Carnahan Electric
Company Overview
Community Focused
Dedicated to El Dorado County for over 32 years!
For five generations, the Carnahan family has called El Dorado County home.
He grew up immersed in electrical work.
His dad was an electrician at the SMUD powerhouse located in the Crystal Range close to Pollock Pines,
and he also installed the first television in Placerville back in 1949!
John became an electrical contractor and launched his business in 1980.
In 1999, the Y2K scare prompted worries about the electrical grid's reliability,
and John started addressing customer inquiries about backup power solutions...just in case.
As a result, he founded a second company, Alternative Electrical Solutions;
today, John specializes in solar energy systems and backup generators, alongside other electrical services for the community.
With more than three decades of experience solving local challenges,
John and his team are well-equipped to resolve your issues, providing exactly what you need: no more, no less.
You will be thankful you chose this skilled team.
As a fifth-generation entrepreneur, John Carnahan is committed to the local community.
Raised in El Dorado County, John has a 32-year history of being a trustworthy business owner.
He actively supports local charitable initiatives, school sports programs, and is a proud member of the El Dorado Builders Exchange.
John and Peggy have raised a lovely family, including three sons and a daughter.
They are also proud grandparents to a new generation of Carnahans.
Through his electrical, generator, and solar energy business,
John has built a strong reputation, resulting in countless customer referrals through word of mouth.
He has consistently contributed to the Tri-County areas of El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento Counties.
Carnahan Electric and its companion company, Alternative Electrical Systems, deliver a wide array of services,
including fundamental electrical services for both residential and commercial clients, emergency generators, and solar energy systems.
Call John Carnahan today and say hello!
Business Services
- Electric inspection
- Electric installation or replacement
- Electric panel installation
- Electric panel repair
- Electric repair
- Wire repair
- Light fixture installation
Business Location & Hours
Mon: | 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
Tue: | 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
Wed: | 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
Thu: | 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
Fri: | 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
Sat: | Closed |
Sun: | Closed |
Recommended Customer Reviews

We put in a whole house back-up generator, several years ago, and it has always worked. It is so seamless that when the electricity drops, it automatically comes on with little pause. The computer reboots. When the electricity comes back on, it is so seamless that the computer does not even notice. I notice when the other lights come back on. We put in a new furnace and the other company rewired something, and the heater did not work. They came back out and re-rewired and now it works. The thing is that Carnahan Electric came out within an hour! And we are in Pollock Pines, not an easy drive from Shingle Springs. In the snow! I am glad that we saved our money and got the whole house generator from Carnahan Electric and only wish that we had not thought about this years earlier. And I am ready to tell you this at [email protected]

I've left this company two detailed messages concerning my Generac backup generator. They have never returned either call. Generac needs to pick its authorized service providers more carefully.

Electrician was arrogant and unfriendly....We were charged $210 for 2 hours labor...He was only here less than one hour and a half...Will never call this company again.

I'm going to start off with l am a long time customer that has used them many times and they had always done a good job for us.
I'm leaving a one star review that would be a zero star if it was an option because they over change for work. We brought the issue to their attention and they did adjust the invoice after we contacted them (twice with each time them saying no problem we'll fix it) but it was still twice what it should have been after the adjustment. When we contacted them to point that out the response was ""whatever then just pay what you want or think is fair"" then they hung up.
I'm sorry but that is not how to respond to a customer. I paid the last invoice amount sent even though I felt it was too high because I didn't want to deal with it anymore or deal with the rude women that answered their phone but I included a note with the payment to let them know I won't be using them again and would not be referring them to others as I had in the past.

We had an immediate need for an electrician on a client's home. We spoke to Carnahan Electric and they had someone over there within about an hour. Not only did they get the job done quickly (we had photos scheduled that same day) the sellers were so pleased with Clinton and his work. He explained everything to them, got in, got the job done and we were ready to go for photos. Thank you for being there when we needed you!

Carnahan electric is fantastic!
They did a wonderful job installing a generator switch and system!
Very professional very good workmen who were highly experienced and provided high quality work
They were really great to work with and helped me I much!
I am very appreciative and happy I found this excellent company!
Thanks Robert
Highly recommend Carnahan Electric

Warning!!! I had Carnahan Electric out this week to troubleshoot a lighting issue. They were able to quickly get someone out. They sent Pete and things seemed good. Later that night I realized that the lights that were working when they came over, were no longer working. I was sure it was an innocent mistake and called Carnahan to fix the issue.
The told me to talk to Pete directly. I told Pete what was going on and let him know he had also changed the timer and now NONE of the other exterior lights were working the way they were when he arrived. Pete told me he would only fix his work IF I paid another $90 service call. I asked him to reconsider and to please consult the owner before making a final decision. The lights that worked when he arrived, SHOULD work when he leaves. I called Carnahan back and spoke with John, the owner. John informed me that he would also charge me $90 minimum to come back out.
Now I have to hire another electrician to come back and fix what Carnahan disconnected and changed. I have never done a negative review on Yelp so this tells you how wrong this is!
Short story- This company is focused on getting their billable hour and not on making the job right for the customer.

My cat was attacked and needed to be out in our studio as a quiet place to heal. The problem was, our studio doesn't have air conditioning. We have a portable unit for out there, but none of the outlets were grounded, so we couldn't run the AC. Long story short, I needed an electrician. My husband called like 5 other companies and no one was available to come out for at least a week. As a last ditch attempt, I tried calling a few more companies. Carnahan Electric answered their phone (something many companies apparently don't do), and said that he could have a tech come out and look at it that afternoon.
The tech called me a few hours later to schedule a time, and showed up on time. He looked at our situation and suggested a type of plug (can't recall what it's called, but it works) that would make it safe to run the AC without actually having to open up the walls and do all the grounding work. Essentially, he offered a cheaper solution to our problem. He then asked if we would like him to do it right then and there, which we did. He finished within an hour, and our total was about $90. If and when I need electrical work again, I will be calling Carnahan.

The tenant in my rental called and told me that some of her electrical plugs were not working and in particular her refrigerator. I called 11 electricians and there was no one available. I had left a voice mail for Carnahan and when Allan called me, he took his valuable time to give me trouble shooting tips and I was able to solve the problem. No one else had taken a personal approach to ensure good customer service. I was amazed and extremely grateful. I highly recommend Carnahan for their honesty, integrity and willingness to help me over the phone. Their customer service cannot be beat!
They will be doing a follow-up safety check of the property for me.

We have used Carnahan to wire two homes we built here in Coloma, install 5800 watts of solar panels, and a 20,000 watt whole home backup generator.
Lastly, had a new spa installed. Not a problem one. Always on time, CLEAN UP THEIR MESS and the inspectors usually just signs off the permits when they know who did the work. They pay their employees a good wage and benefits.
Can't recommend them enough.