The two queues
| Express Connect | Standard ("New Project") process | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Residential only. Panel changes/added load, new overhead electric service, ADU meter, overhead relocation — all up to 320A. Gas meter upgrades (residential & commercial). Overhead temp power ≤200A where infrastructure exists. | Everything else: underground service, anything over 320A, commercial electric, line extensions, projects that fail the load assessment. |
| Design | Load assessment at intake; PG&E job owner contacts you within ~5 business days | Up to 60 business days for PG&E design (or applicant design with a PG&E-qualified designer) |
| Construction | Scheduled after approval; you install the panel within 20 calendar days | Up to 60 business days after contract, payment and site readiness |
| Published time | ~34 days to approval + ~66 to energization ≈ 100 days | CPUC target 182 avg / 357 max from approval |
What the CPUC now requires of PG&E
Since SB 410 (the Powering Up Californians Act) and CPUC Decision D.24-09-020, PG&E reports its energization performance twice a year against these targets:
| What PG&E is doing | Applies to | Average target | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deciding on your application | Every application | 10 days | 45 days |
| Main-panel upgrade | Panel replacement / capacity increase | 30 days | 45 days |
| New service or line extension | Electric Rule 15 | 182 days | 357 days |
| Service-line work | Electric Rule 16 | 182 days | 335 days |
| Combined Rule 15 + 16 | New extension plus service | 182 days | 306 days |
| EV charging infrastructure | Electric Rule 29 | 182 days | 335 days |
Calendar days, counted from the day PG&E approves the request — not from the day you submit. Customer-caused delays (unpaid advances, missing permits, a panel that isn't installed) stop the clock. Source: CPUC D.24-09-020 targets for PG&E, SCE and SDG&E.
In its June 2025 reporting, PG&E met the 182-day average on about 84% of projects and the maximum on about 97%. That is the number to remember: roughly one project in six runs past six months, and the maximum is not a guarantee either.
What starts the clock — and what stops it
- The clock starts at "application complete." Get that date in writing from your PG&E job owner. Without it you cannot hold PG&E to any target.
- Incomplete packages restart the queue. Site plan, floor plan, single-line, load sheet, photos. A minor correction can send you back to intake.
- Unsigned contracts and unpaid engineering advances expire at 90 days. Then you re-file.
- Customer dependencies stop PG&E's clock: permits, easements, the panel not installed, trench not ready. PG&E tracks these separately and they don't count against its targets.
When it's late
- Your PG&E job owner, in writing, asking for a revised date and the name of the person accountable for it.
- Their supervisor at 48 hours without an answer.
- The Escalate Issue button in Your Projects (Project ID → Actions tab) and the Building & Renovation Services Center: 1-877-743-7782, Mon–Fri 7am–6pm.
- Past the CPUC maximum: a delayed-energization report to the CPUC. PG&E's division leadership pays attention to those.
Questions builders ask
Does the 182-day target start when I submit my application?
No. It starts when PG&E approves the request — after the application is complete. The application-decision step has its own target: 10 days average, 45 maximum.
Is Express Connect faster for everyone?
Only if you qualify and stay qualified. Residential, up to 320A, overhead. If the load calculation fails or documents arrive after the 19-day window, the job drops into the standard process.
Can I speed up a standard project?
Partly. Applicant Design (Rules 15/16) with a PG&E-qualified designer and an SQCA-prequalified installer takes design and trench/conduit work out of PG&E's queue on new extensions. PG&E still reviews, inspects and energizes.
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