May 23, 2023
TO: All CALSSA Member Companies
RE: Timelines for application processing
Many members have informed us recently of the unprecedented delays they are
experiencing with interconnection applications. This is due to the high volume of
applications that were submitted at the end of the NEM-2 eligibility period. All
contractors appear to be suffering from equally slow service. CALSSA is pushing the
utilities to do better, but we also need to communicate to customers that a major backlog
is slowing down everything.
PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E each received more than a year’s worth of applications in the
runup to the April 14 NEM-2 deadline. PG&E received 49,000 applications in March
alone, more than four times the normal volume. SCE received 142,000 applications in the
first four months of 2023, compared with 114,000 applications for all of 2022. SDG&E
received 60,000 applications in a four month period, which was up from 39,000 in 2022.
We knew the surge in applications was going to slow things down, but it is frustrating
that seemingly simple steps in the process are taking a long time. Doing the initial review
of an application for a small residential system is mostly automated, as is issuing the
“permission to operate” communication after we have submitted the final inspection
report. Even these steps are taking as much as 50 days. Some contractors have thousands
of applications that have not moved forward. Applications for larger and more complex
systems are stalled behind the large volume of applications for small systems.
CALSSA is in regular communication with the utility interconnection directors to make
sure they understand our perspective and to help them operate efficiently. We will
continue to push the utilities to work faster, both now and after the current backlog is
resolved. However, we also need to exercise patience in this situation and help customers
understand that the current delays do not reflect any mismanagement on the part of
contractors.
Respectfully,
Brad Heavner
Policy Director