News & Analysis as of

Utilities Sector California

Best Best & Krieger LLP

The Price of Water Just Got More Complicated: San Diego’s Legal Battle Over Tiered Rates

On July 30, 2025, a divided California Court of Appeal issued its long-awaited opinion in Patz v. City of San Diego, affirming the trial court’s judgment that the City’s tiered residential water rates violated Proposition 218...more

Allen Matkins

Every Drop Counts: Urban Water Retailers and the Future of California Water Conservation

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Beginning January 1, 2025, the “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” regulatory framework requires urban retail water suppliers — not individual households or businesses — to adopt a series of “urban water use...more

Nossaman LLP

The AI Thirst Trap

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform the water industry. The need for massive amounts of water to cool AI data systems could exacerbate already strained water resources in the U.S. and worldwide. To...more

Nossaman LLP

California Water Views – 2025 Outlook

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Water is simple. Water issues are complex. To provide more clarity, we asked our attorneys who are committed to the water sector to identify the pivotal issues they’re watching now and for the year ahead. Their perspectives...more

Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP

Proposed Legislation Would Transform Solar Adoption and Use for Businesses and Homeowners Across California

A bill recently introduced in the California Assembly presents potentially significant impacts to residential, commercial, and industrial solar system owners who filed interconnection applications before April 15, 2023, known...more

Nossaman LLP

California Supreme Court Takes Up Utility Take-Over Standard of Review Dispute

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We previously reported on the recent California Court of Appeal district split as to what standard of review should apply in utility takeover condemnation cases as it pertains to more necessary public use challenges, and...more

Allen Matkins

Renewable Energy Update 4.17.25

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Fighting about rooftop solar in California never seems to get old. Kicking off the latest conflict is legislation that would reduce the benefits that longtime solar customers receive for extra electricity they produce and...more

Allen Matkins

California Environmental Law & Policy Update 4.4.25

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As part of a continued effort to expedite rebuilding after Los Angeles' devastating firestorms, Governor Gavin Newsom this week suspended California environmental laws for utility providers working to reinstall key...more

Snell & Wilmer

Governor Newsom Issues Executive Order to Expedite the Rebuilding and Undergrounding of Utilities and Telecommunication...

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Quick Take On March 27, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-24-25 (the Order), suspending certain permitting requirements to help accelerate the rebuilding efforts of Altadena, Malibu, and Pacific Palisades...more

Nossaman LLP

Water Agencies Beware: Disproportionate Damage From Water Delivery May Create Inverse Condemnation Liability

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When water agencies provide water to customers, and that water causes damage to customer property, can water agencies face inverse condemnation liability?  For quite some time, inverse condemnation liability appeared to be...more

Nossaman LLP

What Standard of Review Should Courts Apply for Utility Condemnations?

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Last year, we reported on a significant published appellate decision, South San Joaquin Irrigation District v. PG&E, which concluded that when a public agency uses eminent domain to acquire the assets of an electric, gas, or...more

Stoel Rives - Renewable + Law

PG&E Proposes New Electric Rule No. 30 for Transmission Level Electric Retail Service in Response to Rapid Increase in...

On November 21, 2024, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) filed an application at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC or Commission) seeking approval of a new Electric Rule No. 30 (Electric Rule 30) to address...more

Downey Brand LLP

California Public Utilities Commission Proposes Target Timelines for Utilities to Connect or Upgrade Electric Customers

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On August 12, 2024, the California Public Utilities Commission issued a proposed decision setting average and maximum targets and timelines for the large electric investor-owned utilities to connect new customers or upgrade...more

Nossaman LLP

California Water Views - 2024 Outlook

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Water Agencies Beware Before Proceeding with Forced Municipalization - California’s state water system serves roughly 40 million people and irrigates nearly 10 million acres of farmland. The 2023 water year was ranked as...more

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Key Takeaways from the Sustainable Water Investment Summit

Set against the context of unprecedented demand for water supply solutions, Brownstein and WestWater Research brought together water industry and finance leaders for the second annual Sustainable Water Investment Summit. The...more

Allen Matkins

Renewable Energy Update 2.26.24

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California energy regulators, during their meeting on February 15, approved a sweeping plan to reduce the state’s yearly electric sector greenhouse gas emissions to 25 million metric tons by 2035, down nearly 60% compared to...more

Morgan Lewis - Power & Pipes

California Utility Shielded From Blackout Negligence Lawsuit in Ninth Circuit

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed a class action lawsuit claiming a California utility was liable for blackouts that were allegedly caused by inadequate electric system maintenance....more

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

CPUC Issues Proposed Decision Affecting Resource Adequacy Procurement Targets

On January 10, 2024, a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), Judge Julie A. Fitch, issued a Proposed Decision in an ongoing CPUC proceeding concerning the Integrated Resource Planning...more

Stoel Rives - Renewable + Law

California Public Utilities Commission Implements New Prevailing Wage Requirements for Large NEM Projects Seeking to Interconnect...

On November 16, the California Public Utilities Commission (Commission) voted to adopt a decision resolving the remaining issues in the Net Energy Metering (NEM) proceeding.  The decision, issued on November 22 as...more

Downey Brand LLP

“It just so happens that [Governor Newsom’s Sweeping New Plan to Accelerate Infrastructure Projects] is only mostly dead.” –...

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Governor Gavin Newsom announced proposed major new infrastructure permitting reforms on May 19, 2023 in an effort to create thousands of jobs and build California’s clean energy future. The eleven-bill package seeks to...more

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Sustainable Water Investment Summit Takeaways: Water Rights, Scarcity and Opportunities

Last week, leaders from a range of industries convened for two days in Los Angeles for Brownstein and WestWater’s inaugural Sustainable Water Investment Summit....more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

How Prepared Are You for the Surge in California’s Green Hydrogen Economy?

2023 is set to be a banner year for green hydrogen project development in California thanks to growing government commitment (see a brief timeline of key investments in 2022 below) and increasing demand....more

Nossaman LLP

Podcast: Planning and Funding Climate Resilient California Coastal Infrastructure

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According to California’s projections, the miles of highways susceptible to coastal flooding in a 100-year storm event will triple from current levels to 370 miles by 2100, with over 3,750 miles exposed to temporary flooding....more

Nossaman LLP

[Webinar] Planning and Funding Climate Resilient California Coastal Infrastructure - December 5th, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm PT

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According to California’s projections, the miles of highways susceptible to coastal flooding in a 100-year storm event will triple from current levels to 370 miles by 2100, with over 3,750 miles exposed to temporary flooding....more

Downey Brand LLP

California 2022–2023 Energy Budget

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On June 30, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the $308 billion California budget for 2022-2023. The budget invests a total of $8.1 billion one-time General Fund over five years to support California energy projects: $4.3...more

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