Edison to pay climate credit cash to SoCal customers

Southern California residents blasting air conditioning to get through the summer heat waves will get some relief this month, though not from the 100-degree temperatures.

Edison is providing a $72 climate credit on summer electricity bills as a part of a California program that requires large facilities that produce greenhouse gas emissions to buy carbon pollution allowances.

Customers will receive the credit automatically in two parts, half in August and half in September. The company serves about 15 million residents in the region.

The California Public Utilities Commission moved the credit to arrive in summer, when costs are at their highest.

“We know families and businesses are facing higher costs for everyday essentials,” Southern California Edison Chief Executive Steve Powell said in a statement. “The climate credit provides direct savings on summer bills and, together with lower electricity rates this year, helps make energy more affordable for customers.”

The company’s website said rates are down 4.3% since December and are expected to decrease further this year.

Southern California Edison has been investigated for its role in the Eaton fires, which killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 homes and other structures in January 2025.

The company continued to keep power flowing through its high-voltage lines in Altadena, despite National Weather Service alerts for a “life-threatening” windstorm, the investigation found.

The fire started at a tower where Edison had installed safety equipment on an unconnected transmission line, but the equipment was broken the night it ignited, according to court filings.

The investigation report also said the fire resulted from hot metal particles falling onto vegetation below the tower, which had not been cleared in years.

A trial looking at whether the company acted negligently is expected to take place in January.