Electricity Rate in California (2026): 33.35c/kWh Average

California electricity averages 33.35 cents per kWh for residential customers as of March 2026, according to the EIA Electric Power Monthly. This is 14.79c above the US average of 18.56c/kWh. The average monthly bill for California households is $151 based on typical usage of 464 kWh.

California electricity rates are the highest on the mainland US at 33.35c/kWh (March 2026) due to three structural factors: (1) California's three investor-owned utilities (PG&E, SCE, SDG&E) operate as regulated monopolies under CPUC oversight, with rate-base recovery for massive wildfire-mitigation investments running into the billions annually. PG&E alone is spending $20B+ over 5 years on grid hardening and undergrounding. (2) California's Renewables Portfolio Standard mandates 60% renewable electricity by 2030, driving investment in solar, wind, and storage infrastructure that gets passed through to customers. (3) The CAISO grid's capacity payments and the cost of integrating variable renewables adds complexity. Since 2024, new residential customers default to TOU (Time-of-Use) rate plans, where rates spike to $0.45-$0.65/kWh during peak 4-9pm hours but fall to $0.20-$0.25/kWh overnight. California bills average $151/month despite relatively low 464 kWh usage because the high per-kWh cost more than offsets the low consumption.

Generation mix: Renewables 45%, natural gas 35%, nuclear 10%, imports 10%. The fuel mix is a primary driver of electricity rates - states with abundant hydro or nuclear tend to have lower rates, while states dependent on imported petroleum (Hawaii) or natural gas pay more.

Year-over-year change: California rates rose 2.7% year-over-year as of March 2026. This compares to the US average increase of 8.6% over the same period.