Beatrice Lang
California has several dozen major electric companies, with the most famous being Pacific Gas & Electric Company, PacifiCorp, Silicon Valley Power, and Bear Valley Electric Service. The state is divided into two types of electric companies: Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) and Publicly Owned Utilities (POUs). California's three big utility companies are Pacific Gas and Electric Co., San Diego Gas & Electric Co., and Southern California Edison. Southern California Edison delivers power to 15 million people across 50,000 square miles in central, coastal, and southern California, excluding Los Angeles and some other cities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the company | Southern California Edison (SCE) |
| Parent company | Edison International |
| Year founded | 1909 |
| No. of people served | 15 million |
| Service area | 50,000 square miles |
| Service area includes | 180+ incorporated cities and 15 counties |
| Electricity sources | Natural gas (50%), renewable sources (32%), hydroelectric power (15%), nuclear power (3%) |
| Initiatives | "Charge Ready" program, rebate program for electric vehicle purchases, Tehachapi Energy Storage Project |
| Contact | 818.302.1212 |
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What You'll Learn
Southern California Edison (SCE)
SCE is committed to making clean and reliable energy more accessible and affordable for its customers. The company offers rebates and incentives for lighting, food service technology, HVAC, air conditioning, and related electric appliances and systems to help manage electricity costs. SCE also provides its customers with the option to obtain their electricity entirely from renewable sources by subscribing to a "green rate". In 2014, SCE installed the Tehachapi Energy Storage Project, which is composed of more than 600,000 lithium-ion battery cells at Monolith Substation in Tehachapi, California, to test storing power generated from wind turbines. As of 2017, 28.2% of SCE's power sources were renewable, and the company had opened two new hybrid electric gas turbine (EGT) units, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60%, annual water usage by 2 million gallons, and the number of gas starts by 50%.
In addition to its focus on renewable energy, SCE is also working to improve safety throughout Southern California. This includes updating its grid with fire-resistant poles and other equipment, as well as taking preventative action through tree trimming and other inspections to reduce wildfire threats.
SCE is one of California's three major investor-owned utility companies, alongside Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric Co.
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Pacific Gas & Electric Co
The company's primary business is the transmission and delivery of energy, and it employs approximately 23,000 people. Pacific Gas & Electric Co is one of six regulated, investor-owned electric utilities (IOUs) in California, alongside PacifiCorp, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, Bear Valley Electric, and Liberty Utilities.
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San Diego Gas & Electric Co
California is home to several major electric companies, with San Diego Gas & Electric Co. being one of the state's three big utility companies. San Diego Gas & Electric Co. (SDG&E) is responsible for delivering electricity to San Diego and Orange County.
The history of the company dates back to 1881 when power first came to San Diego in the form of gas-lit street lamps. The San Diego Gas Company, a partnership of eight local businessmen, supplied the gas for these lamps. In 1905, the company, now known as the San Diego Gas and Electric Light Company, was struggling to meet demand. It was then sold to Byllesby & Company, a Chicago firm, and was renamed the San Diego Consolidated Gas and Electric Company.
Henry H. Jones, a civil, construction, and electrical engineer, became vice president and manager of the company in 1910 and soon after, its president. Under his leadership, the company experienced significant growth. By 1920, it provided gas and electric services to San Diego city and forty adjacent towns and districts, serving nearly twenty-seven thousand customers. That same year, the company had over five hundred and thirty miles of gas mains and seven hundred miles of electric pole lines.
In 1940, the company ended corporate ownership, made its stock available to the public, and renamed itself the San Diego Gas and Electric Company. Construction of the South Bay power plant began in 1958, and the first of four oil fuel-burning units came online in 1960, providing much-needed electricity to the region.
Today, SDG&E is one of California's largest utility companies, serving a vast area and numerous customers. While it faces competition from Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) that offer renewable energy options, SDG&E remains a prominent player in Southern California's energy landscape.
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Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is the largest municipal utility in the United States. It was founded in 1902 to supply water to residents and businesses in Los Angeles and several adjacent communities. In 1917, LADWP began delivering electricity to parts of the city and, in 1939, it became the sole electrical service provider for Los Angeles.
LADWP provides an average of 435 million gallons of water per day to over four million residents and businesses in Los Angeles and several adjacent cities and communities in southwestern Los Angeles County. It has 8,100 megawatts of electric generating capacity, with 24% of this coming from four natural gas-fired generating stations within the city boundaries. LADWP also receives electricity from coal-fired plants in Utah and Arizona, and plans to transition away from coal by 2025. A further 14% of its electricity is generated using nuclear power from the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona, and 2% comes from hydropower, most of which is sourced from the Hoover Dam.
LADWP is overseen by the five-member Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners, who are appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles and confirmed by the Los Angeles City Council for five-year terms. The board sets policy for the department and votes on utility rates, renewable energy projects, and pension tiers for LADWP employees.
LADWP offers a range of programs to support its customers, including the EZ-SAVE Program, which helps income-qualified customers save on their bills, and the Lifeline Rate Program, which offers senior and disabled citizens an exemption on their utility bills. LADWP also encourages the development of local solar, enabling residents and businesses to generate their own power.
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Clean Energy Alliance
California is home to several major electric companies, including three big investor-owned utility companies: Pacific Gas and Electric Co., San Diego Gas & Electric Co., and Southern California Edison. However, there is a growing movement towards community choice aggregators (CCAs) or community choice energy programs, which are locally controlled and give residents and businesses the power to choose greener, renewable sources of electricity at lower costs.
The Clean Energy Alliance (CEA) is one such CCA. It is a joint powers authority made up of a partnership between the cities of Carlsbad, Del Mar, Solana Beach, San Marcos, Vista, Escondido, and Oceanside in Southern California. The CEA allows its member cities to purchase electricity from alternative suppliers while still delivering power through San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) transmission and distribution lines. This gives the cities more local control over their electricity sources and the potential to choose greener power sources at competitive prices.
The CEA is supported by ratepayers and is legally separate from its member agencies, with a separate budget funded by program revenues and reserves. The alliance has a governing board that holds monthly meetings, which are open to the public. The CEA offers various energy plans with different percentages of renewable and carbon-free energy content, including Clean Impact (minimum 50% renewable energy), Clean Impact Plus (50% renewable/75% carbon-free), and Green Impact (100% renewable).
The Clean Energy Alliance is part of a broader trend in California towards embracing clean and renewable energy sources. California is considered a leader in renewable energy in the United States, with a goal to completely phase out fossil fuels by 2045.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several dozen major electric companies in California. Some of the most famous ones include Pacific Gas & Electric Company, PacifiCorp, Silicon Valley Power, and Bear Valley Electric Service. Southern California Edison (SCE) is also a well-known electric company in the region, serving 15 million people across central, coastal, and Southern California.
There are two main types of electric companies in California: Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) and Publicly Owned Utilities (POUs).
Yes, you can change your electric company at any time in California.
CCAs, or community choice energy programs, are locally controlled and give residents the ability to choose renewable sources of electricity at lower costs. Some examples of CCAs in California include the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Pasadena Water and Power Department, and San Diego Gas & Electric Co.
Some public power options in Southern California include the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Moreno Valley Electric Utility, and Pasadena Water and Power Department.
