Sempra Energy SRE is set to report third-quarter 2020 results on Nov 5, before market open.In the last reported quarter, the company delivered a negative earnings surprise of 0.60%. However, it surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in the remaining one, the average surprise being 12.79%.Let’s see how things have shaped up prior to this announcement.Factors Under ConsiderationDuring most of the third quarter, major parts of California experienced above- to much-above-average temperatures, highlighted by dry and warm weather conditions. Especially in August and September, California ranked the warmest on record for maximum temperatures. This is likely to have resulted in higher electricity demand for cooling purposes, which is likely to have boosted Sempra Energy's top line in the third quarter.Nevertheless, the current market challenges, courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic, have been weighing on the country’s overall energy demand, which in turn might have adversely impacted Sempra Energy’s quarterly revenue performance.Notably, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter revenues is pegged at $2.60 billion, suggesting a 5.6% decline from the year-ago quarter’s tally.The company witnessed another active fire season in California, characterized by several large wildfires throughout the third quarter. This might have escalated the company’s wildfire-related costs during the quarter.Further, the overall cost structure is expected to have escalated due to the prolonged economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the company's operations. Such expenses might have had an adverse impact on the company’s bottom-line performance during the soon-to-be-reported quarter.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.47 per share, implying a 2% decline from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.Furthermore, the company’s subsidiary, Oncor, is projected to set a record for interconnection requests in 2020, primarily driven by an increase in solar generation activity. Through July itself, there were approximately 270 transmission interconnection requests compared to the 300 requests made in the entire 2019. We believe Oncor to have received similar robust interconnection requests through the remainder of third-quarter 2020, which in turn might have benefited Sempra Energy’s quarterly performance.Earnings WhispersOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Sempra Energy this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. But this is not the case here.Earnings ESP: The company’s Earnings ESP is 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Zacks Rank: Sempra Energy carries a Zacks Rank #2, currently. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Sempra Energy Price and EPS Surprise Sempra Energy price-eps-surprise | Sempra Energy QuoteStocks to ConsiderHere are some players from the Utilities sector that have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this season.SJW Group SJW is set to release third-quarter earnings on Nov 5. It has an Earnings ESP of +2.15% and a Zacks Rank #3, currently.BCE, Inc. BCE is set to release third-quarter earnings on Nov 5. It has an Earnings ESP of +7.27% and a Zacks Rank #3, currently.A Recent Utility ReleaseAmerican Electric Power AEP reported third-quarter 2020 adjusted earnings per share of $1.47, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.46 by 0.7%.The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of AllLast year, it generated $24 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $77.6 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Sempra Energy (SRE): Free Stock Analysis Report American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP): Free Stock Analysis Report BCE, Inc. (BCE): Free Stock Analysis Report SJW Group (SJW): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research