California business electricity choice

Direct Access is capped statewide and waitlisted in most utility territories, open only to commercial and industrial accounts. The CPUC has recommended against expanding it further, so this is a market for larger, patient accounts rather than a same-month switch.

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At a glance

California in the national picture.

Regulator: California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
Benchmark rate is called: The Direct Access (DA) rate
Open to supplier choice: Electricity only
Who can switch: Business and industrial accounts only — no residential choice

This state We compare rates here Not open to supplier choice

Your utility

Rates are set territory by territory.

Whoever sends your bill today keeps delivering your energy after a switch. What changes is who supplies it. Find yours below — the benchmark you are comparing against is theirs, not the state's.

Electric utilities

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
Southern California Edison (SCE)
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)

Reading an offer

What to check before signing anything in California.

The statewide cap

Direct Access is capped at roughly 28,800 GWh a year across California, covering about 12% of commercial load.

Territory waitlists

Most utility territories are currently waitlisted, and the CPUC has recommended against expanding the program further.

Commercial and industrial only

Residential customers cannot use Direct Access under any circumstances — this market is business accounts only.

What changes once you're in

Once cleared, the same fixed-vs-variable and fee questions apply as any other market — see below.

Your fixed contract rate Utility default rate Where the fixed rate is ahead

Illustrative. It shows how the two rate types behave — the default rate resets on a schedule, a fixed rate does not — rather than any specific quote. Note the first six months: locking in is not always cheaper on day one. The case for it is the resets you avoid later.

Fixed vs. variable

Why the reset schedule matters here.

Direct Access is capped statewide and waitlisted in most utility territories, open only to commercial and industrial accounts. The CPUC has recommended against expanding it further, so this is a market for larger, patient accounts rather than a same-month switch.

A fixed contract holds one number straight through those resets. That is what you are actually buying — not a lower rate on day one, but the resets you never feel.

How this works

What it takes to get into Direct Access.

01

Check your utility's waitlist

PG&E, SCE and SDG&E each manage their own Direct Access waitlist against the statewide cap. Position varies a lot by territory.
02

File through the CPUC process

Enrollment runs through a formal CPUC-governed process, not a simple sign-up. We handle the filing.
03

Lock in supply once cleared

Once your slot clears, you contract directly with a competitive provider — that's where the rate comparison actually happens.

Other markets we cover

Find out if California's market works for your account.

Send one recent bill and we will come back with what your account qualifies for today. No cost, and no obligation to switch.

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