SMUD

What SMUD does

SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District) is a community-owned, not-for-profit municipal utility district established in 1946 and headquartered in Sacramento, California. The company delivers regulated electricity service to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across the Sacramento metropolitan area through a service territory monopoly granted under California law. Its core product is electricity distribution, supported by a smart metering and cloud DataOps infrastructure, grid modernization partnerships with vendors including Itron, Landis+Gyr, Siemens, and Oracle Utilities, and an ambitious 2030 Zero Carbon Plan to transition to a carbon-free power portfolio. SMUD monetizes primarily through regulated tiered electricity rates (including Time-of-Day peak pricing of 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays), Low Income Discount Rates for qualifying customers, the voluntary Greenergy® renewable energy program, and rebate-driven revenue programs covering heat pump water heaters (Go Electric), residential solar and battery storage ($500/kWh up to $10,000 per household), EV charging, and commercial/business energy efficiency upgrades.

The company's go-to-market is sales-led but operates within a regulated public-utility framework, combining direct customer engagement through its website (smud.org, available in 16 languages), mobile app, and Business Energy Advisor program with contractor partnership channels such as the Go Electric Program (e.g., Super Brothers Plumbing, Heating and Air). Customer segments are split horizontally across Residential (primary), Business/Commercial (primary, including anchor accounts such as UC Davis Health's 2.5-mile dedicated renewable feed supporting a 60% emissions reduction), and Low-Income (persona-based). On the technology side, SMUD is making a strategic bet on long-duration energy storage through a framework agreement with ESS Inc. for up to 200 MW/2 GWh of iron-flow battery capacity, funded in part by a $10 million California Energy Commission grant, positioning the utility at the leading edge of post-lithium grid storage deployment.

SMUD holds investment-grade credit ratings of AA2/AA3 (Moody's) and AA (Fitch) on its 2026 electric revenue bonds, with stable outlooks citing strong financial position, diversified customer base, and consistent revenue streams. The company is governed by an elected Board of Directors and is not subject to acquisition, with ownership permanently residing with the community it serves. Leadership visibility is strong: CEO Paul Lau received the SEPA 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award and was reappointed to SEPA's Board of Directors effective January 1, 2026, reflecting SMUD's national profile in grid resilience, decarbonization, and clean energy innovation.

Name

SMUD

Legal name

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Website

https://smud.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

SMUD is a community-owned municipal utility district providing regulated electricity service to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across Sacramento, California, with a 2030 Zero Carbon Plan, long-duration iron-flow battery storage, and investment-grade AA/AA2/AA3 credit ratings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Services

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Distribution (221122)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Regulated Residential & SMB Retail Supply (Default/Standard Offer) (EUAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail Billing, Customer Care & CIS/BSS Operations (for Residential/SMB) (EUAGABAK), Retail Supply + DER/Virtual Power Plant Bundles (Solar, Storage, DR) (EUAGABAI), EV Charging–Integrated Retail Supply (Home/SMB) (EUAGABAJ)

Keywords

• Electric utility services
• Renewable energy programs
• Municipal power distribution
• Energy efficiency rebates
• Grid modernization solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Electricity Sales: Regulated electricity sales to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Sacramento service territory. Revenue generated through tiered rate structures including Time-of-Day pricing during peak hours (5pm-8pm weekdays).
2. Green Energy Programs: Greenergy® program providing customers option to source electricity from renewable energy. Revenue includes premium pricing for voluntary green energy enrollment.
3. Rebates and Incentives: Various rebate programs for heat pump water heaters, solar installations, battery storage, and EV charging. Programs funded through utility budgets and state grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SMUD provides regulated retail electricity distribution to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the Sacramento metropolitan area through its community-owned grid infrastructure. Core services include electricity supply with tiered residential and business rates, Time-of-Day peak pricing, low-income discount rates, the Greenergy® renewable energy subscription program, and rebate/incentive programs for solar, battery storage, heat pumps, and EV charging. Supplementary offerings include the SMUD Energy Store, business energy advisor services, free shade tree distribution, and dedicated design and construction services for commercial energy projects.

Product overview

SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District) operates as a public power utility providing electricity services to the Sacramento area. The company offers a unified electricity service as its core product, supplemented by multiple add-on modules and programs including rate options (Time-of-Day Rate, Low Income Discount Rate), green energy programs (Greenergy®), energy efficiency incentives (Go Electric Program, Business Rebates, Solar for Your Home), Electric Vehicles support, and customer management tools (SMUD Mobile App, My Account online portal). These offerings work together under the Clean PowerCity® brand to support SMUD's 2030 Clean Energy Vision goal of achieving a carbon-free power portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Greenergy®: SMUD's renewable energy program that allows customers to source their electricity from renewable sources.
• Clean PowerCity®
• HomePower℠

Products and services

• SMUD Electricity Service Core regulated retail electricity distribution service providing power to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the Sacramento service territory through SMUD's grid infrastructure, with various rate options including standard residential and business rates.
• Greenergy® Renewable Energy Program Voluntary green energy subscription program allowing residential and commercial customers to source their electricity from renewable energy sources. UC Davis Health sources its entire electrical feed from renewable energy through this program, reducing emissions by 60% via a dedicated 2.5-mile SMUD electrical feed.
• Go Electric Program
• Solar for Your Home Program
• Electric Vehicles Program
• Business Rebates Program
• Design and Construction Services
• Free Shade Trees Program
• SMUD Energy Store
• SMUD Solar Battery Rebate Program Rebate program for Sacramento homeowners installing solar battery storage, paying $500 per kWh of battery capacity up to $10,000 per household while program budgets last, designed to drive residential battery storage adoption.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% emissions reduction for UC Davis Health through Greenergy® renewable energy program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 December 2025Paul Lau from Sacramento Municipal Utility District was reappointed to SEPA's Board of Directors effective January 1, 2026. SEPA announced the reappointment along with leaders from Duke Energy Corporation and Holy Cross Energy, recognizing SMUD's leadership in grid resilience and clean energy innovation.
• UC Davis HealthcoreOthers · 22 January 2025One of SMUD's largest clean-energy customers. UC Davis Health's Central Utility Plant Expansion (CUPx) project establishes a new 2.5-mile SMUD electrical feed sourced entirely from renewable energy through SMUD's Greenergy® program, reducing the health system's emissions by 60% in preparation for the 2030 California Tower opening.
• Studio T Arts & EntertainmentminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 November 2024SMUD provided a $100,000 grant to support energy-efficient HVAC upgrades for the $30 million 'Innovation Factory' flagship project in Sacramento. The project targets underserved youth through arts education and career development programs across 44,000 square feet.
• ESS Tech, Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 23 July 2024Key technology partner for SMUD's long-duration battery storage project in Sacramento. ESS Tech is providing iron flow battery technology capable of 8 hours of storage, supported by a $10 million California Energy Commission grant. The project demonstrates iron-air battery technology supporting SMUD's 2030 Zero Carbon goals and renewable energy integration.
• ESS Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationESS Inc. secured a framework agreement with SMUD for up to 200 MW/2 GWh of iron-flow storage deployment, representing one of the largest long-duration energy storage commitments in the industry and supporting SMUD's decarbonization strategy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP): Largest municipal utility in the U.S., serving Los Angeles. Like SMUD, LADWP is a community-owned, vertically integrated electric utility pursuing aggressive decarbonization, making it a directly comparable peer on structure, mission, and clean-energy strategy.
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District (peer: Seattle City Light): Seattle City Light is a publicly owned electric utility serving Seattle with a similarly aggressive carbon-neutral mandate and hydro/renewables portfolio. Directly comparable to SMUD as a municipal utility with a defined clean-energy roadmap.
• Austin Energy: Austin Energy is a municipally owned electric utility serving Austin, TX. Comparable to SMUD on community ownership, vertically integrated generation and distribution, and leadership in renewables and efficiency programs.
• Salt River Project (SRP): SRP is one of the largest publicly owned electric utilities in the U.S., serving the Phoenix metro. Comparable to SMUD as a non-profit, community-based utility with significant renewables integration and time-of-use rate programs.

Broad incumbents

• Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E): PG&E is the dominant California investor-owned electric utility and is explicitly cited in SMUD's competitive positioning materials. While investor-owned rather than municipal, PG&E is the most direct comparable for Sacramento-area load, regulatory environment, and clean-energy obligations.
• Southern California Edison (SCE): SCE is a large California investor-owned electric utility subject to the same CPUC decarbonization mandates as SMUD. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating across generation, transmission, and distribution in California.
• San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E): SDG&E is a California investor-owned utility serving San Diego with an aggressive clean-energy and grid-modernization roadmap. Comparable to SMUD on California-specific regulatory dynamics and distributed energy integration.
• Duke Energy: Duke Energy is a large U.S. investor-owned utility with significant grid-modernization and storage initiatives. Comparable to SMUD through SEPA board co-membership and as a broad incumbent pursuing similar decarbonization strategies.
• Xcel Energy: Xcel Energy is a multi-state investor-owned utility with one of the most aggressive U.S. decarbonization roadmaps. Comparable to SMUD on clean-energy targets and as a large-scale utility deploying renewables and storage.

Emerging players

• Holy Cross Energy: Holy Cross Energy is a small Colorado cooperative utility with an industry-recognized clean-energy roadmap. Comparable to SMUD as a co-SEPA board peer pursuing carbon-free power supply with high renewable penetration.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SMUDUpdates
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCG-JNJVBZJ5d5BOXZqOFT1g
• Facebookfacebook.com/mysmud
• LinkedInLinkedIn.com/company/smud
• InstagramInstagram.com/mysmud
• TikToktiktok.com/@smud

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SMUD