In short: Vancouver homes get power from Clark Public Utilities, a customer-owned utility that charged about 10.4¢ per kWh in 2024, below the state average. Outages averaged about 2.4 hours that year, or one hour on ordinary days. Cold snaps are the top local hazard, and Clark pays up to $500 toward a home EV charger.
Below: what Clark Public Utilities offers, how Vancouver handles permits, and what the local sun and storms mean for solar, batteries, backup and charging. For statewide rules (net metering law, the solar sales tax exemption, licensing), see our Washington energy guide.
Vancouver at a glance
- Utility: Clark Public Utilities (Clark County PUD) is the only retail electric utility in Clark County (EIA).
- Price: about 10.4¢ per kWh for homes in 2024 (EIA-861), against Washington’s July 2026 average of 14.7¢.
- Outages, 2024: 145 minutes per customer with major events, 59 without; about 1.5 interruptions with major events (EIA-861).
- Sun: about 3.67 kWh per square meter per day in Vancouver (NASA POWER, 2001–2020), a little more than Seattle’s 3.42. Our rough estimate: about 1,070 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Clark County “very high” for cold waves and “relatively high” for ice storms, strong wind, heat waves, lightning, flooding and earthquake.
- Public charging: 381 public ports at 110 locations in Vancouver (AFDC, October 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Clark Public Utilities is a public utility district, owned by its customers and run by an elected board. It offers net metering: solar power you send to the grid is credited to your account and offsets power you buy later. Under state law, any surplus left on March 31 each year is cleared without payment, so size a system to your yearly use. EIA counted about 3,000 net-metered home solar systems on Clark in 2024.
- Solar connection costs: Clark’s application fee is $100 for systems under 25 kW ($500 above), and most home production meters cost $250 plus tax. See Clark’s solar FAQ.
- EV charger rebate: $500 for a qualified ENERGY STAR, Wi-Fi-connected Level 2 charger, or $100 for any Level 2 charger or a 240-volt mobile connector. Up to two per household; apply within two years of purchase.
- Used EV rebate: income-qualified households can get up to $2,000 toward a used EV priced $5,000 to $20,000. See Clark’s EV program.
We found no Clark battery program. Rules and amounts change, so check the program page before you buy.
Backup power in Vancouver
Clark’s ordinary-day record is good, about an hour of outage a year in 2024. Major events more than doubled it. Cold is the local threat: FEMA rates Clark County’s cold-wave risk “very high”, and Clark says the extreme winter weather of January 12 to 19, 2024 added $26 million to its costs that year. Ice storms and strong wind, both rated “relatively high”, bring down trees and lines just when a home most needs heat.
- Gas or heat-pump homes: a home battery can keep a gas furnace’s fan, the fridge and lights going for a day or more; an all-electric heat pump needs a much bigger battery or a generator.
- Longer outages: a standby generator with a transfer switch handles multi-day ice storms. See generator installation.
- Apartments: a portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi, lights and a CPAP.
Compare options in our backup power guide; size them with the battery backup calculator and generator sizing tool. Run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with the exhaust pointed away, and keep carbon monoxide alarms inside (CPSC).
Solar in Vancouver
Vancouver gets about 7% more sun than Seattle on NASA’s averages, but Clark’s price is low, so the payback is long. By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,070 kWh a year, worth about $111 at Clark’s 2024 price; a 6 kW array would make around 6,400 kWh, worth about $670. Those are estimates, not quotes. Add Clark’s application fee and meter cost to the price you compare.
Check your roof with the solar potential tool and solar savings calculator, then read how solar installation works, what it costs and how net metering works.
Home batteries in Vancouver
With net metering and no battery program, a battery in Vancouver is for outages, not savings. If you add one, the City of Vancouver asks for a battery fire safety plan covering ventilation, separation from combustible materials and a fire-rated enclosure. See home batteries, battery costs and battery installation.
EV charging in Vancouver
Low prices make home charging cheap here: about $3.10 per 100 miles at Clark’s 2024 average, by our estimate at 30 kWh per 100 miles. Clark’s $500 rebate covers a good share of a connected Level 2 charger. The charger needs a 240-volt circuit and an electrical permit; see EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Vancouver: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- City of Vancouver: the city issues its own electrical permits and inspections (L&I list). Its residential solar checklist calls for both a building permit and an over-the-counter electrical permit, plus the battery fire safety plan when storage is included.
- Unincorporated Clark County: electrical permits come from the state Department of Labor and Industries; building permits from the county.
- Utility approval: Clark must approve a grid-tied system and install its meter before you switch on.
Hire a licensed Washington electrical contractor (check them on L&I’s site, linked from the state page); an Oregon license alone does not cover work here. Send plans to your HOA first if you have one.
Cities we cover
- Vancouver
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Vancouver energy questions
Who is my electric utility in Vancouver, Washington?
Clark Public Utilities. EIA lists it as the only retail electric utility in Clark County, so every Vancouver home is its customer. It is a customer-owned public utility district with an elected board, so its rates and programs are set locally rather than by the state utilities commission.
Does Clark Public Utilities give an EV charger rebate?
Yes: $500 for a qualified ENERGY STAR, Wi-Fi-connected Level 2 charger, or $100 for any Level 2 charger or a 240-volt mobile connector, up to two per household. Paperwork is due within two years of purchase. Check Clark’s EV program page for the qualified products list.
What does it cost to connect solar with Clark?
Clark charges a $100 application fee for systems under 25 kW ($500 above) and about $250 plus tax for most home production meters. That is on top of the installer’s price and Vancouver’s building and electrical permits. Your installer usually handles the paperwork.
Do I need a permit for a home battery in Vancouver?
Yes. Solar and storage need building and electrical permits from the city, and the city’s checklist asks for a battery fire safety plan: ventilation, separation from combustibles and a fire-rated enclosure. A licensed electrician or installer normally prepares it.
Sources
EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; outages; service territory; net-metered systems); Clark Public Utilities solar FAQ, EV program and January 23, 2024 news release; City of Vancouver residential solar checklist; Washington L&I; NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC station data; CPSC. All read October 2026. Estimates are ours and labelled.