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California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2493, requiring utilities and independent developers to submit schedules for major transmission upgrades that need state permits. The law also creates a CPUC monitor to track progress and order remedial actions when projects fall behind.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law requiring utilities and independent transmission developers to provide schedules for major grid upgrades and creating a regulator to monitor progress. Assembly Bill 2493 gives the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) authority to order remedial actions when projects covered by the law fall behind, as delayed transmission is holding up planned clean-energy and battery connections.
AB 2493 applies to major transmission upgrades requiring a CPUC permit. Utilities and independent developers must submit project schedules, and a new transmission development monitor within the commission will assess whether they are on track. If they are not, the CPUC must direct them to take “remedial actions,” according to the source report. The law establishes oversight; it does not specify in the supplied material a new construction deadline or a particular penalty for delay.
The scale of the problem is reflected in a November 2025 CPUC report: nearly 22 gigawatts of renewable generation and battery installations depended on transmission projects that had already experienced delays. Of that total, 13.2 gigawatts had been delayed or were at risk of delay because of transmission timelines, the report said. Those figures describe projects’ reliance on delayed infrastructure, not the amount of electricity already lost.
The state grid operator approved just under $28 billion in transmission projects over five years, according to the report. The source says utilities have lagged in carrying out the work. Developers have also said they need earlier notice when a required upgrade is delayed or canceled, so they can revise project plans before late-stage surprises disrupt them.
Delays Put Clean-Energy Connections at Risk
Transmission upgrades determine whether new renewable power and batteries can connect to the grid and deliver electricity. When a necessary line or substation project slips, generation developers may have to wait, adjust plans or face added uncertainty. The CPUC’s reported figures show that delays affect a substantial portfolio of planned projects, though they do not establish that every project will be canceled or that all delayed capacity is permanently blocked.
The law’s practical effect will depend on the quality of the schedules, how the monitor reports progress and what remedial actions the commission orders. More reliable information could help developers and regulators identify trouble earlier. The measure does not itself build lines or remove every permitting, cost or local-siting obstacle, but it gives the state a clearer mechanism to scrutinize whether covered projects are moving forward.
California’s broader planning challenge is substantial: the source report says the state needs to add 7 to 8 gigawatts of capacity annually for the next two decades to meet its climate targets, roughly twice its current pace of growth. That estimate concerns overall capacity needs; it should not be read as a transmission construction target created by AB 2493.
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California’s Transmission Gap
Major transmission lines can take years to plan and build, and the source report notes that construction difficulties are not unique to California. But the state’s clean-energy goals make timely grid expansion especially consequential. The report describes years of policy and regulatory delay as contributing to a shortfall that will take years to address.
AB 2493 was sponsored by American Clean Power–California and the Union of Concerned Scientists, according to the report. The measure focuses on visibility and accountability for projects requiring CPUC permits. It comes as lawmakers and regulators face pressure to expand the grid while managing the costs and local impacts of new infrastructure.
““Every part of the state’s energy planning system depends on utilities getting these projects done on time. And right now, which projects move forward on what timeline is exclusively the province of the utilities.””
— Alex Jackson, executive director of American Clean Power–California
How Oversight Will Work
The supplied material does not state when the new monitor will begin work, how frequently the CPUC will publish progress assessments or what specific remedial actions it may require. It also does not identify which delayed projects will be reviewed first or whether the new process will change their expected completion dates.
The CPUC figures cover projects tied to delayed transmission work, but the source does not give project-by-project timelines, the share likely to be completed on schedule after intervention, or the total cost of delays. The account of a five-year postponement is an unnamed developer’s experience, not a named utility’s confirmed explanation. The law’s effect on construction pace and clean-energy connections remains to be seen.
CPUC Monitoring and Project Schedules
The next steps are for covered utilities and independent developers to submit schedules and for the CPUC to establish the monitor’s oversight process. The commission will then have to determine whether projects are on track and, where they are not, order remedial actions as required by the law.
Readers can expect the law’s impact to become clearer as project schedules and regulatory follow-up emerge. The source material provides no timetable for those milestones. Whether oversight leads to faster construction, earlier warnings for developers or changes to delayed project plans is not yet established.
Key Questions
What does California’s AB 2493 require?
It requires utilities and independent transmission developers to submit schedules for major upgrades that need a CPUC permit. It also creates a CPUC monitor to track progress.
What can the CPUC do when a covered project falls behind?
The law requires the CPUC to order the responsible utility or developer to take “remedial actions.” The source material does not specify particular actions or penalties.
How much planned energy capacity is affected by transmission delays?
A November 2025 CPUC report said nearly 22 gigawatts of renewable generation and battery installations depended on transmission projects that had experienced delays. It said 13.2 gigawatts had been delayed or were at risk of delay due to transmission timelines.
Does the law set a deadline for completing transmission projects?
The supplied report describes a requirement to submit project schedules and a process for monitoring progress, but it does not identify a new fixed construction deadline.
Source: rss
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