State regulators on Thursday approved two long-term gas-to-energy contracts for Southern California Edison.

The California Public Utilities Commission approved gas-to-energy plants Edison has proposed to build in landfills near Bakersfield and Redlands. The plants will employ new technology requiring less methane than earlier methods.

The Bakersfield plant could generate up to 5 megawatts of power, while the Redlands plant up to 2 megawatts. (A megawatt can power up to 750 average-sized single-family homes.) Both contracts are set to begin in 2012 and last 20 years.

SoCal Edison is a unit of Edison International in Rosemead. Edison’s stock closed on Thursday down 2 cents to $29.79 per share.