In short: Fullerton has about 140,100 people and sits in Orange County. Southern California Edison Co, San Diego Gas & Electric Co and City of Anaheim serves different parts of Orange County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 17.11¢ to 43.63¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Orange County earthquakes “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,580 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is among the best in the country.
This page covers what is local to Fullerton: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our California energy guide and the wider area is covered in the Los Angeles guide.
Fullerton at a glance
- Place: Fullerton, Orange County, California; about 140,054 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Southern California Edison Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 32.43¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 100 minutes of power on normal days and 158 counting major storms, with 0.9 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Fullerton).
- Utility: San Diego Gas & Electric Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 43.63¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 71 minutes of power on normal days and 157 counting major storms, with 0.5 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Fullerton).
- Utility: City of Anaheim (city-owned). Homes paid an average 17.11¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 46 minutes of power on normal days, with 0.6 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Fullerton).
- Sun: 5.42 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.91 in December to 7.38 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,580 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 1,400 cooling degree-days and 1,520 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Orange County: earthquakes “very high”, river and heavy-rain flooding “very high” and wildfires “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “very high”).
- Public charging: 261 ports at 127 locations in Fullerton, 37 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Southern California Edison Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 3,219,520 home customers in 2024; its 32.43¢ average was below the 33.61¢ statewide average for July 2026. San Diego Gas & Electric Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 307,982 home customers in 2024; its 43.63¢ average was above the 33.61¢ statewide average for July 2026. City of Anaheim is a city-owned utility and served about 105,839 home customers in 2024; its 17.11¢ average was below the 33.61¢ statewide average for July 2026. Those are utility-wide averages, not a quote for your address; your own bill is the real number.
For reliability, Southern California Edison Co reported 100 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, less than the statewide figure of 158 (EIA-861). Utility-wide numbers hide a lot: a home at the end of a long rural line usually has more outages than the average.
Net metering, export rates and incentives are set at state level and by each utility. Start with the California guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Fullerton
- Earthquakes (very high): Earthquake risk is mainly about secure mounting and gas shut-off for generators; ask the installer to follow local seismic requirements.
- River and heavy-rain flooding (very high): Heavy rain can flood basements and take out power. Put sump pumps on backup power and keep equipment above the flood line.
- Short outages: a portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi, a CPAP and lights; a home battery switches over automatically.
Size your setup with the generator sizing tool and the battery backup calculator, and compare options in backup power. Generator safety (CPSC): outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from doors and windows, never in a garage, and battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms inside. A licensed electrician should install any transfer switch, with a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Fullerton
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,580 kWh a year in Fullerton (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Southern California Edison Co’s 2024 average of 32.43¢, that is about $512 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: July is the sunniest month at 7.38 and December the dimmest at 2.91, a 2.5-to-1 gap.
Check your own roof with the solar potential tool, see solar costs and net metering vs net billing, and read the steps in solar installation.
Batteries and EV charging
A home battery earns its place when outages are frequent, when your utility pays little for exported solar, or when evening prices are high; compare in home batteries and battery costs. Fullerton has 261 public charging ports in the federal station list including 37 DC fast, but home charging is cheaper and easier: see the EV charging cost calculator and EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Fullerton: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
Solar, generator transfer switches and EV chargers normally need an electrical permit from the Fullerton building or permitting department, or from Orange County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Fullerton, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the California guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Los Angeles energy guide, Garden Grove, Anaheim, Santa Ana and Huntington Beach, or the whole California energy guide.
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Fullerton energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Fullerton?
Southern California Edison Co, San Diego Gas & Electric Co and City of Anaheim all serve parts of Orange County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Southern California Edison Co 32.43¢, San Diego Gas & Electric Co 43.63¢, City of Anaheim 17.11¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Fullerton?
About 1,580 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 9,480 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
Is a generator or a battery better for wildfires in Orange County?
It depends how long the outage lasts. A battery is quiet, automatic and good for short outages and for pairing with solar; a standby generator keeps going as long as it has fuel, which suits multi-day events. Many homes use a battery for everyday outages and add a generator for the rare long one.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Fullerton?
Almost always an electrical permit for a transfer switch, solar or an EV charger, issued by the city or county where you live. Your licensed electrician or installer normally pulls it. Never connect a generator to your house wiring without a transfer switch.
Sources: EIA Form 861 (2024) for utility prices and outages; NASA POWER climatology (2001 to 2025) for sun and degree-days; FEMA National Risk Index for county hazards; AFDC station locator for public charging; Census Bureau for population. Estimates are ours and are not promises; see our editorial policy. Prices and programs change, so check each program page.