Hetch Hetchy Power and CleanPowerSF are programs of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), an enterprise department of the City and County of San Francisco.
OUR MIS
SION: To provide our customers with high-quality, efficient and reliable water, power and sewer services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.
DATE:
TO:
MEMORANDUM
July 28, 2026
C
ommissioner Joshua Arce, President
Commissioner Stephen E. Leveroni, Vice President
Commissioner Avni Jamdar
Commissioner Kate H. Stacy
Comm
issioner Meghan Thurlow
THROUGH:
Dennis J. Herrera, General Manager
Michael Hyams, Acting Assistant General Manager, Power
FROM: R
ichard Stephens, Power Utility Field Services Manager
Grace Kay, Acting Deputy Assistant General Manager, Power Programs and Services
Matthew C. Ho, Power Distribution Engineering Manager
SUBJ
ECT: Update on Street and Pedestrian Lighting Programs Atta
ched is the annual update on the street and pedestrian lighting programs and activities of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Power Enterprise.
Nancy L. Hom, CFO/AGM Business Services
For Dennis Herrera
2 San Francisco Public Utilities
Commission
Street and Pedestrian Lighting Programs
July 2026
3 Table of Contents
Executive Summary ..................................................................................................... 4
1. Illumination Systems ........................................................................................... 5 a. Street Pole Assessment and Rehabilitation ...................................................... 5 b. Operations and Maintenance Performance ...................................................... 5 c. Street and Pedestrian Lighting Improvements ................................................. 5 i. Private Developer Installed Streetlights ....................................................... 5 ii. Series Loop Conversion ............................................................................... 6 iii. Coordination with other City Agencies ................................................... 7 iv. Board of Supervisors and 311 Requests For Lighting Level Review ...... 9
2. Pole Use Policy .................................................................................................. 11 a. Established Use Policy ................................................................................... 11 b. Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) ............................................................. 13 c. Public Safety Applications ............................................................................. 13 i. Automated License Plate Recognition ....................................................... 14 ii. Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) ...................................................... 14 d. DPW Regulations for Decorations Over Public Sidewalks and Streets ........ 15
3. Regulatory Efforts .............................................................................................. 17 a. Through CALSLA, SFPUC Engaged in Settlement Negotiations in PG&E’s 2023 Phase 2 General Rate Case to Address Proposed Increases to Facility Charges .................................................................................................................. 17 b. PG&E Seeking to Terminate Wholesale Service to San Francisco’s Streetlights and Unmetered Load and Convert Hetch Hetchy Power Customers to PG&E Retail Customers ........................................................................................ 17 F
igure 1-1 200 Folsom Streetlight Foundation Pre-pour inspection ........................... 6 Figure 1-2 Potrero Power Phase 1 ............................................................................... 9 Figure 1-3 400 Block of Victoria - Streetlight Added per BOS Request .................. 11 Figure 2-1 New 5G installation in Hunter's Point ...................................................... 12 Figure 2-2 Upgraded DAS Installation on Folsom Street .......................................... 13 Figure 2-3 Installation of license plate recognition camera on Kezar Drive ............. 14 Figure 2-4 Speed camera at a crosswalk near Golden Gate Park .............................. 15 Figure 2-5 Yerba Buena Neighborhood Identification and Wayfinding ................... 16 Figure 2-6 Proposed lighting installation on California Street .................................. 16 T
able 1-1 Streetlights Operations and Maintenance Performance .............................. 5 Table 1-2 City Owned Series Loop Conversion .......................................................... 7 T
able 1-3 Streetlights Installed in Collaboration with Other City Agencies ............... 9 Table 1-4 BOS Requests ............................................................................................ 11 4 Executive Summary
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Street and Pedestrian Light Programs (The Program) are administered and operated by the Power Enterprise. The Program consists of three components – illumination systems, pole use policy including Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS), and energy regulatory & legislative compliance – to serve the City and County of San Francisco (City) and ensure public safety with attention to the interests of the community. The Program succeeds through the cooperative work of Power Enterprise’s Utility Field Services, Distribution Engineering, and Regulatory and Legislative Affairs departments.
Illumination systems include upgrading and improving aging streetlight systems, supporting new streetlight implementation in compliance with City standards and references, updating streetlight standards and guidelines, and coordinating with other City agencies regarding streetlight related matters. Utility field staff and streetlight engineers are working diligently to provide reliable lighting services for all of San Francisco. Utility Field Services have assessed a total of 24,781 poles by way of SF311 reports as well as DPW’s X1104 for the Sidewalk Improvement Restoration Program (SIRP). Streetlight engineers have implemented the new Helicore foundation technology to improve efficiency in installing new light poles at key locations. In Fiscal Year 2025/2026 (FY25-26) there were no extreme weather events that impacted lighting services, but the Program has continued to closely monitor illumination, telecommunication, pole use, and energy regulations.
T
he Pole Use Policy supports social and economic development, public safety, and quality of life in the City. The Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) program works with mobile carriers to install small-cell wireless equipment on streetlight poles to expand 5G service and ensure continuous high-speed network coverage throughout the City. Public safety is an important municipal use of streetlight poles, supporting crime detection and prevention programs deployed with the Police Department (SFPD), and the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA). The Pole Use program has worked with Community Benefit Districts (CBDs) and Department of Public Works (DPW) to review and install planter baskets, banners, and signs, and contribute to the Love Our Neighborhoods beautification program for hanging string lights and other decorative lighting to make communities more distinctive and welcoming.
F
inally, regulatory and legislative compliance ensures awareness of regulatory and legislative policies affecting streetlighting services, including rates, and advocating for San Francisco’s interests. Regulatory and legislative affairs have taken notice of large increases in PG&E’s rates for streetlights and is responding to PG&E’s termination of wholesale service to San Francisco’s streetlights and unmetered loads as well as advocating for lower rates and/or a longer phase-in of rates through the California Public Utilities Commission’s General Rate Case proceeding.
5 1. Illumination Systems
a. Street Pole Assessment and Rehabilitation
Power Utility Field Services started the Streetlight Pole Assessment and Rehabilitation project in January 2015. Since that time, 24,781 poles have been assessed and 830 poles replaced due to their deteriorated condition. b. Operations and Maintenance Performance
For SFPUC-owned streetlights, Power Enterprise’s Utility Field Services is responsible for routine operations and maintenance, as well as repair work such as pole knock downs. Table 1-1 below shows the Utility Field Services’ performance on the requested inspections, field assessments, outages and pole knockdown repairs. Streetlight work associated with Power Enterprise activities, including DPW’s X1104 for the Sidewalk Improvement Restoration Program (SIRP), are also shown in Table 1-1 below.
Activities Quantity
1. Streetlight Outages Repaired 1,628
2. Streetlight Pole Knock Downs Replaced 26
3. DPW - X1104 Work Orders Completed 46
4. Request For Information/Notice of Intent addressed 141
5. SF311 Cases received for streetlights 4,589
6. USAN requests for inspection services 21,257
Total 27,687
Table 1-1 Streetlights Operations and Maintenance Performance c. Street and Pedestrian Lighting Improvements
i. Private Developer Installed Streetlights
When private developers propose to install streetlights in the Public Right of Way, SFPUC Streetlight Engineers review and approve the plans. Streetlight Engineers also ensure that the new streetlights are operational prior to accepting ownership of the streetlights on behalf of the City. In the last year SFPUC has received at least 100 new in-fill developer permits for review to determine if streetlight work is necessary. Currently there are about 75 in-progress applications installing around 250 streetlights.
6 ii. Series Loop Conversion
Low voltage conversion of the 5,000-volt (high voltage) series loops and associated change-out of the existing incandescent lights to LED is being performed by Power Enterprise’s Utility Field Services crews in specific locations of San Francisco.
About 92 percent of the high voltage streetlights have been converted as shown in Table 1-3 below.
U
tility Field Services continue to convert outdated series loops, and as of June 13,only two loops remain to be converted. In response to community feedback, SFPUC is planning a capital improvement project to reuse the existing conduits and conductors and install pole-mounted transformers as part of the Sherwood loop conversion. For the Junipero Serra project, Utility Field Services is installing the Helicore foundations and have ordered the new transformer-based poles.
Series Loop Conversion Locations Streetlight
Quantity Status
Portola Drive 19 Complete
Lakeshore – West of Sunset Blvd 46 Complete
Lakeshore – East of Sunset Blvd 105 Complete
Montgomery (Greenwich to Alta) 11 Complete
Figure 1-1 200 Folsom Streetlight Foundation Pre-pour inspection
7 Junipero Serra (19th Ave to Ocean Ave) 37 In-Process
Sherwood (Casitas to Lansdale Ave) 22 In-Process
Aquatic Park (Larkin to Polk) 3 Complete
Alemany Blvd (Putnam to Stonybrook St) 59 Complete
Alemany Blvd (Stonybrook to Mission St) 34 Complete
Forest Hill/Golden Gate Heights (Noriega, Ortega,
Pacheco, Funston) 56 Complete
Van Ness Ave Series Loop Conversion 300 Complete
Total 692
Table 1-2 City Owned Series Loop Conversion
iii. Coordination with other City Agencies
SFPUC Streetlight Engineers also collaborate with various City agencies, including the Planning Department, Public Works, and Municipal Transportation Agency, to improve street lighting in the Public Right of Way. Table 1-3 identifies the streetlight projects that have been completed and accepted or are still in-progress through Street Improvement, Streetscape, and Redevelopment Projects in collaboration with other City Agencies. SFPUC Streetlight Engineers are working diligently and closely with interagency project counterparts to help ensure that photometrics studies and layout plans are reviewed early in the design phases so that construction is compliant with SFPUC streetlight requirements.
Collaborations with Other City Agencies (Streetscapes/
Redevelopment)
Streetlight
Quantity Status
2970J Joice Alley Improvement Project 3 Accepted
1254 Fern Alley West Improvements 3 Accepted
Mission Rock Phase 1 62 Accepted
1099I Transbay Park 12 In-Progress
2148J Folsom Streetscape (2nd to Spear Street) 51 In-Progress WW 762 Various Locations Sewer Replacement No 20 5 In-Progress I-280 SB Ocean Ave Project 5 In-Progress
04-2Q4604 - de-energizing streetlight on the 23rd St.
OC
2 In-Progress
Willie Woo Woo Wong Park 1 In-Progress
2937J Various Locations Pavement Renovation 1 In-Progress 3006J Alemany Interchange Improvements (Phase 2)
(Contract 3760)
3 In-Progress
Mission Branch Library 6 In-Progress
2485J Upper Market Corridor Safety Improvements
(Contract 1000017336)
12 In-Progress
2852J Muni Forward As-Needed Contract CSO#8
(Powell-Sacramento)
2 In-Progress
1207I Minna-Natoma Streetscape & Traffic Signals 24 In-Progress 2652J 19th Ave 28 In-Progress
2378J Market-Octavia Living Alleys (1253I) 7 In-Progress 8 3rd Street Light Rail (Mission Bay Loop) - Illinois & 18th & 19th St (Contract 1236R)
9 In-Progress
1550 Evans 13 In-Progress
1832J Richland Bridge 8 In-Progress
2961J 6th Street Pedestrian Safety Project (Contract
1000015023)
37 In-Progress
Contract 36 Traffic Signal Upgrade 1 In-Progress
160 Hahn St 2 In-Progress
2949J Potrero Gateway Loop 3 In-Progress
1082I Evans Streetscape 5 In-Progress
Powell Street Traffic Signal Upgrade-Powell/Ellis
Street, Powell/O'Farrell Street and Powell/Geary Street 6 In-Progress
2265I 13th Street Improvement Project 23 In-Progress
Main Streetscape 22 In-Progress
1138I Ocean Beach Long Term Improvement Project 4 In-Progress 2357I Oakdale Lighting Improvements 12 In-Progress
1297I Transbay Howard Streetscape Project 147 In-Progress Contract 66 Traffic Signals 16 In-Progress
2578J Embarcadero Enhancement Project The
Embarcadero between Bryant Street and Folsom Street
2 In-Progress
7th and Folsom Bike Signal Upgrade 2 In-Progress
2314J Howard Streetscape 74 In-Progress
Sacramento and Sansome 23 In-Progress
2453I Tenderloin Traffic Signal Upgrade 25 In-Progress
India Basin Park 401 Hunters Point 8 In-Progress
2000 Marin 19 In-Progress
2289I Geary Bus Rapid Transit Phase 2 24 In-Progress
2408I VL 81 Post Webster 4 In-Progress
Mission Street Safety Improvements 3rd Street &
Mission Street to The Embarcadero & Mission Street
69 In-Progress
1947I Winston Drive and Lake Merced Boulevard 2 In-Progress 2955J Folsom Streetscape 165 In-Progress
1261I Western Addition Pedestrian Lights JOC J47-09
Contract 1003646
14 In-Progress
2353I Innes Avenue Rebuild 59 In-Progress
2752J Better Market Street Phase 1C 5 In-Progress
Potrero Hope Phase 2 43 In-Progress
Potrero Power Phase 1 32 In-Progress
Hunter's View Phase 3 24 In-Progress
Sunnydale 1A3 24 In-Progress
Visitacion Valley Zone 1 58 In-Progress
Hunter's View Phase 3 27 In-Progress
Balboa Reservoir Phase 1 43 In-Progress
9 Hunter's Point Shipyard 169 In-Progress
Treasure Island 1ADFGI 165 In-Progress
Total 1615
Table 1-3 Streetlights Installed in Collaboration with Other City Agencies
Figure 1-2 Potrero Power Phase 1
iv. Board of Supervisors and 311 Requests For Lighting Level Review
In response to public concerns about lighting levels in the City, the SFPUC Streetlights team has evaluated streetlighting levels and responded to light shield requests.
From July 1, 2025 to May 28, 2026, SFPUC responded to 29 light shield requests.
In April 2025, PG&E increased its costs for light shields to roughly $3,000 per installation; the SFPUC will no longer be accepting and submitting PG&E owned and maintained street light shield requests from the public due to these costs, until such time as a cost recovery mechanism is implemented. SFPUC will continue to respond to light shield requests on SFPUC owned and maintained lights.
As a result of the lighting studies Staff completed, the 144 lighting improvements identified in Table 1-4 below have been completed or are in progress. There are currently 343 open photometric study requests received via 311 that streetlight engineers are working through.
10 Request Streetlight
Quantity Status
1. BOS Dogpatch (Minnesota and Tennessee St 20th
to 21st
1 Accepted
2. request for lighting along San Bruno Ave (BOS) 10 Accepted
3. Lighting assessment: 400 block of Victoria Street
(BOS)
3 Accepted
4. Pacific Avenue - Additional Street Light Request
(BOS)
3 Accepted
5. Harrison and Precita Lighting Assessment (BOS) 2 In-Progress
6. Upgrading lighting on Langton Street (BOS) 2 In-Progress
7. Lighting Assessment for the 100 block of Lobos
Street (BOS)
1 In-Progress
8. Lighting assessment: on Ramsell St between
Holloway and Garfield (BOS)
3 In-Progress
9. Lighting Assessment on Geneva Ave (BOS) 10 In-Progress
10. 495 32nd Ave- change PG&E light to LED and
HSS
3 In-Progress
11. Lighting Assessment for Cross St and Pope St
(BOS)
2 In-Progress
12. Larkin Street Stairs (BOS) 1 In-Progress
13. 21st between South Van Ness and Folsom (BOS) 3 In-Progress
14. Heather Ave & Euclid Ave Lighting Assessment
(BOS)
2 In-Progress
15. Chenery Street and Diamond Street in Glen Park
(BOS)
3 In-Progress
16. Lighting assessment for Euclid and Masonic (BOS) 3 In-Progress
17. Brannan St. Between 4th and 5th street (BOS) 4 In-Progress
18. Princeton street/Tulane (BOS) 2 In-Progress
19. 44th Ave between Noriega and Ortega (BOS) 9 In-Progress
20. Ulloa and Claremont (BOS) 3 In-Progress
21. Fulton Street Safety Measures (BOS) 9 In-Progress
22. Balceta Ave Lighting Assessment (BOS) 3 In-Progress
23. McCoppin Hub (BOS) 14 In-Progress
24. Ocean Ave I-280 Overpass (BOS) 3 In-Progress
25. In City Project Review Sidewalk Changes at 1600
Jackson St
2 In-Progress
26. Diamond Heights Blvd & Upper Gold
Mine/Duncan/Upper Berkeley, and stairways on
Opalo, Onique, Colleen, and Coralino)
9 In-Progress
27. 19th Ave & Buckingham Way 6 In-Progress
28. Capp St between 15th St & 16th St ; Mayor's Office
Call
6 In-Progress
29. Thor Avenue Street Lamp Request 2 In-Progress
11 30. Lighting assessment - Executive Park Blvd &
Blanken Ave (BOS)
7 In-Progress
Total 144
Table 1-4 BOS Requests
2. Pole Use Policy
a. Established Use Policy
The SFPUC owns approximately 30,000 streetlight poles in the City, many of which are suitable for alternative uses. The SFPUC’s Pole Use Policy governs municipal and non-profit use of City-owned streetlight poles. The policy identifies a Figure 1-3 400 Block of Victoria - Streetlight Added per BOS Request
12 comprehensive review process of streetlight pole use requests from applicants, such as City agencies, community groups, business districts and other non-profit entities.
The SFPUC adopted the Streetlight Pole Use Policy to streamline and regulate the use of City-owned streetlight poles in San Francisco. Street and sidewalk illumination are the most important use of streetlight poles—no other pole use may compromise street and sidewalk lighting operations and maintenance. The policy lists pole use priorities in the following order:
1. SFPUC use for street lighting
2. Use by other City agencies for utility or other municipal purposes
3. Decorative use by City agencies or community groups
4. Temporary event use (e.g., amplified sound, festival lighting) by City agencies or community groups
The review criteria include structural impact on the streetlight poles, physical impact on lighting performance and communication infrastructure, existing and proposed pole uses, electrical load, public support, and public benefit.
Figure 2-1 New 5G installation in Hunter's Point
13 b. Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS)
As of June 2026, there are over 800 active DAS sites throughout the City, administered under Master License Agreements (MLA) with the mobile network providers/affiliates. Over half of these provide 4G+ or 5G service, including new and upgraded sites installed to provide robust high-speed coverage for visitors to San Francisco for major events like the Super Bowl, Dreamforce, and the FIFA World Cup. The local community will reap the benefit of this network enhancement for years to come. By modernizing the City’s telecommunications infrastructure with superior transmission speeds, lower latency, and increased capacity for users, the DAS program contributes to economic development and the well-being of residents. The SFPUC’s costs to administer and safely implement the DAS program are covered by fees charged to the carriers for licensing streetlight poles and conduits.
c. Public Safety Applications
Public safety is a growing alternate use of SFPUC poles by other City agencies; the poles serve as structures for attaching sensors, and PUC streetlight circuits may be used to provide power.
Figure 2-2 Upgraded DAS Installation on Folsom Street
14 i. Automated License Plate Recognition
The SFPD uses Stationary Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras for the authorized law enforcement purpose of rapidly identifying and locating vehicles of legitimate interest to law enforcement. ALPR cameras are designed to read the rear license plates of vehicles that pass within the camera's field of view and capture an image of the rear of the vehicle and its license plate (or lack of plate).
These images can be compared against databases of stolen vehicles and stolen plates, databases of vehicles associated with missing or kidnapped people, or compiled and queried for vehicles wanted as part of a criminal investigation. In September 2024 SFPUC and SFPD executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the terms and standard operating procedures for installation of ALPR cameras on PUC streetlight poles, and deployments have continued throughout 2025 and 2026; all cameras installed to date are solar powered, but there are plans for Streetlight circuit-powered installations in future. As of June 2026, 187 ALPR cameras have been installed and are functioning to assist SFPD in detecting, preventing, and prosecuting crimes.
Figure 2-3 Installation of license plate recognition camera on Kezar Drive ii. Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE)
October 2023 the California State Legislature adopted Assembly Bill 645 authorizing six cities, including the City and County of San Francisco, to establish a Speed Safety System Pilot Program. This pilot is an opportunity for San Francisco to employ a powerful traffic safety tool that offers a high rate of detection, and in conjunction with education and traffic engineering, can significantly reduce speeding, improve traffic safety, and prevent traffic-related fatalities and injuries. As
15 part of Vision Zero SF, San Francisco’s Commitment to Ending Traffic Deaths, MTA installed detection cameras, radar, and other supporting equipment at selected locations around the City. In February 2025 SFPUC and SFMTA executed an MOU to define terms and operations for the Speed Safety System Pilot Program. Of the 56 camera equipment installations deployed in April and May of 2025, 40 are mounted on SFPUC poles and/or are powered by SFPUC Streetlight circuits. Since August of 2025 SFMTA has been issuing citations for exceeding the posted speed limit.
Figure 2-4 Speed camera at a crosswalk near Golden Gate Park
d. DPW Regulations for Decorations Over Public Sidewalks and Streets
City Code Sec. 723.1 Neighborhood Amenity (Love Our Neighborhoods) Projects went into effect in January 2024, “intended to facilitate residents’ and civic organizations’ promotion of neighborhood love, pride, and enjoyment.” SFPUC has collaborated with SFDPW, SFMTA, DBI, and SFFD to establish a permitting process that allows for installation of decorative lighting as well as other decorations on streetlight assets, such as pole wraps.
16 In early 2026 the SFPUC Pole Use team granted licenses to the Yerba Buena Central Business District for pole wrap signage designed for neighborhood identification and wayfinding, and there are plans to license additional poles due to the positive response. SFPUC is also consulting with the Downtown San Francisco Partnership placemaking team to provide design guidelines and assist these in navigating City processes and procedures to achieve their creative vision for a California Street lighting project.
Figure 2-6 Proposed lighting installation on California Street Figure 2-5 Yerba Buena Neighborhood Identification and Wayfinding
17 3. Regulatory Efforts
a. Through CALSLA, SFPUC Engaged in Settlement Negotiations in PG&E’s 2023 Phase 2 General Rate Case to Address Proposed Increases to Facility Charges
On September 30, 2024, PG&E submitted its 2023 Phase 2 GRC filing with the CPUC, Application (A.) 24-09-014, which proposed increases to PG&E’s overall gas and electric distribution and generation base revenue requirement relative to current revenues. PG&E originally proposed significant monthly facility charge increases over the course of four years. The initially proposed increases for San Francisco’s LED rate schedule ranged from around 20% for LS-1E rates to nearly 80% for LS-1A LED lights (about 8% of San Francisco’s PG&E-owned streetlights are under the LS-1E rate, while around 85% are under the LS-1A). For high pressure sodium vapor (HPSV) lights (about 6% of the total), rates were originally proposed to increase between 33% and 90%. However, PG&E has since noted that HPSV replacements are no longer available, and the remaining lights will convert to LED.
SFPUC is working with California Street Light Association (CALSLA), who conducted extensive discovery from PG&E and found errors in their workpapers, including a $4 million overcharge error. PG&E also identified other major errors in portions of its 2023 Phase 2 GRC workpapers and has issued several errata, resulting in significantly lower increases than what was proposed in its original workpapers. The newly proposed rates would amount to an increase of approximately 8% over 4 years (2% per year), rather than 20 – 90% increases as initially proposed. CALSLA is currently engaged in settlement negotiations with PG&E on the streetlight rates. Parties to the GRC are discussing a range of marginal cost inputs into the model, and no major consensus has been reached yet. The proposed schedule includes a final decision in June 2027, and the new rates would likely go into effect in October 2027 or January 2028, following a Final Decision by the CPUC.
b. PG&E Seeking to Terminate Wholesale Service to San
Francisco’s Streetlights and Unmetered Load and Convert Hetch Hetchy Power Customers to PG&E Retail Customers
While the CPUC regulates PG&E’s operations of PG&E-owned streetlights, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulates the Wholesale Distribution Tariff (WDT) that governs interconnections between PG&E’s distribution grid and Hetch Hetchy Power customers. Under PG&E’s WDT, the City has the right to access PG&E’s distribution grid to serve its customers and power municipal facilities, including streetlights. However, since the City’s transition to receiving service under the WDT in 2015, PG&E has continued to violate the terms of its open-access tariff and has enforced it in a way that has resulted in significant challenges for the City in providing Hetch Hetchy Power to its customers.
PG&E’s revisions to its most recent WDT filings, which went into effect on April 15, 2021 (WDT3), and May 25, 2025 (WDT4), respectively— are highly detrimental to the City as a wholesale customer taking service under this tariff. 18 Along with denying secondary service for new connections, PG&E eliminated the current billing arrangement based on an agreed-upon formula for streetlights and other unmetered loads and required that these small loads be connected at primary service and metered. This created an untenable situation. Installing primary intervening facilities to serve streetlights would be both extremely cost- and space- prohibitive, the City would either have to pay higher rates under PG&E retail tariffs or spend in excess of $1 billion for large primary equipment that is unnecessary for safety or reliability purposes, and lead to City-wide project disruptions.
T
he City litigated this issue before FERC in the WDT3 proceedings. Pursuant to the litigation above, the City and PG&E have agreed to a 10-year settlement agreement (WDT3 settlement), effective November 6, 2025, that allows the City to continue to provide unmetered secondary service to new and existing streetlights and traffic signals. All other attachments on City-owned poles will require meters but will also be eligible for secondary service. However, even with this settlement in place, PG&E continues to obstruct the connection of these loads with unnecessary application and service requirements.
T
he wireless telecommunications industry had similar concerns with the WDT changes to unmetered load service, and had to enter into a separate settlement with PG&E. Under the Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) Program, the City licenses some of its streetlight poles and SFMTA poles to wireless carriers to install antennas and related equipment (see section 2.b above). WDT3 prohibited this practice. This resulted in additional costs and delays that hindered efforts to roll out 5G service in San Francisco. The wireless carriers negotiated an interim solution with PG&E allowing them to continue to install antennas and related equipment and receive service from SFPUC for an on-going monthly settlement fee paid to PG&E for every new connection. This solution has been extended under the WDT 3 settlement agreement mentioned above. Under the settlement, PG&E is requiring SFPUC to apply for and sign a separate service agreement and install meters for each individual DAS installation. However, SFPUC continues to have concerns about the implementation of the settlement terms because it is cumbersome and inefficient. In the past, SFPUC simply connected devices like this to its streetlighting circuits and then informed PG&E. No rationale for PG&E’s change in requirements has been provided. Discussions about the specific business processes and practical implementation of the WDT3 settlement are ongoing.