Cupertino, California

PG&E new service, upgrades and disconnects in Cupertino

What a Cupertino build or teardown needs from PG&E and from the city, in the order it happens.

Who serves Cupertino: Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) supplies the electricity, but PG&E owns the lines, delivers the power, handles new service requests and supplies gas. Every new service, upgrade and disconnect is still a PG&E job.

From city permit to PG&E meter in Cupertino

  1. City permit. Building permits go through Community Development (Building Division), using Accela Citizen Access, which issues instant permits for panel upgrades and temporary power poles up to 200A.
  2. PG&E application. The new service, upgrade or disconnect is a separate application to PG&E. A complete package the first time is what keeps it moving.
  3. PG&E design and scheduling. PG&E assigns a job owner, designs the service and schedules its crews. This is where most jobs stall without follow-up.
  4. City final and release. Cupertino uses an Electrical Meter Release / Gas Meter Release inspection. The inspector applies a meter release sticker for PG&E's field crew; without it, PG&E will not set the meter.
  5. Meter set. PG&E sets the meter and energizes once it has the release and its own work is done.

Cupertino rules that affect PG&E work

Undergrounding

The city's permit application calls for undergrounding all overhead utility service to a new house or a new electric panel. Code Chapter 14.24 also covers undergrounding for new developments.

Demolition

A demolition permit requires a utility letter confirming gas and electric are terminated at the main or street.

Electrification

The all-electric rule was repealed on October 1, 2024 and replaced by Ordinance 24-2265 energy-performance and electric-ready rules, in effect since April 2025.

What MeterSet handles in Cupertino

Questions Cupertino builders ask

Can I pull a Cupertino panel upgrade or temp power permit online?

Yes. Cupertino's Accela Citizen Access issues instant permits for panel upgrades and temporary power poles up to 200A. The PG&E side is a separate application.

What is a meter release sticker in Cupertino?

At the electrical or gas meter release inspection, the inspector applies a sticker that tells PG&E's field crew the city has released the service.

Want PG&E off your desk?

MeterSet files, tracks and escalates PG&E work for Bay Area builders — new service, upgrades, temp power, disconnects. Flat fees. Weekly updates. 250+ utility engagements.

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Other cities we cover

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PG&E guides

How long does PG&E take for new electric service?Application to energization, by project type — and what the CPUC now requires.PG&E Express Connect: who qualifies, how long it takesThe ~100-day fast path for residential jobs up to 320A, and the two deadlines that knock you out of it.Upgrading to 200A or 400A with PG&EPanel upgrade, service upgrade, added load — which path you're on and what PG&E needs.PG&E temporary power for construction sitesWhen temp power is fast, when it isn't, and what to have ready before you apply.PG&E electric and gas disconnects for demolitionGetting services terminated before the demo permit — the step that stalls teardowns.
Sources. SVCE service area; Cupertino Building Division FAQ; Cupertino residential inspection procedure; Cupertino demolition package; Cupertino electrification memo (Jan 2026); PG&E Building & Renovation Services; PG&E Greenbook. City rules were checked against these pages in October 2026 and can change; confirm with the city before you design.