3-4 min read – unlimited potential for playing with the new tool :)
Understanding how LADWP’s electricity rates compare to other major utilities is central to OPA’s mission of transparency, accountability, and affordability. That’s why we’ve launched a new public resource: the LADWP Average Electricity Rate Comparison Dashboard.
This interactive tool allows users to compare LADWP’s past average retail electricity rates – calculated using publicly available data from the US Energy Information Administration – to the following peer utilities:
- California’s five largest utilities: LADWP, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E), and Sacrament Municipal Utility District (SMUD)
- Local municipal utilities: City of Anaheim Public Utilities, Burbank Water and Power, Glendale Water and Power, and Pasadena Water and Power
These computed average rates help users to compare utilities and observe trends but are not meant to reflect the actual affordability of electric services. Computed average rates do not capture the design elements that we ultimately see on our bills – different rate types, electricity allocations, charges, and discounts, to name a few.
Key Observations from the Dashboard looking backward from 2024
Here is what the data shows from the last decade (note: EIA data isn’t published until far after the close of the year, so any rate increases LADWP experienced in 2025 or 2026 are not captured yet):
- As of 2024, LADWP rates remained lower than California’s major investor-owned utilities (IOUs). While some of these utilities saw annual spikes of 6%, LADWP kept increases much lower - roughly 1.9% for residents and 1.2% for businesses.
- LADWP has diverged from SCE: Ten years ago, LADWP and Southern California Edison (SCE) had similar rates. Today, they have drifted apart. Why? In part because SCE faced massive wildfire-related costs among other factors. Wildfire costs for SCE increased 29% in 2023-2024 - which now make up 11% of their total system.
- LADWP rates are also competitive versus other local municipal utilities, but have also grown faster
- LADWP’s stable past will likely transition to larger increases in the future: LADWP successfully stabilized rates near the rate of inflation through the COVID-19 pandemic. However, looking ahead, the need for on-going maintenance and new investments to modernize and decarbonize the power grid means we will likely see higher costs to keep the system safe, reliable, and sustainable.
Where to Go From Here
OPA developed this dashboard to provide transparency and a data-driven starting point for conversations about electricity affordability in Los Angeles. It is not a comprehensive assessment of LADWP, but a benchmarking tool to inform public discussion – starting by looking at the past.
It also provides a starting point for LADWP ratepayers to see where the future may lie as costs and rates across many utilities in California are rising steadily and significantly – demonstrating the need for heightened focus on tools and strategies to support local cost containment and affordability.
Future analysis from OPA, and community-based discussion forums on LADWP present day rates and bills, long-term cost drivers, and tools for managing rates to promote affordability are planned for the months ahead.
For now, explore the dashboard here:
https://opa.lacity.gov/resources/ladwp-average-electricity-rate-comparison-dashboard
At little more about the dashboard for readers who simply can’t get enough…
This dashboard is built using publicly available data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), specifically the Annual Electric Power Industry Report (Form EIA-861), and calculates total bundled-service revenue by electricity sales. Since Form EIA-861 data isn’t published until far after the close of the year, any rate increases LADWP experienced in 2025 or 2026 are not captured yet.
To support comparisons across utility service territory and over time, OPA adjusts historical rates to 2024 dollars using the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). We also adjust for regional cost-of-living differences using the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPPs), weighted by population across each utility’s service territory.