Steven Powell

President & CEO of SCE, Edison International

Search every verified Steven Powell interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. At a Shift DBS supplier summit in October 2025, Southern California Edison CEO Steve Powell discussed the scale of work required to meet California’s clean energy goals, stating that the state would need 90% of vehicles electrified and 90% of homes and buildings electrified by 2045. He projected an 80–100% increase in electric load and said the utility would need to build transmission lines at four times the historical rate and new distribution circuits at ten times the historical rate. Powell called for innovation, collaboration with policymakers and suppliers, and policy changes to accelerate infrastructure permitting and licensing. He also highlighted Edison’s supplier diversity program, noting that the company spent over $2.25 billion with diverse suppliers in the prior year and aimed to expand both the number of suppliers and the total spend. In a March 2024 appearance at UCLA Anderson, Powell, an alumnus, discussed the drivers of recent rate increases, attributing them primarily to wildfire-related infrastructure investments rather than the addition of solar or wind generation. He said that while rates had risen by double digits for four consecutive years, the utility expected customers’ total energy costs—combining natural gas, gasoline, and electricity—to decline by up to 40% by 2045 if the clean energy transition was executed effectively. Powell also described the broader state targets of carbon neutrality by 2045 and an 85% reduction in human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, and reiterated the projected need for significant increases in transmission and distribution buildout.