Most California residents are vaguely aware that electricity costs more than in most other states. But they haven’t seen the actual numbers.
I’m here to help. And to depress Californians.
Here’s the June, 2019 numbers for the average CA and U.S. cost per kWh, in cents. Our residential cost is far higher than the national average. But our commercial (think shopping centers, office buildings, etc.) and industrial (think factories) rates are even worse, again compared to the national averages.
All the figures are from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a reliable source.
| Per kWh | June 2019 | Residential | Commercial | Industrial |
| CA cost of electricity | $0.2087 | $0.1838 | $0.1503 | |
| U.S. cost of electricity | $0.1334 | $0.1089 | $0.0691 | |
| CA % higher than U.S. average | 56.4% | 68.8% | 117.5% | |
| June 2018 % diff. | 51.3% | 64.6% | 105.2% | |
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_5_6_a
Note how the CA rates — already far higher than the national average (an average that INCLUDES California!) — are going up FASTER than the national average. For instance, the CA residential rates were 51.3% higher than the national average in June, 2018, but now are 56.4% higher a year later.