LADWP and Southern California Edison: What Contractors Need to Know

Two utility providers serve the majority of Southern California, and which one covers your job site determines the entire temporary power application process. Here is a quick overview of each.

LADWP: The City of Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has been serving the City of Los Angeles since 1902, making it one of the largest municipal utilities in the United States. LADWP serves more than 4 million residents across the city and operates its own power generation infrastructure, including natural gas generating stations within city limits.

If your project address is within the City of Los Angeles, LADWP is your utility provider. The quickest way to confirm this is to check the water and power bill for the property.

Southern California Edison: The Rest of the Region

Southern California Edison serves the majority of Southern California outside the City of Los Angeles, covering a service territory that extends across a large portion of LA County, Orange County, Riverside County, and Ventura County. SCE provides electricity to approximately 14 million residents across its coverage area.

Beyond SCE and LADWP, some cities in Southern California operate their own municipal utilities, including Burbank Water and Power, Glendale Water and Power, Pasadena Water and Power, and Anaheim Public Utilities, among others. If your project is in one of those cities, the permit and application process runs through that city’s department rather than SCE or LADWP.

Why It Matters for Temporary Power

LADWP and SCE have different application processes, different fee structures, and different timelines. Submitting a temporary power application to the wrong utility wastes time and requires starting the process over with the correct provider.

For SCE-served projects, a service planner is assigned and must visit the job site before the pole can be installed. For LADWP projects, the process differs depending on whether the source is overhead or underground.

ACO confirms the utility provider for every project before submitting any application. We are authorized agents for both LADWP and SCE, which means we handle the application, coordination, and follow-up directly with each utility on your behalf.

Temporary Power Across Southern California

A-CO Temporary Power has been installing temporary power poles for construction projects across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and Ventura counties since 1989. Whether your site is served by LADWP, SCE, or a local municipal utility, ACO manages the permit and utility application process from start to finish.

Call us at 818-255-3560 or request a free estimate online.