Commercial electrical work in Orange County
A business in Orange County deals with SCE in most cities, SDG&E in the south end, a city-run utility in Anaheim, and a power authority that sets the generation price in a few cities. Each of the 22 cities on this site has its own permit office, and fire review depends on whether the city belongs to OCFA.
- 22Orange County cities with a city page on this site
- 23Cities that belong to the Orange County Fire Authority
- 1 (Anaheim)Cities here where the city, not SCE, runs the electric utility
- 3Cities here with OCPA generation service today
- 2025Energy Code edition for permit applications filed on or after January 1, 2026
Who supplies the power
Most of the county is served by Southern California Edison. SCE owns the wires and the meter, sets the service work for a panel or service upgrade, and answers outages. The big exception is Anaheim, where Anaheim Public Utilities (APU), a city department, supplies every business. SCE business rates, SCE programs and SCE shutoff notices do not apply there, and a service change goes through APU. The Anaheim business page covers that path, including the city’s planning layers for the Resort District, the Platinum Triangle and Anaheim Canyon.
A second layer is the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA), a community choice program that buys generation for member cities while SCE keeps delivery. Buena Park, Fullerton and Irvine are members now, and Fountain Valley joins in April 2027 (see OCPA’s Fountain Valley page). The two show up as separate lines on a business bill, so compare the full bill and not one line. The Irvine business page shows how OCPA’s rate sheet follows SCE’s schedules. OCPA does not change panel size, permit steps or inspections.
South county and SDG&E
SDG&E serves the south end of the county. The City of San Clemente sends residents to SDG&E for electric service, and SDG&E’s own filing for a south county reliability project says the Capistrano Substation serves the majority of customers in San Juan Capistrano and names San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente as project cities. Dana Point is also on SDG&E. Three cities on this site are split by address: Aliso Viejo’s city page puts SDG&E east of Alicia Parkway and SCE west of it, and the Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo city pages list both utilities. San Juan Capistrano and Dana Point have no page here. For any address in the south end of the county, read the bill or call both utilities before sizing a service, because a meter and a load letter come from whichever one serves the site.
Permit offices, utility and fire review in 22 cities
Each city writes its own fee schedule and runs its own counter, so there is no county permit. The table lists the electric utility, the generation supplier, the permit office with a link to its page, and the likely fire reviewer. “OCFA” means the city is on the Orange County Fire Authority member list. The other cities use a city fire department or another agency, so confirm who reviews a fire alarm, sprinkler, exit lighting or fuel storage change before the schedule is set.
Click a city name for its utility, permit fees and local rebates. Fees for all cities are sorted on the permit fee comparison. Plan check, fire review and the state surcharge are added on commercial jobs in many cities, so ask the counter for the full list.
Energy Code and lighting in a tenant space
The California Energy Commission says the 2025 Energy Code applies to permit applications filed on or after January 1, 2026, with approved 2025 compliance software and forms. In a tenant space that affects lighting controls and new equipment, and the plan set and the lighting schedule have to match. The tenant improvement electrical page lists the scope that usually goes in the plans. Outdoor lots have their own control rules, covered on the parking lot lighting page. Indoor and outdoor swaps are on the LED lighting retrofit page.
Industrial and business park work
The county mixes office parks, industrial buildings and retail strips, and the electrical jobs differ. Anaheim Canyon is covered by its own specific plan, and Irvine and Santa Ana have their own commercial counters. A larger building usually means bigger services, more panels and longer feeders. Work in a warehouse or distribution building is covered on the warehouse and industrial electrical page. Sites that cannot lose power, such as cold storage, labs and data rooms, often add a standby generator. Generators in this county go through the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Rebates for Orange County businesses
Business programs change often. The City of Irvine’s business rebate page lists SCE Express Solutions and SCE Customized Solutions for equipment upgrades, and it lists SoCalGas efficiency rebates for gas equipment. Anaheim businesses use APU programs and not SCE’s. Ask the program before you order equipment, because many programs require approval first.
What to send for a quote
Send the city and street address, the utility on the bill, the service size on the main panel label, and a short description of the job. Include the landlord’s name for a tenant space, since many leases need written approval for electrical changes.
Send three things. Get a call.
Share the building, the job and a deadline. Your request goes to a licensed partner electrician, who contacts you about the building, the load and the permit path.
Commercial electrical work is available through the partner electrician.
- The buildingType of business, address and rough size.
- Who you areOwner, tenant, property manager or HOA board.
- The jobWhat is wrong or planned, and any deadline such as a lease date or inspection.
Commercial electricians by city
Questions people ask
Who supplies power to a business in Orange County?
SCE delivers power to most Orange County cities. Anaheim Public Utilities, a city department, supplies every Anaheim business, so SCE rates and programs do not apply there. South Orange County is split: SDG&E serves San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano, and parts of Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo. The electric bill names the utility, and the utility decides meter and service work.
What is OCPA, and does it change the electrical work?
Orange County Power Authority buys the electricity for member cities, while SCE still owns the wires and the meter. Buena Park, Fullerton and Irvine are members today, and Fountain Valley joins in April 2027. Business accounts can opt out and return to SCE. It changes the bill, not the permit steps, panel rules or inspections.
Does the fire authority review a tenant space electrical job?
It can. Twelve of the 22 cities in the table are OCFA members, and the others use a city or another fire agency. Fire alarm, sprinkler, exit lighting and fuel storage changes are the usual triggers. Ask the building counter at pre-application which reviews apply, so the schedule includes them.
Can I compare commercial electrical permit fees across Orange County cities?
Not directly. Cities price permits differently: flat issuance lines, per-item lines, valuation tables, minimum permits and separate plan check. The permit fee comparison covers residential service and panel lines of about 200 amps, not commercial work, so use it to see how the fee structures differ and ask the counter for a commercial total. Commercial jobs can add plan check and fire review.
Do these rules change for a warehouse in an industrial district?
The permit path is the same, but the equipment is larger. Panels and services at warehouses are bigger, high-bay lights and parking lot lights fall under the outdoor and indoor lighting controls, and a standby generator needs an air district permit. The warehouse, parking lot lighting and generator pages cover each one.
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