In 1923, citizens voted to create SMUD as a community-owned, not-for-profit electric service. Years of engineering studies, political battles, and legal wrangling delayed SMUD's purchase of PG&E's local electrical system.
In March 1946, the California Supreme Court denied PG&E's final petition to halt the sale, and nine months later, SMUD finally began operations. Since then, we have helped power the region's explosive growth, met the challenges of the energy crisis, and become a nationwide leader in green energy and conservation.