Who’s My Electric Utility in the LA Area — and Why It Decides My Solar Rules
Short answer: your electric utility — not your city hall — sets the solar rules you live under. If Southern California Edison (SCE) serves your home, you’re on NEM 3.0 (the Net Billing Tariff). If a municipal utility serves you — LADWP, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, Anaheim, Azusa or Vernon — you’re not on the state tariff; each runs its own schedule. Here’s who serves which city, and how to check.
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- Your utility — not your ZIP code or city name — decides your solar billing rules.
- Southern California Edison (SCE) serves most LA-area cities, so those homes are on NEM 3.0 (the Net Billing Tariff).
- A handful of cities run their own municipal utility (LADWP, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, Anaheim, Azusa, Vernon) and are not on the state tariff — but that does not automatically mean one-for-one credit; each sets its own schedule.
- A community-choice supplier such as Clean Power Alliance changes who supplies your electrons, not your net-metering tariff — SCE still runs the meter, so it’s still NEM 3.0.
Why your utility decides your solar rules
Before you compare panels or quotes, answer one question: who is your electric utility? In the Los Angeles area the answer is usually one of two very different worlds — and it changes how much an exported kilowatt-hour is worth, whether a battery is close to essential, and what your payback looks like.
California’s big rooftop-solar rules — the Net Billing Tariff, known as NEM 3.0 — are set by the state (the CPUC) and apply only to the investor-owned utilities: SCE, PG&E and SDG&E. In our region that means Southern California Edison. Municipal (city-owned) utilities answer to their own boards, not the CPUC, so they write their own solar schedules. Same rooftop, same sun — a different rulebook, depending on the utility name on your bill.
Who serves which LA-area city (2026)
A sample of LA-area cities and their electric utility. “IOU” means an investor-owned utility (here, SCE) on the state Net Billing Tariff; “municipal” means a city-run utility that sets its own rules. Treat this as a starting point — always confirm with your own bill or address.
| City | Electric utility | IOU or municipal? | On CPUC NEM 3.0? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | LADWP | Municipal | No — own schedule |
| Glendale | Glendale Water & Power | Municipal | No — own schedule |
| Burbank | Burbank Water & Power | Municipal | No — own net billing |
| Pasadena | Pasadena Water & Power | Municipal | No — own schedule |
| Anaheim | Anaheim Public Utilities | Municipal | No — NEM 2.0–style |
| Azusa | Azusa Light & Water | Municipal | No — own schedule |
| Vernon | Vernon Public Utilities | Municipal | No — own schedule |
| Cerritos (homes) | SCE* | IOU | Yes |
| Long Beach | SCE | IOU | Yes |
| Santa Monica | SCE | IOU | Yes |
| Torrance | SCE | IOU | Yes |
| Inglewood | SCE | IOU | Yes |
| Pomona | SCE | IOU | Yes |
| Santa Clarita | SCE | IOU | Yes |
| Whittier | SCE | IOU | Yes |
| Downey | SCE | IOU | Yes |
| West Covina | SCE | IOU | Yes |
| Redondo Beach | SCE | IOU | Yes |
| Culver City | SCE | IOU | Yes |
| Norwalk | SCE | IOU | Yes |
*In Cerritos the city’s municipal utility (CEU) serves businesses; homes are on SCE. Sources: SCE service area · City of Cerritos · APPA public-power list. Confirm your own service on your bill.
If SCE serves you: NEM 3.0
Most LA-area homes land here. New solar on Southern California Edison goes on the Net Billing Tariff (NEM 3.0), in effect since April 2023.
Under NEM 3.0, the power you export is paid at a time-varying export credit, usually far below the retail rate — illustratively around 5–8¢/kWh at common midday hours, with a few late-summer evening hours worth much more. That is a big change from older net metering, and it is why pairing solar with a battery — storing your midday production to use at night instead of exporting it cheaply — is now central to the math for SCE customers. We break down the details in how SCE solar billing works, and the statewide picture in NEM 3.0 explained.
If a municipal utility serves you: its own rulebook
City-run utilities are not on the state Net Billing Tariff — but “not NEM 3.0” does not automatically mean full one-for-one credit. Each utility sets its own export rules, and several have been updating them. The only safe universal statement is: not on the CPUC tariff — confirm the city’s current schedule.
LADWP (Los Angeles)
The nation’s largest municipal utility runs its own solar rate schedules, generally more favorable than the SCE tariff. Confirm the current schedule — details in LADWP net metering.
Burbank (BWP)
Burbank Water & Power adopted its own solar net billing for systems permitted from 2026, paying an avoided-cost value that varies by time of day. Earlier systems were grandfathered onto the old program.
Anaheim (APU)
Anaheim Public Utilities runs its own NEM 2.0–style net metering (since 2021), not the state tariff — generally more favorable than NEM 3.0, but with its own credit and true-up rules.
Glendale, Pasadena, Azusa, Vernon
Each runs its own net-metering or generation buy-back schedule, set by the city and separate from the CPUC. Terms and export rates differ by utility — check the current tariff before you size a system.
“My city has its own utility” is not always the whole story
Cerritos is the classic example: the city operates the Cerritos Electric Utility, but it serves businesses — residential homes are still on SCE, and therefore on NEM 3.0. A city can have a municipal utility that does not cover your house. Do not assume from the city name; confirm the utility printed on your own bill.
A “Clean Power Alliance” line on your bill does not change your solar tariff
Many SCE-area cities are enrolled in a Community Choice Aggregator such as Clean Power Alliance (CPA). A CCA changes who buys the generation on your bill — not who runs the wires or the meter. SCE still delivers your power and administers net billing, so a CPA customer in an SCE city is still on NEM 3.0. It affects the generation line, not your net-metering rules.
How to find your own electric utility in about a minute
1. Read your bill
The name at the top of your electric bill is your utility — “Southern California Edison,” “LADWP,” “Glendale Water & Power,” and so on. That name, not your city, sets your solar rules.
2. Check by address
If you are between homes, most utilities let you enter a service address on their website to confirm coverage. Border streets between two utilities do exist, so use the address, not just the city.
3. Match it to the rules
SCE means NEM 3.0 (plan for a battery). A municipal utility means you look up that utility’s current solar schedule. When in doubt, ask the installer to confirm the utility in writing before design.
Not sure which bucket you land in? Tell us your address and we’ll confirm your utility and what its 2026 rules mean for your roof — estimates, not guarantees, and no pressure. See real installs across our project map.
Confirm my utility & solar optionsFrequently asked
How do I find out who my electric utility is?
Look at the top of your electric bill — the utility’s name is printed there (for example “Southern California Edison,” “LADWP,” or “Glendale Water & Power”). If you’re moving, most utilities let you check coverage by service address online. Use the name on the bill, not your city name — some city borders split between utilities.
Is LADWP on NEM 3.0?
No. NEM 3.0 (the Net Billing Tariff) is a CPUC rule that applies to the investor-owned utilities — SCE, PG&E and SDG&E. LADWP is a municipal utility and runs its own solar rate schedules, generally more favorable than the SCE tariff. Because those schedules can change, confirm the current LADWP schedule before you size a system — see LADWP net metering.
My city has its own utility — does that mean better solar credit?
Often, but not automatically. Municipal utilities aren’t on the state’s NEM 3.0, but each sets its own export rules, and some have moved to time-of-use or avoided-cost credit for new systems (Burbank did for 2026). A city utility may not even serve your home — in Cerritos, the city utility serves businesses while houses are on SCE. Confirm your utility and its current schedule before assuming.
I'm enrolled in Clean Power Alliance — am I still on NEM 3.0?
If SCE delivers your electricity, yes. A Community Choice Aggregator like Clean Power Alliance changes who supplies the generation on your bill, not who runs the wires and the meter. SCE still administers net billing, so a CPA customer in SCE territory is still on NEM 3.0. The CCA affects your generation charge, not your solar tariff.
Which LA-area cities have their own municipal electric utility?
The best-known are Los Angeles (LADWP), Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, Anaheim, Azusa and Vernon — each city-owned and setting its own solar rules. Cerritos has a municipal utility too, but it serves businesses; homes there are on SCE. Nearly every other LA-area city — Long Beach, Santa Monica, Torrance, Inglewood, Pomona and so on — is served by SCE.
Does it really matter which utility I have for solar?
Yes — it’s one of the biggest factors in your solar economics. It sets how much an exported kilowatt-hour is worth, whether a battery is close to essential, and your likely payback. An SCE home on NEM 3.0 usually leans on a battery; a municipal-utility home may have a more favorable export credit. Same roof, different math — so confirm the utility first.
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Get a free estimatePrepared by Cali Energy, July 2026. This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal, tax, financial, engineering, or utility advice. Rates, incentives, codes, permit requirements, equipment specifications, prices, and program terms may change; figures and timelines are estimates, not guarantees. Confirm current requirements with the applicable utility, AHJ, program administrator, manufacturer, or a licensed professional. See our Content Disclaimer. Cali Energy · 19201 Parthenia St Unit E, Northridge, CA 91324 · CSLB #1032379 (B, C-10, C-39)