlogs stem mainly from a NEM 2.0 application surge.
• The CPUC is reviewing interconnection performance and is considering an Order Instituting Rulemaking, with a decision on enforcement measures expected in the coming months.
• Delays are increasing customer costs and could jeopardize eligibility for federal Investment Tax Credits in 2026–2027, adding strain to a market already affected by NEM 3.0 changes.