Industry urges CPUC to allow meter-socket adapters for multifamily housing
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Summary
Manufacturers and affordable-housing advocates told CPUC staff that excluding multifamily from Rule 31 will block electrification for large swaths of residents; IOU staff said multi-socket panels pose equity and technical challenges that remain unresolved.
Manufacturers, installers and affordable-housing advocates urged the California Public Utilities Commission to create a clear pathway for meter socket adapters (MSAs) in multifamily buildings, saying the exclusion in draft Rule 31 language risks blocking electrification for renters and low-income residents.
A speaker from Power Tree argued multifamily housing constitutes a large share of the state’s housing stock and that excluding multifamily from Rule 31 undermines state electrification and housing affordability goals. The presenter said multifamily makes up roughly “42% of the population” while historically receiving “less than 1%” of solar installations, and recounted a San Francisco project that faced more than $500,000 in upgrade costs and a two-to-four year delay after utilities required utility-side upgrades instead of behind-the-meter solutions.
PG&E’s Michelle responded that multi-socket panels were specifically excluded because many such properties have mixed ownership or staggered adoption timing that could create a first-mover advantage and inequitable outcomes. She said the utility has not yet found an equitable, scalable solution for condo or tenant-in-common situations where meters abut each other and communications cabling or other physical constraints complicate installations.
Speakers including an affordable-housing developer and a nonprofit argued the commission should remove administrative and technical barriers to multifamily MSAs and allow controlled third-party installation pilots or authorized installers. Stakeholders also recommended exploring alternatives such as a separate generation meter for multifamily projects, but manufacturers said centralized meters can trigger costly upgrade analyses that make projects infeasible.
The workshop produced no decision on multifamily eligibility; CPUC staff and IOU representatives said they would continue technical engagement and address stakeholder questions in upcoming filings.