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California Electricity Prices

Average retail price by sector. Latest data: May 2026.

Residential
33.25¢ /kWh
▼ 0.1%vs. last year
Commercial
24.10¢ /kWh
▲ 0.5%vs. last year
Industrial
20.20¢ /kWh
▼ 1.0%vs. last year

Average monthly bill

Full bill breakdown →
$160per month▼ 1.2% vs. the year before

32.79¢/kWh × 488 kWh a month. Residential revenue divided by residential customers, averaged over the 12 months to May 2026 — the 20th highest among the 50 states and DC.

Compared with the U.S. and neighboring states

Average monthly residential electricity bill, in US dollars
California
$160
U.S. average
$155
Arizona
$160
Oregon
$132
Nevada
$115

California is $5 a month above (+3.0%) the U.S. average of $155. Average monthly bill, June 2025 – May 2026.

How California makes its electricity

Fuel mix & 10-year trend →Power plants →
Renewable
57.3%
Carbon-free
66.5%
Largest source
Natural gas 34%
California electricity generation by source, June 2025 – May 2026
SourceShareGeneration
Natural gas33.8%67,170 GWh
Coal0.1%153 GWh
Nuclear9.2%18,383 GWh
Wind8.0%15,955 GWh
Solar28.4%56,581 GWh
Hydro13.3%26,451 GWh
Other7.2%14,268 GWh

199 TWh of net generation over the 12 months to May 2026. Generation, not consumption — power crosses state lines.

California electricity prices in context

At 33.25¢/kWh as of May 2026, California's residential electricity price ranks second highest in the nation among the 50 states and DC. This is 14.81¢/kWh above the US average of 18.44¢/kWh, or 80.3% higher. All three neighboring states have substantially lower rates: Oregon at 16.27¢/kWh, Arizona at 15.23¢/kWh, and Nevada at 13.60¢/kWh.

The price has climbed sharply over longer periods, rising 46.2% since May 2021 from 22.74¢/kWh. Over the past twenty years since May 2006, it has more than doubled, increasing 136.8% from 14.04¢/kWh. Since records began in January 2001, the rate has grown 205.3% from 10.89¢/kWh. The current price sits slightly below the state's record high of 35.25¢/kWh set in April 2026, and far above the low of 10.08¢/kWh reached in September 2003.

Despite the high rate, California's average monthly residential bill of $160 is nearly identical to the national average of $155, because residents use substantially less electricity—488 kWh per month against the national average of 871 kWh. Commercial rates stand at 24.10¢/kWh and industrial rates at 20.20¢/kWh.

Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through May 2026.

12-month trend

ResidentialCommercialIndustrial
18¢22¢27¢32¢37¢Jun '25Sep '25Dec '25Feb '26May '26ResidentialCommercialIndustrial

Residential history since 2001

8.1¢15¢23¢30¢37¢Jan '01May '07Sep '13Jan '20May '26
Jan '01
10.89¢
Now
33.25¢
Change
▲ 205.3%
Range
10.08–35.25¢

Recent months

MonthResidentialCommercialIndustrial
May 202633.2524.1020.20
April 202635.2525.7519.87
March 202633.3528.1820.06
February 202633.2224.7318.91
January 202630.2923.1319.11
December 202534.7126.9219.86
November 202531.8924.3919.29
October 202533.6026.9423.05
September 202532.0430.3625.47
August 202531.6529.4624.65
July 202532.6630.0825.27
June 202533.5926.8322.14

Prices in ¢/kWh.

Frequently asked questions

›How much does electricity cost in California?
Residential electricity in California costs 33.25¢ per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, the 2nd highest rate among the 50 states and DC. Commercial customers pay 24.10¢ and industrial customers 20.20¢ per kilowatt-hour.
›Why is electricity expensive in California?
California's residential rate of 33.25¢/kWh is +86.4% versus the U.S. average of 17.84¢/kWh. What a household actually pays also depends on how much it uses: the typical California home consumes 488 kWh a month against a national average of 871 kWh, which is why its average bill comes to $160.
›Have electricity prices in California gone up?
Residential electricity in California has moved +205.3% since 2001, reaching 33.25¢/kWh in May 2026. Over the last year alone the change was -0.1%.
›Is electricity cheaper in states neighboring California?
Of the states bordering California, Nevada has the lowest average monthly bill at $115 and Arizona the highest at $160. California averages $160 a month, against a U.S. average of $155.