Six months after Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued Executive Directive 19 for city departments to streamline development services and support housing production, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is reporting significant progress on five major reforms designed to reduce costs and speed utility connections for new development.
The improvements include a Board-approved change that will have LADWP cover the cost of most underground power line extensions serving new development, the launch of the Power Connect customer portal, early conditional meter spot approvals, more flexible construction staging standards, and the creation of a builder advisory group.
"Together, these measures are expected to save customers millions of dollars, unlock property value, and shorten project timelines by three to six months," LADWP said on Oct. 30.
Among the key measures that LADWP has delivered in the six months since Bass issued ED 19 are:
- Line extension costs approved by the Board of Water and Power Commission on September 30. LADWP will absorb the full cost of underground line extensions that serve both current and future customers. Customers share costs only when a project requires unusually high electrical load, and they remain responsible for infrastructure built solely for their own use. It applies to projects submitted on or after November 15, 2026.
- Power Connect (beta). A new online portal where customers can submit service requests, track project status, message LADWP staff directly, and get process guidance from a digital assistant, all in one place.
- Early Conditional Meter Spot. Customers can now get a preliminary meter panel location early in construction, so they can plan foundation, grounding, and electrical work without waiting until framing is nearly complete.
- Construction staging. Updated building standards released in August give projects more flexibility in staging area and transformer requirements while maintaining safety and reliability.
- Builder advisory group. A new group from the building and development community will give LADWP feedback and help shape further changes under the Power Ready L.A. initiative.
“Executive Directive 19 laid out a clear roadmap for transforming how LADWP approves and energizes new connections, directly supporting affordable housing, electrification, and economic development,” said Allan Marks, President of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners. “We’ve listened to customers, builders and contractors about specific improvements they’ve long wanted to see. Today’s progress shows that LADWP is delivering on those commitments with speed and effectiveness. These tangible changes are already yielding results in how we work with the building community to get things done for Los Angeles.”
“We moved quickly to make lasting changes to how we connect new customers, and we’re not stopping here,” said LADWP Interim General Manager David W. Hanson. “There is more work to do, and we are committed to an efficient, modern process that serves builders, developers, and Los Angeles as a whole.”
Since April, LADWP has also accomplished the following:
- Hired about 75 new hires on New Business teams, adding Electrical Service Representatives, expanding the Concierge Team, and creating a dedicated Line Extension Team.
- Rolled out in June a system for online payments. Project fees can now be paid securely online since June.
- Conducted Power Ready L.A. Co-Creation Workshops where LADWP and the building community spent working sessions in June and September walking through the issues and processes, identifying pain points, and building solutions together. More sessions are planned.
LADWP said it is already seeing projects move through the process more efficiently with a 10 percent reduction in late project totals compared to our 2026 peak. A backlog remains, and the Department is continuing to overhaul its New Business process end to end.
"The improvements also support the city’s clean energy goals. Faster, more affordable connections make it easier to add solar, energy storage, and EV charging across Los Angeles," it said.
