Central Valley Energy Guide: Solar, Batteries, Backup, EV

In short: Fresno and Bakersfield combine strong sun with PG&E prices: about 1,600 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, and about 39.6¢ per kWh for full-service PG&E homes in 2024. That makes self-used solar worth roughly $630 to $650 per kW a year. Heat waves and long PG&E outages make backup power worth planning too.

This page covers Fresno and Bakersfield: what the Valley’s sun, heat and PG&E’s numbers mean for solar, batteries, backup power and EV charging, and how fast solar permits work. For statewide rules (NEM 3.0, SGIP, CSLB licensing, plug-in solar), see our California energy guide.

Central Valley at a glance

• PG&E, full service: about 39.6¢ per kWh for homes in 2024; 509 minutes without power per customer including major events and 276 without, about two interruptions a year (EIA-861, systemwide).
• Southern California Edison (SCE): EIA also lists SCE in Fresno and Kern counties; about 32.4¢ per kWh and 158 minutes without power (100 without major events) in 2024.
• Sun: about 5.4 kWh per square meter per day in Fresno and 5.6 in Bakersfield (NASA POWER, 2001–2020), among the sunniest of the California areas we cover. Our rough estimate: about 1,590 and 1,630 kWh a year per kW of panels.
• Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Fresno County “very high” for drought and “relatively high” for heat waves, wildfire, earthquake and inland flooding; Kern County “relatively high” for the same five.
• Public charging: Fresno had 491 public charging ports and Bakersfield 504 (AFDC Station Locator data, October 3, 2026).

Your utility and what it means

Most homes in Fresno and Bakersfield are on PG&E; SCE serves other parts of both counties. Your bill shows which.

• Solar credits: on both utilities, new solar goes on the CPUC’s Net Billing Tariff (NEM 3.0). Solar you use as it is produced saves the full rate; exports earn hourly values that are usually far below retail.
• PG&E rate plans: Home Charging EV2-A is cheapest from midnight to 3 p.m. every day; EV-B (separate meter) from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.; the Electric Home plan (E-ELEC) is for homes with an EV, a battery or a heat pump.
• PG&E backup programs: a $300 Generator and Battery Rebate for eligible customers, a free backup power transfer meter, free portable batteries for qualifying customers who use medical devices, and a permanent battery storage rebate.
• SCE backup programs: up to $200 on qualifying portable power stations and up to $800 on generators in shutoff-affected areas.

Backup power in the Central Valley

Two things shape backup power here. First, PG&E’s outage record: 509 minutes per customer in 2024 including major events, the most of California’s big utilities, and 276 on normal days. Second, heat: FEMA rates heat waves “relatively high” in both counties, and an outage on a very hot afternoon is a health risk, not an inconvenience. PG&E also switches off lines in high fire-threat areas during dangerous fire weather; the CPUC lists PG&E shutoff reports for seven events in 2024, four in 2025 and four in 2026 through September 12. Check the CPUC’s fire-threat map to see whether your address is in one.

Central air is a large load, so plan around it. A generator sized for the air conditioner, connected through a transfer switch (PG&E’s free transfer meter may help eligible customers), gives the most runtime; a whole-home battery with solar can carry it in daylight and recharge; a power station runs fans, the fridge, phones and medical devices. Compare options in our backup power guide, size them with the battery backup calculator or generator sizing calculator, and keep generators outdoors, at least 20 feet from the house, away from dry grass (CPSC). See generator installation.

Solar in the Central Valley

Strong sun plus high PG&E prices make the Valley one of the better places in California for solar you use yourself. By our rough estimate, each kW of panels makes about 1,590 kWh a year in Fresno and 1,630 in Bakersfield; at PG&E’s 2024 full-service average of 39.6¢, that output is worth about $630 and $650 a year per kW if you use it at home. Summer air conditioning lines up well with solar production, which helps self-consumption under NEM 3.0, but evening cooling after 4 p.m. is when a battery earns its keep.

Size the system to your own annual use rather than to fill the roof, because exports earn far less. These are estimates, not promises; dust, shade and your rate plan affect the result. Try the solar potential tool and solar savings calculator, and read how solar installation works and our net metering guide.

Batteries

A battery here does two jobs: it moves midday solar into the 4 to 9 p.m. peak, when air conditioners are still running, and it keeps essentials on through an outage. PG&E administers the state’s SGIP battery incentive in its territory, now mostly for income-qualified and vulnerable households, and lists its own permanent battery storage rebate; check both for current amounts. See home battery installation, battery costs and solar battery storage.

EV charging

At PG&E’s 2024 full-service average, a car using about 30 kWh per 100 miles costs roughly $12 per 100 miles to charge at home (our estimate); charging in the cheap hours of an EV plan, or from your own solar at midday, costs less. PG&E’s Empower EV charger program closed at the end of 2024. A Level 2 home charger needs a permit and a licensed C-10 electrician. See EV charger installation, charging an EV with solar and the EV charging cost calculator.

Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Fresno: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Permits and inspections

• Fresno: the Planning and Development Department uses SolarAPP+ for single-family and duplex rooftop solar. Registered licensed contractors upload the SolarAPP+ approval to the city’s online permit system and the permit is issued in real time, with no plan review (City of Fresno announcement).
• Bakersfield: permits come from the City’s Development Services, Building Division, which publishes building guides and online permit applications.
• Statewide: under SB 379, cities of 50,000 or more must offer online, automated permits for typical home solar and paired batteries (California Energy Commission). PG&E or SCE must approve the interconnection. Use a CSLB-licensed C-10 or C-46 contractor, and check HOA rules.

Cities in this guide

• Fresno
• Bakersfield

Get help

Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Central Valley area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.

Central Valley energy questions

Is solar worth it in Fresno or Bakersfield?

For many PG&E homes, the numbers are strong: about 1,600 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, and about 39.6¢ per kWh saved for each one you use yourself (2024 average). Exports earn much less under NEM 3.0, so size to your use. Quotes based on your own bills decide it.

Can a battery run my air conditioner in an outage?

Often, if it is sized for it. Central air needs a large power output to start and run, so you may need one large battery or two, ideally with solar to recharge. A generator sized for the AC is the other route. Use our battery backup calculator and ask installers for a load calculation.

How fast is a solar permit in Fresno?

For eligible single-family and duplex rooftop systems, the City of Fresno issues the permit in real time once a registered contractor uploads the SolarAPP+ approval to its online system. Other projects go through regular review, and PG&E must approve the interconnection before you switch on.

Does PG&E help with backup power?

PG&E lists a $300 Generator and Battery Rebate for eligible customers, a free backup power transfer meter, free portable batteries for qualifying customers who use medical devices, and a permanent battery storage rebate. Eligibility depends on your address and circumstances; check PG&E’s backup power page.

Sources

Utility prices, service areas and outage minutes: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 2024 data (prices are 2024 averages; “full service” means the utility supplies and delivers the power). PG&E backup power, EV rate plan and Empower EV pages; SCE backup power page; CPUC SGIP and PSPS post-event reports; California Energy Commission (SB 379). City of Fresno SolarAPP+ announcement; City of Bakersfield Building Division. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001–2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Charging ports: AFDC, October 3, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC. Checked October 3, 2026. Estimates are ours and labelled as such.