In Focus
Putting Customers First: LADWP’s Community Engagement Approach Under Executive Directive 19
By Marina Quinonez
Today, securing new power connections can take longer than developers and the City would like. This is a challenge for Los Angeles, due in part to a complex permitting process that requires applicants, such as developers, builders, and contractors, to navigate multiple departments. As the City works to address these challenges, effective coordination between permitting agencies and essential service providers remains a key part of the solution. As the City's water and power utility, LADWP plays a central role in supporting project readiness and service delivery.
To help improve this system, Mayor Bass issued Executive Directive 19 (ED19) on April 27. ED19 is a comprehensive reform initiative aimed at modernizing how the City of LA manages housing and business development applications. The directive prioritizes improvements across three essential areas: technology, procedures, and customer service. By working to update these processes, the City hopes to streamline application review, reduce inefficiencies, and strengthen coordination to meet housing development demands.
“The staff here at LADWP are working hard in making our developer services quicker, more efficient and more transparent. As we tackle affordable housing and build structures that support the health and economy of our city, LADWP is here to do our part to streamline the process to get our customers connected to the grid and water supply so they can get right to business. In addition to all the improvements that we have implemented over the years, we are coordinating better, we are engaging with our developer community, and challenging ourselves to do things better and faster with outside-the-box thinking, technology and communication.” Jason Rondou, Interim Chief Operating Officer and Senior Assistant General Manager of the Power System
Commitment to Customers and Communities
ED19 outlines responsibilities for several City departments, including LADWP. In response to the directive, LADWP's Board has called for an overhaul of how the Department connects new housing and business developments. To support this effort, the Department has brought together an ED19 Strike Force made up of experts from across the Department. This group is collaborating to identify opportunities to simplify documentation, strengthen customer connectivity through modern systems, improve financial processes, and explore other workflow improvements that may help bridge the gap between applicants and LADWP’s services.
LADWP has already started planning and working towards service improvements. A critical step in any meaningful reform is to first understand the specific challenges applicants face. To gather this insight, LADWP is engaging directly with customers to identify issues and develop solutions together.
As part of this community engagement effort, LADWP hosted a workshop on June 11 with approximately 50 stakeholders. Attendees included developers, builders, contractors, and other stakeholders interested in learning more about permitting and approvals for residential, mixed-use, and commercial development. During the workshop, participants worked in facilitated design-thinking workshops to discuss their current experiences and contribute ideas for possible improvements and future engagement efforts. By engaging the development community in shaping these solutions, the Department aims to design services that better reflect customer needs, address common challenges and work towards clearer expectations and more streamlined processes.
“As we deploy this new solution, we’re taking another meaningful step to support development across Los Angeles. This new payment portal reflects the direction we’re taking to improve processes, use technology, and improve customer experience. It gives customers a faster, more efficient way to handle project-related payments while we roll out more improvements that will make it easier to build and do business in our city.” David W. Hanson, Interim General Manager
As part of LADWP’s efforts under ED19, the Department also launched a new Online Payment Portal for builders and developers seeking new or updated electric service. Accessible at LADWP.com/ProjectFees, the portal offers customers a convenient digital option for paying project-related fees tied to electric construction, engineering services, and equipment needs. With this new tool, LADWP aims to modernize how the development community handles project fees, offering a more accessible, efficient, and secure payment method that supports the broader goal of meeting the city’s housing needs.
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Importance of Refining Development Service Processes
As a customer-focused utility, LADWP remains committed to strengthening the systems that enable housing and business development across Los Angeles. Our goal is to safely connect and energize new projects more quickly while building a more efficient system that builders, developers, and customers can rely on. There is significant work ahead, and the Department is striving to make meaningful progress by prioritizing community engagement and modernizing its systems. These ongoing efforts are intended to help refine development-related processes so services can become quicker, more predictable, and more responsive to the needs of the development community.
To learn more information about the ED19 initiative, visit LADWP.com/ED19.
