City of Palo Alto (CA) electricity rates in California, 2025
City of Palo Alto (CA)’s 25,672 residential customers paid an average of 21.36¢ per kWh in 2025, 32% below the California average of 31.35¢. The typical home used 516 kWh a month, for an average bill of $110.
- 21.36¢avg ¢/kWh (2025)+0.69¢ (+3.4%) vs 2024
- $110Avg monthly billCalifornia: $155
- 516 kWhAvg monthly useCalifornia: 494 kWh
- 25,672Residential customersFull-service utility
| Sector | Customers | Sales (MWh) | Revenue | ¢/kWh 2025 | ¢/kWh 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 25,672 | 158,972 | $33,958,000 | 21.36¢ | 20.67¢ | +0.69¢ (+3.4%) |
| Commercial | 3,543 | 650,621 | $136,307,000 | 20.95¢ | 16.97¢ | +3.98¢ (+23.4%) |
| Industrial | 50 | 113,958 | $21,595,000 | 18.95¢ | 18.98¢ | −0.03¢ (-0.2%) |
| All sectors | 29,265 | 923,551 | $191,860,000 | 20.77¢ | 17.88¢ | +2.89¢ (+16.2%) |
How City of Palo Alto (CA) compares
- California residential average, 2025: 31.35¢ per kWh, 494 kWh a month, $155 average bill. U.S. average: 17.23¢, 874 kWh, $151.
- Among 30 full-service utilities in California with at least 1,000 residential customers, City of Palo Alto (CA) ranks 11 of 30 from lowest to highest average price.
- Latest monthly figure: California homes paid 29.75¢ per kWh in August 2026 (preliminary), against 30.92¢ in August 2025. Summer months often run higher than the annual average.
- From 2024 to 2025 this average rose 3.4%; the state average fell 1.9%.
- City of Palo Alto (CA) is a municipal utility, owned by the local government; the city council or utility board sets rates. Balancing authority: CISO.
Where City of Palo Alto (CA) serves
EIA lists 1 California county in its 2025 service territory: Santa Clara.
15 ZIP codes are matched to City of Palo Alto (CA) in NREL’s 2024 ZIP file: 94020, 94022, 94025, 94028, 94040, 94043, 94301, 94302, 94303, 94304, 94305, 94306, 95014, 95033, 95070. Utility boundaries do not follow ZIP lines, so a ZIP can have more than one provider.
California full-service utilities with similar rates
| Provider | ¢/kWh | Avg bill | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Azusa | 20.77¢ | $104 | 15,646 |
| City of Roseville (CA) | 21.29¢ | $145 | 64,556 |
| City of Burbank Water and Power (CA) | 21.50¢ | $106 | 46,719 |
| City of Riverside (CA) | 21.94¢ | $135 | 101,042 |
| City of Lodi (CA) | 22.78¢ | $128 | 24,215 |
| City of Shasta Lake (CA) | 22.91¢ | $180 | 4,278 |
| City of Colton (CA) | 23.00¢ | $119 | 17,367 |
| Modesto Irrigation District | 23.03¢ | $173 | 104,671 |
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Electric Power Industry Report, Form EIA-861, 2025 final data (f8612025.zip, file dated October 7, 2026): Sales to Ultimate Customers, Average Monthly Bill and Service Territory tables.
- EIA Form EIA-861, 2024 final data (f8612024.zip, file dated December 4, 2025), for the 2024 comparison.
- EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (average price by state, August 2026 and August 2025; 2026 values are preliminary), file dated October 22, 2026.
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory via OpenEI, U.S. Electric Utility Companies and Rates: Look-up by Zipcode (2024) (investor-owned and other utilities, files dated November 10, 2025), used only to match ZIP codes to utilities.
Average price = residential revenue ÷ residential kWh sold, as reported to EIA. It includes fixed monthly charges, taxes passed through in revenue and seasonal tiers, averaged over the year. Your own rate depends on your tariff and usage.