Energy and Environment Committee · Held · Special

Los Angeles City Council Energy and Environment Committee special meeting, October 1, 2026

October 1, 2026, 2 p.m. · Updated October 6, 2026

From official records: At a special meeting on Oct. 1, 2026, the Los Angeles City Council's Energy and Environment Committee approved eight of nine council files, including an ordinance letting DWP pick one design-build firm to renovate its John Ferraro Building headquarters and Sanitation's plan to keep the 2024 stormwater rules and raise LID fees, the council files show. It continued a study of data centers over 100 megawatts with a possible moratorium to a date to be determined. The agenda also listed a DWP verbal report on bills and rate structures. No committee reports, vote counts or minutes were posted as of Oct. 6, 2026.

As of October 6, 2026, outcomes for the October 1, 2026 meeting of the Energy and Environment Committee of the Los Angeles City Council come from official records posted so far, such as council files, recorded votes and filed statements. Some results may be missing until the full minutes are posted and read.

This was a special meeting; the special agenda was posted Sept. 30, 2026. Items are numbered as on the agenda. Outcomes come from the council file histories. Committee members since Aug. 31, 2026, per the Council President’s assignment letter: Adrin Nazarian (chair), Katy Yaroslavsky (vice chair) and Imelda Padilla.

Item 1 on the agenda was a verbal report from DWP on understanding your bill and rate structures. It had no council file.

2. Raise the grease-interceptor remodel threshold for restaurants from $100,000 to $180,000

• What it does: Sanitation recommends an ordinance raising the tenant-improvement value that triggers a required grease interceptor in existing food service businesses from $100,000, set in 2001, to $180,000, with inflation updates every three years. New restaurants and buildings converted to restaurant use would still need one (Sanitation report, July 7, 2026).
• Who brought it: Motion by Monica Rodriguez, seconded by Bob Blumenfield, adopted by the Council June 4, 2025 (CF 25-0380).
• Who it affects: Sanitation says the grease program regulates more than 8,000 food service businesses (Sanitation report).
• What happened: Approved as amended; the amendment and vote count were not posted as of Oct. 6, 2026 (CF 25-0380).
• What’s next: If the Council agrees, the City Attorney would draft the ordinance (Sanitation report).

3. Sanitation report: keep the 2024 Low Impact Development rules, raise LID fees and add enforcement

• What it does: Sanitation recommends keeping Ordinance No. 188125, which since April 2, 2024 applies LID stormwater rules only to projects of 2,500 square feet or more of impervious area, and adopting new fees for full cost recovery. It also asks the City Attorney to explore authority to inspect LID features on private property and fine owners who remove them without a permit (Sanitation report, April 13, 2026).
• Money: The report says the old rules left about $2.4 million, or 59%, of program costs on the Stormwater Pollution Abatement Charge. Proposed fees include $1,063 to $1,771 for the plan-check types that remain, up from $1,050 to $1,500 (Sanitation report).
• Who it affects: Sanitation reports that plan checks cleared fell 59%, from 4,551 a year (2020 to 2023 average) to 1,869 in 2025, while stormwater captured fell 15%, from 22.3 to 19.0 acre-feet (Sanitation report).
• What happened: Approved; no vote count posted as of Oct. 6, 2026 (CF 22-0600-S54).
• What’s next: The committee’s recommendation goes to the full Council; no Council date was listed as of Oct. 6, 2026 (CF 22-0600-S54).

4. Release pending 500 to 2,499 square-foot projects from old stormwater (LID) requirements

• What it does: Asks the City Attorney to draft an ordinance letting projects still under the 2011 LID ordinance, with 500 to 2,499 square feet of impervious area, follow the current 2,500-square-foot threshold instead (motion).
• Who brought it: Monica Rodriguez, seconded by Bob Blumenfield (CF 26-0742).
• Neighborhood council positions: Palms voted 9-0 against unless amended, saying smaller properties should not be exempt from water capture rules (Palms CIS).
• What happened: Approved; no vote count posted (CF 26-0742).
• What’s next: The committee’s recommendation goes to the full Council; no Council date was listed as of Oct. 3, 2026 (CF 26-0742).

5. Study data centers over 100 megawatts and a possible temporary moratorium

• What it does: Asks DWP, with City Planning, Building and Safety and Engineering, to report in 90 days on whether to study how large data centers affect the grid, water supply, ratepayer costs and infrastructure, including a possible moratorium on new data centers over 100 megawatts. It also asks the City Attorney to report on the ordinance needed for that moratorium (motion).
• Who brought it: Adrin Nazarian, seconded by Traci Park (CF 26-1284).
• Who it affects: The motion says DWP’s average data center inquiry is 40 megawatts (motion).
• What happened: The committee continued the item to a date to be determined (CF 26-1284).
• What’s next: Also referred to the Planning and Land Use Management Committee (CF 26-1284).

6. DWP to report on delays connecting power to new housing

• What it does: Asks DWP to report on its Energization Process Improvement under Executive Directive 19, the number and status of multifamily and mixed-use service requests since Aug. 1, 2021, and staff vacancies and turnover (motion).
• Who brought it: Ysabel Jurado, seconded by Imelda Padilla (CF 26-1213).
• Who it affects: The motion says developers report waits of 12 to 18 months for electrical service (motion).
• Neighborhood council positions: Westside’s board voted 14-0 on Sept. 10, 2026 to support the motion; the statement was filed Oct. 2, after the meeting (Westside CIS).
• What happened: Approved; no vote count posted as of Oct. 6, 2026 (CF 26-1213).

7. Report on rooftop solar safety rules for commercial buildings after the Boyle Heights fire

• What it does: Asks the Chief Legislative Analyst, with LAFD, Building and Safety and DWP, to report on permitting, inspection and shutdown rules for rooftop solar on commercial and industrial buildings, gaps between agencies, and changes with cost and timeline (motion).
• Who brought it: Ysabel Jurado, seconded by Tim McOsker (CF 26-0906-S16).
• Coverage: The Daily News reported that LAFD found the June 17 Lineage warehouse fire began on the roof at or near solar panels, where an electrical event occurred, with the cause undetermined (Daily News, Sept. 22, 2026).
• What happened: Approved; no vote count posted (CF 26-0906-S16).
• What’s next: The motion is also referred to the Planning and Land Use Management Committee (CF 26-0906-S16).

8. Extend DWP’s role in the statewide Clean Fuel Reward program to Jan. 28, 2030

• What it does: The Second Amendment to the governance agreement extends DWP’s participation, which expired Jan. 28, 2025, and keeps DWP as account holder for program funds. It reflects 2024 state rule changes that shift the rebates toward medium and heavy-duty electric vehicles and electric motorcycles (DWP Board letter).
• Who brought it: Board of Water and Power Commissioners, Resolution No. 027 028 (DWP Board report).
• Money: DWP expects no added cost and says any would be reimbursed under the first amendment (DWP Board letter).
• What happened: Approved; no vote count posted (CF 26-1215).
• What’s next: Charter Section 373 approval; the file lists Oct. 23, 2026 as the last day to act (CF 26-1215).

9. Ordinance letting DWP award one negotiated design-build contract to renovate the John Ferraro Building

• What it does: A draft ordinance lets DWP award one contract, for up to five years, through a competitive sealed proposal process that allows negotiation, to design and build the renovation of its headquarters (City Attorney report R26-0510).
• Who brought it: Board of Water and Power Commissioners, Resolution No. 026 233; the committee approved the request on Aug. 4 and the Council asked for the ordinance (committee report).
• Money: No fiscal impact statement was submitted (committee report).
• Who it affects: About 3,500 DWP employees work in the building. A 2023 survey found asbestos in fireproofing throughout the return-air ceiling space, and the work includes seismic strengthening (City Attorney report).
• What happened: Approved; no vote count posted as of Oct. 6, 2026 (CF 26-0868).
• What’s next: The City Attorney says Charter Section 371(b) requires a two-thirds Council vote to adopt the ordinance (City Attorney report).

10. DWP’s $495 million Kiewit groundwater cleanup contract extended one year

• What it does: Amendment No. 4 to Agreement No. 47525 with Kiewit Infrastructure West Company extends it to Sept. 8, 2027, an eight-year total term, to keep Kiewit through permitting and startup of the Tujunga Well Fields treatment facility (DWP Board letter).
• Who brought it: Board of Water and Power Commissioners, Resolution No. 027 031 (DWP Board report).
• Money: No new money; the ceiling stays at $495,000,000. The project has received $257,817,737 in state Proposition 1 grants (DWP Board letter).
• Who it affects: DWP says PFAS found in the Tujunga Well Fields has held up the state permit to operate the facility. The San Fernando Basin has supplied about 10% of DWP’s water on a five-year average (DWP Board letter).
• What happened: Approved; no vote count posted as of Oct. 6, 2026 (CF 24-1006).
• What’s next: The Council must act under Charter Section 373; the file lists Oct. 23, 2026 as the last day to act (CF 24-1006).

Previous meeting: August 18, 2026 · Next meeting: October 9, 2026 · All meetings