The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has issued a Proposed Decision in Southern California Edison’s (SCE) General Rate Case, setting the revenue requirement for 2025 through 2028. The decision, released on July 28, 2025, authorizes SCE to collect $9.756 billion from customers in 2025—$727 million less than what SCE had requested.
According to the CPUC, this move is intended to balance affordability with the need for safety and reliability. “The Proposed Decision reduces SCE’s request by $727 million, prioritizing affordability while ensuring safety and reliability.” The decision also includes significant investments aimed at reducing wildfire risk and upgrading aging infrastructure.
For residential customers enrolled in the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program, which provides discounts on electric and natural gas bills for qualifying households, the average monthly bill is expected to rise from $107.99 to $118.50—a 9.7% increase. Non-CARE customers will see their average monthly bill go from $171.17 to $187.83 over the same period.
Due to the timing of the vote after January 1, 2025, SCE will recover any difference between what it has been collecting since January and what is authorized by spreading that amount over a two-year period starting as early as October 1, 2025.
Over four years (2025–2028), total revenues approved are $41.58 billion—about 10% less than SCE’s original request of $46.17 billion for that timeframe. Annual increases in revenue requirements for subsequent years will be tied to changes in the consumer price index but capped at a maximum of five percent per year.
Wildfire management remains a focus of the proposal. “The Proposed Decision supports major investments in wildfire risk reduction, including undergrounding power lines in high-risk areas.” Specifically, it approves a four-year budget of $2.213 billion for targeted undergrounding and covered conductor programs—less than half of what SCE initially sought—and more than 98% of requested funding for other wildfire mitigation activities such as inspections and weather monitoring.
Vegetation management activities are allocated $607 million under this plan. The CPUC notes that remote sensing technology will be phased into inspection routines with ongoing evaluation: “Notably, the Proposed Decision supports SCE’s request to transition to full remote sensing for routine inspections… However, the Proposed Decision directs SCE to incorporate remote sensing into its inspection program in a carefully phased manner and with reporting on the accuracy of its remote sensing inspections.”
Grid modernization projects supporting increased electricity demand—including upgrades related to transportation electrification—are also funded under this proposal.
The process leading up to this decision included public forums held both remotely and in person during March and April 2024; evidentiary hearings took place over fourteen days in May with participation from twenty intervenors representing various interests.
Parties may submit comments on the Proposed Decision by August 18, with reply comments due August 25; oral arguments are scheduled for August 11 ahead of an anticipated vote at CPUC’s meeting on August 28.
