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Step-by-Step Guide: Temporary Construction Site Power

Although temporary power may seem like an overwhelming process, it can be smooth if specific steps are followed correctly.

It is essential when completing any construction on a single-family home or a commercial building to contact the building and safety department to find out what the specific city requirements are to pass inspection on the temporary power pole. It is crucial to work hand-in-hand with departments who know the city and county codes and regulations to avoid any fees or shutdowns. Familiarity with these departments will be essential to passing inspections and securing permits quickly.

Most cities require an active building permit for the city inspectors to release the pole over to the utility provider. Obtaining a building permit takes time, so it is crucial to make sure the customer has a building permit before installing the temporary power pole.

If a customer has all the appropriate permits on file, the temporary power process goes a lot more smoothly. Having all the relevant permits results in an energized power pole and no delays to the construction project’s start.

multi-set temporary power poles

Once a building permit is issued, it is now time to start the temporary power process.

Utility providers like SoCal Edison require a meter spot before installing the pole; a service planner will be assigned to the project and will have a meeting with the general contractor on-site. Both parties will come up with the desired location on where the temporary pole will go. It is also the contractor’s responsibility to mark the placement of the temp pole. If the power crew arrives at the job site and the pole location is not clearly marked, there will be a delay in installation, resulting in setbacks on the job site.

On the other hand, service providers like the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power only require meter spots on underground sources. It is also essential to look at your water and power bill to determine who services your area.

Once the appropriate meter spots have been completed, this is the green light to move forward with the temporary pole installation. Our company and crew install equipment to meet city requirements, to pass the city inspection, making the process one step closer to being energized.

temporary power ground conduit

A-CO Temporary Power gives customers the option to either take care of the permits and application independently, or we also offer permit pulling services. It is a no brainer to use our services. Our staff is skilled, and our expertise makes the process less stressful for our customers. Hiring knowledgeable professionals ensure success. We set the city inspection and continue to follow the job all the way until the customer has power.

Overall, with proper planning at the end of the contactor and with appropriate guidance from the temporary power company, the construction site will be fully operational in no time.

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What is at risk for the construction industry after the 2020 elections?

Election Day 2020. We know that potential policy and tax-related changes may emerge due to a possible exchange of power at the federal level. We have to be ready for policy changes with which we are not familiar. However, we know with certainty that we will be electing congressional leaders who will draft legislation and vote on bills that affect the construction industry, a foundational element of the U.S. economy.

There is much uncertainty in predicting which promises different elected officials will follow through, but we have one certainty: our importance in this election. As voters, we are responsible for electing congressional leaders who work towards building more job opportunities and helping people achieve their dreams. The idea of the “American Dream” is more than just a trite phrase; it is a promise.

 

Looking at the past four years, confidence, as reported by chief executive officers in the construction industry, has hit the roof. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, construction spending triumphed at a record of $1.4 trillion per year, sustained by a thriving economy and record-low unemployment. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the first major tax overhaul passed in the last thirty years, dropped the pass-through income tax rate by 10 points. The Act doubled the estate tax exemption, encouraged reinvestment, and created other employment opportunities in different sectors that work with the construction industry.

Generally, in the U.S, the construction industry has tended to pay the highest effective tax rate of any such industry. The tax reform legislature’s outcomes include construction companies investing and expanding their businesses, investing in their staff, and welcoming new talent. The Act gave them the capital to do so. They also had enough revenue to expand their training and career opportunities for current employees, a worthwhile initiative in the construction industry.

Both Congress and the current presidential administration also jointly worked together to reduce workplace gaps and create more workforce development opportunities.

President Trump established the Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion to which he appointed ABC and the National Council for the American workers. ABC signed the agreement and committed to employing and developing opportunities for 500,000 workers in 2018-2023.

The dual-party FIRST STEP Act, a criminal justice reform bill, reduces reoffending rates and refined educational opportunities for those who need a second chance. This bill permits federal prisons to create partnerships with private entities to offer prisoners educational, skills-based that could lead to long-term career opportunities in industries like construction. These creative policies have played a vital role in changing the image of professionals and inviting more workers to learn skilled trades in high demand. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage for construction workers has increased by 11.2% since January 2017.

 

Looking to the next four years, we need to keep the momentum going. We need to make sure that we do not stagnate. While what is happening day-to-day in D.C seems far removed from our daily lives, these legislative have an enormous impact on construction business and even our local communities. If politicians from different parties can find common ground and work together on contentious policy issues, much can happen. For instance, an infrastructure bill could prove beneficial for everyone—especially considering America’s schools, bridges, and highways are generally weakening across the U.S. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the U.S. infrastructure a D+ letter-grade in 2017 and predicted a $2 trillion, 10-year investment gap. Issues like infrastructure need bipartisan support to create a plan to address this significant problem.

 

Politicians need to prioritize legislation that provides the public with the best product quality at the best possible price, improving the economy. Such legislation would allow U.S. construction companies to bid for public works projects. Such a plan cannot order project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal and federally assisted construction projects. It must invite all construction workers to bid and work on projects in their communities and build better places for themselves and their communities, paid by tax dollars. If PLAs are mandated on publicly funded construction projects, it will result in less opposition, and taxpayers will accept increased costs of 12% to 20%. That means taxpayers will obtain and receive returns on only four schools, roads, and bridges for the price of five.

Additionally, lawmakers need to address the construction industry opposition against the divisive PRO Act (H.R. 2474), passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in February 2020. This legislation is full of labor policy changes that would strip workers of their freedom of choice, privacy and repeal 27 state right-to-work laws. This policy initiative will be detrimental to employers of almost nine out of ten workers and would ultimately prevent firms from competing for taxpayer-funded construction projects.

 

We cannot afford such wastage with America’s infrastructure, significantly as many states and cities recover from the deadly effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Politicians at every government level must work together and assist in building a business climate that provides maximum benefits for infrastructure and taxpayers’ money. Such policy foundations will lead to additional job and career opportunities for all workers. As estimated by ABC, every $1 billion in extra overall construction spending generates an average of a minimum of 6,500 construction jobs.

 

As America strives to battle the health and economic consequences of COVID-19, we need to concentrate on a complete infrastructure package rooted in fair and open competition, workforce employment, safety, and training to get construction workers back out in the field. This idea is especially poignant as the industry has only recovered 59% of the jobs lost since the beginning of the pandemic-induced depression.

As voters and citizens, we need to make sure the construction industry’s voice is heard in November. We must elect representatives who put bigoted differences aside, tackle significant issues, and permit the construction industry to “reconstruct” America to keep our economy competitive and rising.

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COVID-19 Brings Hotel Construction Industry in California to Grinding Halt in 2020

At the beginning of the calendar year 2020, it was impossible for us to believe that standing in the 21st century mankind would be subject to a deadly virus that would wreak havoc and destroy lives as we know it today. Even as we approach the last quarter of the year, there is no end in sight to the worst pandemic that humankind has witnessed in modern times. With restrictions imposed on movement, businesses have taken a toll the world over, some more than the other.

One of the worst affected industries in the travel and tourism industry that has devastated the hotel industry in California. Historically, California has driven the hotel industry because of tourist hotspots such as Disneyland Resort in Orange County, media production in Los Angeles and business travel driven by the tech industry in Silicon Valley. Not only has there been a tsunami of hotel closures, hotel construction has taken a major hit, registering a 17% decline in hotel construction.

This double-digit decline comes after record-year for the state in the year 2019, when the above-mentioned industries were operating in full swing and looking forward to a fruitful year ahead, till the corona virus pandemic brought businesses to a grinding halt.  The numbers cut out a dreary picture for the hotel construction industry in California.

For the first six months of 2020, hotels under construction dropped by 17.1% to 194 from 234 in the corresponding period of the previous year. The number of new rooms under construction registered a drop of nearly 20% from to 32,424 to 26,418, according to hotel brokerage and research firm, Atlas Hospitality Group. While 35 new hotels opened in this time period, down just one as compared to the same time frame in 2019, they did so with 22.5% lesser rooms that is a statement on the dwindling demand.

 

Some bright spots amid the doom

Some of the notable new openings in 2020 in Southern California are as follows. Los Angeles County, that leads the hotel industry in Southern California with 49 hotels and 7,650 rooms in construction, witnessed only one hotel opening in the first half of 2020, the 24-room Prospect Hotel. San Diego County and Orange County were at par with each county witnessing the opening of four new hotels each.

San Diego County added a total of four hotels with the largest Homewood Suites in Carlsbad with 142 rooms. The construction of the 226-room Destination Hotel Resort in Oceanside, the largest hotel to be constructed in 2020 has come to a halt as a result of the pandemic.  In Orange County, four hotels with 524 rooms witnessed opening in the first half of 2020.

The largest of the four was the 208-room Staybridge Inn & Suites Irvine. 15 hotels in Orange County remain under construction, with the total of 2,888 rooms. The largest of these is the 613 room Westin Anaheim Resort, that was also in the construction phase but faces uncertainty in the future.

Northern California witnessed a fate that was worse than Southern California. In the first half of 2020, no new hotels were opened in San Francisco County of Northern California.  Five hotels with 858 rooms are under construction in San Francisco. The Luma Hotel in Mission Bay in San Francisco remains under construction.

Santa Clara County and Sacramento County in Northern California had a shade of better luck as compared to San Francisco as each saw two hotels open in the first half of 2020 with 249 and 227 rooms respectively.  Another area in Northern California, the Fresno County had three new hotels open with a total of 325 rooms.

 

Slowdown to continue with no end in sight

Alan Reay, President, Atlas Hospitality Group in a mid-year development report on the hotel construction industry forecasts that, developers are now focusing on other sources such as residential as a vast majority of hotel projects that were in the pipeline for the year have been shelved.

Another travel research firm STR records in a similar report that compared to the 70% to mid-80% occupancy rate that has been a norm in Southern California hotels, occupancy rates have been halved. For instance, for the first seven months of 2020, Orange County’s hotel occupancy rates dropped to 46.4%, with San Diego and Los Angeles counties both at 50%.

The STR research report further notes that the two key metrics namely revenues and daily room rates in existing hotels that are watched closely by investors to cut deals and developers to announce new projects have both taken a hit in 2020, as demand has dropped steadily during the year. As top of the line hotels are currently struggling to get customers to return especially in the costal regions, developer appetite for new hotel construction has steadily waned.

If that was not all, the closure of high end luxury hotels such as the Luxe Rodeo Drive hotel in Los Angeles and the Hilton Times Square hotel in New York City are adding to the gloom and doom of the scenario and is indicative of the financial burden and a sharp uptick in delinquencies. With no clear indication of a remedy or an end in sight, it is clear that the impact of this deadly pandemic will be felt by hotel construction industry in California for a long time going ahead.

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Los Angeles Power Company – The Pulse of Angelenos

The Los Angeles department of water and power called the LADWP is essentially the biggest utility of municipality in United states of America and it serves more than 4 million of the residents. The department was founded in the year 1902 for supplying water to the businesses and residents in the city of Los Angeles.

The company owns and has stake in power plant installations which provide in excess of 7220 MW of the generating capacity. The company also does the business of buying and selling wholesale power. The majority of the water supply for the city is taken through a couple of aqueduct system and it originates from Mountains of Sierra Nevada. The other sources of water also include basins of local groundwater and the wells. As the LADWP is essentially city-owned, the status of retail monopoly has not been affected by the deregulation of utility in California.

 

Energy generation for LAWPD

The LAWPD is responsible for operating four of the natural gas generating stations within the boundaries of the city and when you combine this with other sources of natural gas it accounts for almost 34% of the capacity. The company gets 19% of the electricity from the coal plants that are located in Arizona and Utah but there are plans for transitioning away from the coal based power by the year 2025. An additional 9% of the power is generated through nuclear power which comes from Palo Verde nuclear station located in Arizona. The company also receives 5% of electricity from the hydropower and most of this power comes from Hoover Dam and the remaining power comes from aqueduct system.

 

Southern California Edison

The Southern California Edison also known as SCE Corp is the biggest subsidiary of the Edison International which is the main company responsible for supplying power to the majority of Southern California. The company provides electricity to approximately 14 million of the residents and it includes services territory that runs across 50,000 Sq. Miles of the area. Here it is important to note that beyond SCE Corp, the LADWP, imperial irrigation district and San Diego Electric & Gas as well as some other municipal utilities are responsible for serving significant portions of Southern California. The northern side of state is served by Pacific Gas & Electric company from San Francisco.

The SCE Corp provides a host of features and productive functionalities to its users. When you visit the website you can get access to the welcome kit, choose to turn on, turn off or transfer the service, view current bill or make payment for the bill, submit residential requests or business requests, get answers to the common questions which are frequently asked by the customers and clients, get information on unplanned or planned outage and view the current map of outage amongst other things.

Some of the featured links that you will find at the SCE Corp website include request tracker, utilities, agendas for different meetings, recreation, notification, bids, city maps and jobs. These useful utility links cover all the aspects of power consumer service and provides effective solutions to all the energy requirements and issues that might crop up.

The SCE Corp is constantly looking to improve the productivity by coming up with new solutions and smart ideas for saving money as well as energy. Some of these steps include paperless billing, tips for energy saving and a survey with energy advisor for energy saving recommendations and ways to improve energy efficiency.

 

Energy efficiency programs

Energy conservation is an important goal in ensuring that the natural resources are preserved for the future generations. This is why different power companies participate and become members of various energy efficiency and conservation programs that are launched regularly, which ultimately contribute towards conserving energy thereby reducing the risk of natural resource shortages. The energy providers in the region of South California have started expanding their efforts so that they can channelize unified vision towards the common goal of energy conservation. The Southern California energy providers have formed a coalition that includes California public utilities commission, Los Angeles natural gas & natural utilities and the various local administrations.

The members of this group and the local energy providers who have signed up to the energy efficiency program include Azusa light and water, Anaheim public utilities, Burbank water and power, Colton City electric utility, California independent system operator, Los Angeles department of water and power, Glendale water and power. Riverside public utilities, Pasadena water and power, Southern California Edison, South California public power authority, Southern California gas company and Southern California regional energy network.

The energy conservation program is called Conserve Energy SoCal, and as the name suggests, it’s main focus is on conserving energy in the region of South California and this is supported by a majority of the power suppliers in Southern California. The initiative of Conserve Energy SoCal will be relying on educational and interactive programs to persuade the community of Southern California for joining hands in reducing electricity as well as natural gas consumption. Some of the things done as per this initiative is education regarding contribution of natural gas for generation of electricity and the program will provide comprehensive tips for conservation especially at peak times and information on advantages of using reduced energy likes electric bills and lower gas. This also helps in contributing towards significant rebates in the monthly and annual energy bills generated by the local energy providers.

 

Temporary Power Solutions

Electricity is an essential driving force for all the homes and businesses, so when you are setting up a construction project or when you are organizing an outdoor event you will need access to temporary power. The ACO temporary power company provides the necessary services by fulfilling your power requirements in Southern California at affordable rates. ACO has been providing temporary power solutions, including temporary power poles for construction projects since 1989.

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Construction Projects Continue Amid Coronavirus Fears, But Halts Building Inspectors in Nationwide Unrest

The economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been tremendous. Leaders worldwide are in quandary over the possible ways to restart their virus-hit economies without triggering a fresh wave of infection.

In his daily address from Sacramento, California, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement on a four-stage reopening of the Californian economy. Local officials have been pressurizing the governor to reopen the state, particularly, in the counties that have managed to flatten the curve.

California was among the first states in the US to direct its citizens to stay-at-home, confining approximately 40 million residents to their homes. The order came into force on 19 March 2020 and exempted essential activities including ‘Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers’. It covers workers engaged in construction, operation, inspection and maintenance of construction sites and projects. While Governor Newson had not declared an end date for the mandate, he detailed the steps for a gradual reopening of the economy. A full reopening would be subject to a thorough assessment based on six criteria.

California lacks the availability of affordable housing facilities before the outbreak of the virus.

California’s housing crisis had been its most pressing problem. Given this, Newsom’s order listed housing construction as an essential service, allowing developers to continue with ongoing projects.

However, in view of the increased risk to construction workers, public officials in many Californian counties and cities voted in favour of shutting down all non-essential construction activities. This covers residential and commercial projects that do not have 10% affordable units. They issued their own stay-at-home directives as a measure to curb the spread. The state of California authorises local health officials to issue safety regulations, on the condition that they are more restrictive than those of the state. Public health officials in 7 counties (Santa Clara, Marin, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda and Santa Cruz, and the city of Berkeley) in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, ordered halting of all commercial, residential and institutions construction projects on 31st March 2020. The ones exempt from the orders included affordable housing, homelessness shelters, transport projects and health care facilities.

On the contrary, the Los Angeles county chose to carry on with its construction projects – commercial, residential and institutional. The city mayor, Eric Garcetti introduced a new set of safety guidelines such as maintaining a physical distance of 6 feet between workers, using protective gear such as googles, gloves, face shields and face masks. Constructions projects were allowed provided they adhere to the guidelines. Garcetti warned against the failure to comply with the prescribed safety regulations.

Despite mounting fears of the coronavirus pandemic, big players in the LA construction industry such as Webcor builders, Hathaway Dinwiddie and Swinerton announced their decision to continue work. The major ongoing projects in Los Angeles County are the $5 billion Sofi stadium in Inglewood, the 2900 Wilshire apartment tower in the Koreatown-MacArthur Park area, the demotion of the four buildings at Los Angeles County Museum of Art‎, and the 35-story Shoreline Gateway development in Long Beach.

Cities in the northern, central and southern parts of California have decided instead to adhere to the state order related to construction guidelines. Many developers too, irrespective of their state or county’s mandate on construction, are refraining from undertaking any activity due to “fear of increased exposure and health risk”. They claim that it raises their liability.

It will be some time before companies and developers are able to comprehend the effects of the coronavirus on the construction industry.

LA Building Inspections Come to a Halt as Unrest Grips the Nation

The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) announced the cancelling of all building inspections scheduled for Monday, June 1, 2020. This comes close on the heels of the California State Government’s order to shut down all buildings and offices in the downtown area. The directive was issued taking into account reports of protestors entering and vandalising buildings.

As communicated by the Associated Press, the State Department of Human Resources’ mandate ordering the closure of all offices in the downtown city areas, included offices ranging from the Department of Motor Vehicles to those that certify workers and provide health care. Amy Palmer, spokeswoman for the State Government Operations Agency added that the decision for closure was taken after much deliberation with the California Highway Patrol and the Office of Emergency Services. State departments in the downtown area were advised to close all offices and the staff instructed to stay-at-home.

We Are Here to Support You!

ACO Temporary Power is here to support all construction projects in Southern California.  We offer the lowest prices on temporary power, and provide exceptional customer service.

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Corona Virus In Los Angeles –Safer at Home Order

The coronavirus pandemic has the entire world on edge. Countries from all around the world are struggling to keep the spread of the virus under control. Doctors, nurses, and paramedic staff are working day and night to help panic-stricken patients. This is an emergency situation none of us has ever seen before. Millions have tested positive for COVID-19, and thousands have already lost their battle for life against this dread disease.

The Safer at Home Order in Los Angeles

To keep people from leaving their homes, the city of Los Angeles took a bold step and declared that staying at home was not a suggestion for Angelenos but the law. On March 19th 2020, the Mayor, Eric Garcetti, issued a ‘Safer at Home’ order, which made staying at home a legal obligation for all Angelenos.

The order is currently set to expire on the 19th of April 2020, but according to the Mayor, it could last for as long as two months. The Mayor and Mike Feurer, the City Attorney, have taken up the responsibility of ensuring that the emergency order ‘Safer at Home’ is actively enforced.

What Does the Order Say?

The order makes it necessary for all the residents of Los Angeles to stay in their homes at all times, with a few exceptions. People can only leave their homes for the most essential tasks, including medical attention, securing food, medicines, and caring for children, the elderly, and anyone with disabilities. In case anyone fails to heed the order, it can lead to fines and jail time.

Non-essential businesses have been asked to shut their doors. Some of the businesses that are permitted to operate are those that have a role to play in the day-to-day lives of the people of Los Angeles, including grocery stores and medical facilities.

The Mayor of Los Angeles has announced that a Safer at Home Business Ambassador’s program will be formed. This ambassador program deploys volunteers and workers and the Crisis Response Team. The sole purpose of this program is to ensure that the emergency order is voluntarily complied with. If voluntary compliance isn’t achieved, the information will be shared with the City Attorney and the Los Angeles Police Department, which will then take-up the follow-up and further actions, if needed.

Learn more at: https://corona-virus.la/faq

The Construction Industry Exempt from Stay at Home Order

The stayathomeorder deems construction as “essential” work, although there has been some confusion around what kind of construction is consider essential.

“It could be clearer,” says Mark Hartney, partner at Allen Matkins, a California-based law firm specializing in real estate. Hartney noted the order’s parenthetical addition of “including housing” to the initial order creates uncertainty.

Hartney points to local orders such as those from Los Angeles and Santa Monica, both of which have exempted commercial construction from stay-at-home orders.

ACO Temporary Power Remains Open

We are open and here to support the construction industry during these uncertain times and to offer you the best in temporary power and first class customer service in Southern California. Some of our most popular services are Temporary Power Poles, Overhead & Underground Systems,Trailer Connections, Lighting Systems, Project Design Services and Permit Pulling Services.

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The Housing Crisis in Southern California

The United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. However, as the nation’s wealth rises, so do the costs of goods for consumers. Included among those costs is the price of homes. According to The Wall Street Journal, the median price of a home nationwide in 2019 was $275,000 (California Home Prices Soaring). In the same study, it was found that this cost increased by more than 50% of the price of a home in 2012. So what does this sharp rise in home costs represent?

The Housing Crisis

The fast rise in housing costs nationwide has resulted in a housing crisis among Americans, which is said by some to be the worst in United States history. CBS News attributes the housing crisis to the fact that American incomes have remained stagnant despite housing costs rising (causes of housing crisis). The majority of families now spend the majority of their incomes on shelter. But did you know that the housing crisis affects some states more than others?

California’s Housing Crisis

While the nation as a whole suffers from a rise in housing costs, the state of California has taken an even bigger hit. According to the same study quoted previously in The Wall Street Journal, over the same time period of 2012-2019, list prices for homes in California rose more than 85% and the median home price in California to $519,000. Therefore, housing costs in California rose faster than the national rate. So what does that mean for current and potential homeowners in California?

Homeowners in Southern California

New housing production in California has not kept up with the number of new jobs created in the state, creating a low supply of homes. If you happen to already own a home, you are statistically lucky to own a piece of the available pie of homes in California.

With that said, if you are considering moving and purchasing a new home, you may want to think twice. In the current housing crisis, it is in your better interest to consider remodeling. With a remodel, you can get the features of the home of your dreams without having to fight among other Californians for one of the limited supplies of homes.

Once you’ve decided to remodel, there are many factors to decide. One you may not think much about is your need for temporary power.

Remodeling and Temporary Power

A-CO Temporary Power Inc. is a Southern California-based premier temporary electrical power service company. They can assist Southern California homeowners with temporary power during their home remodeling projects. Many assume they will have outlets or power to easily plug into during a remodeling process, but sometimes a long extension cord won’t cut it and temporary power systems are required.

When you get an idea of the extent of your remodeling project, homeowners can contact A-CO Temporary Power and they will assist you with any project design services you require. An experienced member of the A-CO team will review your plans, determine your power requirements, and provide you with suggestions for temporary power solutions that will fit your project size. The project design will devise a power system for your needs that is both cost-effective and capable of powering your home during your remodeling process.

Construction and Temporary Power

According to ABC10, California Governor Newsom has promised to create 3.5 million new housing units by 2025, indicating that construction in California will rise soon (housing affordability fails).

If you decide to construct a home or are in the business of home construction in Southern California, consider ACO Temporary Power as a partner during your construction process. With exceptional temporary electrical service options, quality equipment, and a high level of customer service, A-CO will ensure you have the power you need to get the construction job done.

For construction projects, A-CO can help with overhead and underground systems (including temporary power pole rentals), trailer connections, lighting systems, project design, and permit pulling.

For a full list of temporary power services for construction products, visit www.acotemporarypower.com.

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How To Get A Temporary Power Pole Permit (Without Doing It Yourself)

temporary power permit
temporary power permit

How to get a temporary power pole permit—without doing it yourself.

The process and ease of working with ACO Temporary Power.

Red tape! 

If those words flash through your mind and raise the hair on your neck when you think about installing a temporary power pole, you’re not alone. Of all the questions we’re asked regarding temporary power, the three we get quite often are: 

1. Will we need a permit?

2. What is the process for getting a permit?

3. How long will it take?

In this article, we’ll answer those questions for you, along with a few others, based on the type of temporary power permit that suits your needs.

 

Q: Will I need a permit to get temporary power?

A: Yes. Any business that wants to install temporary power will need a permit. And unless you have a knowledgeable friend with a few connections on your team, it’s easy to disappear into a bureaucratic government maze. But worry not. Clients who work with ACO Temporary Power know that we take care of everything involved in temporary power pole rentals, including obtaining permits.

Q: What’s the process for getting a permit?

A: To deliver temporary power, we need to secure permits through the departments of building and safety in the city of the installation. Generally, the Department of Power and Water (DPW) services Los Angeles, while Southern California Edison (SCE) services the rest of the region. Note that there are some exceptions — cities that have their own water and power departments.

Now although it seems straightforward, don’t try to do this yourself.Temporary power permits have to be pulled by either a C-10 license holder or an authorized agent.In our case, that takes minutes because we are both C-10 license holders and authorized agents. We handle each step for you and with you.  

After the building and safety electric permit is pulled, we send a permit expeditor with a letter of authorization to complete application for power and to pay the up and down fee to the utility company. We then make sure that the city release reaches DWP. 

The permit process can take up to 72 hours. Once the power pole is installed, we set up an inspection withLos Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). If there are any issues, and often there are, ACO has relationships with both the LADBS and DWP, with access to supervisors who can handle concerns quickly. We follow the entire process until the pole is energized, which takes between three to six weeks.

 

Securing a Southern California Edison Permit

To obtain an SCE permit, we first have to call in a service request. This generates the job for the local SCE planning office. After a service planner is assigned to the project, we connect with them to identify a meter location. SCE requires a planner to go to the job site to mark the temp power location. Then, we arrange a meeting between the contractor and the service planner to ensure the pole location suits both parties. 

After approval, we schedule a pole installation and email all the required paperwork to the planner, as well as call in the billing application to customer service.

After the planner has the information, they send us an invoice that we pay for our contractor, and for the SCE up and down fees.

Just before we install the pole, an ACO permit expediter will drive to the installation city,pull the electrical permit, pay the fees, and schedule the inspection. After the pole is installed and inspected, we follow up with SCE to ensure the city has sent the temp power pole release and that the pole gets on the schedule for a meter and power. We continue to track the project until it’s complete.

 

About ACO Temporary Power

We started A-CO Temporary Power, Inc. in 1989 with a simple but important goal: Provide our customers with quality equipment and an exceptional level of customer service. We provide quality equipment and services at affordable prices.