Becerra proposes two-hour daily free power for low-income Californians
Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Xavier Becerra unveiled a plan to give qualifying households two free electricity hours each afternoon, prompting utility Southern California Edison to ask how the scheme would be funded.
Xavier Becerra, the Democratic candidate for California governor, introduced a "power hour" that would provide two free electricity hours each day to qualifying low-income households, targeting the state's peak solar generation period of 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. He presented the idea at a summit organized by one outlet, emphasizing that excess solar energy currently goes unused or must be shipped elsewhere at a cost. Southern California Edison, which serves about 15 million customers, responded that while it welcomes innovative cost-saving measures, the plan lacks key details on financing, impact on rates and reliability, and any additional costs could shift to other ratepayers.
The utility noted that similar time-of-use programs already exist and that any new scheme would be overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission. Pacific Gas & Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric declined to comment, though they maintain regular coordination with SCE on affordability issues. Becerra’s proposal joins other candidates' promises to curb high utility bills, but critics point out that "free" electricity must ultimately be funded by someone.
Why it matters
The plan could reshape how Californians pay for electricity and affect utility rates statewide.
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