San Diego Community Power reports lower generation charges than SDG&E, while delivery fees remain unchanged
How electricity bills are split between generation and delivery
San Diego electricity customers who receive service through San Diego Community Power continue to pay for two distinct components on a single bill: electricity generation and electricity delivery. Community Power procures the electricity supply and sets generation charges, while San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) continues to own, operate and bill for transmission and distribution service.
This structure means any comparison between Community Power and SDG&E must focus on the generation portion of the bill. Delivery charges, along with certain utility fees that can apply to Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) customers, remain tied to SDG&E’s tariffed rates and bill design.
Community Power’s recent rate actions and effective dates
Community Power’s board approved a rate adjustment on February 7, 2025, lowering electricity generation charges for a second consecutive year. The rates were made retroactive to February 1, 2025. The agency described the change as reducing the Community Power portion of bills on average year-over-year for customers on its default service option, while also aiming to reduce large seasonal swings.
For 2026, Community Power published residential generation rates effective January 1, 2026 for its service plans, including PowerOn, PowerBase, and its 100% renewable option, Power100. Those published tables list per-kilowatt-hour generation charges for common residential schedules, reflecting the agency’s generation-only role.
Why “lower generation costs” does not always mean a lower total bill
Even when Community Power’s generation charges are below SDG&E’s bundled generation service, the total amount a customer pays can depend on multiple items that sit outside a CCA’s control, including SDG&E delivery rates and several pass-through charges and credits that can vary by customer class and rate schedule.
Among the most consequential line items for many CCA customers is the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA), a utility-collected charge intended to account for costs tied to SDG&E’s prior energy procurement. On bills, PCIA typically appears within SDG&E electric delivery charges for customers taking Community Power generation service, affecting the overall comparison between options.
What customers should check on their own bills
Rate schedule: Time-of-use and baseline structures can change the effective price paid by hour and by tier.
Generation line items: Customers can compare the Community Power generation charge to SDG&E generation service for the same class.
Delivery charges and fixed charges: These remain SDG&E-set and are not reduced by choosing a different generation provider.
PCIA and other adjustments: These can offset part of the generation savings and vary over time.
Because CCAs change only the generation component, a full “bill impact” assessment requires reviewing both the generation rates and the SDG&E delivery and adjustment line items shown on monthly statements.
What comes next
Community Power and SDG&E rates are updated periodically, and customers can move between generation options subject to program rules and processing timelines. For consumers, the most precise comparison remains the one that matches their actual usage pattern, tariff schedule and bill credits or surcharges during the same effective period.