Carson Reclamation Authority forms ad hoc committee after Edison delays on-site power delivery

On March 2, 2026, the Carson Reclamation Authority voted to create an ad hoc committee to resolve who will provide on-site electrical distribution to the Leonardo development after Edison told staff it will deliver primary power to the property line but would not complete on-site distribution or install switchgear because of environmental and safety concerns.

Executive staff told the board Edison’s position stems from environmental reviews and employee-safety concerns related to landfill gas on parts of the site. The executive director said Edison would need to file a Rule 18 deviation — an advice letter to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) — before it can decline service, and staff have not seen that filing. “They have to go to the CPUC for the rule 18 deviation,” the executive director said, explaining that the company’s internal legal and environmental review has been ongoing since September.

Board members pressed staff on next steps and possible remedies. Board member Diane Thomas criticized Edison’s position and urged faster action: “You don’t get to say no,” she said, arguing the authority should pursue the CPUC or other strategies to secure service. The executive director said staff have been meeting weekly with Edison’s dry-utility consultants and are evaluating whether the CRA, the city, or a third-party operator would need to finance and run a utility to serve the site.

Staff outlined the practical implications: if the CRA or the city becomes the distribution utility, the up-front infrastructure costs could be tens of millions of dollars and would be recovered through rates charged to customers as buildings come online. The executive director said the authority has discussed financing with the California Infrastructure Bank, which has expressed interest in projects of this type, but noted the CRA itself might not be an ideal borrower and the city could need to act as borrower instead.

After discussion, the board approved a motion to establish an ad hoc committee composed of Board Member Diane Thomas and the motion’s sponsor to meet with staff, attorneys, developers and other stakeholders to “break this down” and develop a strategy. The authority directed staff to pursue weekly coordination with the ad hoc members and to bring options back to the full board.

The committee’s formation does not itself alter the authority’s contracts or financial obligations; it is a staff-directed, fact-finding and strategy body to determine whether to press Edison at the CPUC, pursue alternate financing, or move to another technical solution. The board said it will reconvene the full authority with any proposed course of action and any required funding or contractual steps.