In short: Spokane Valley has about 108,300 people and sits in Spokane County. Avista Corp, Inland Power & Light Company and Vera Irrigation District #15 serves different parts of Spokane County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 8.98¢ to 11.87¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Spokane County ice storms “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,120 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is on the modest side, so price and incentives matter more.
This page covers what is local to Spokane Valley: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Washington energy guide and the wider area is covered in the Spokane guide.
Spokane Valley at a glance
- Place: Spokane Valley, Spokane County, Washington; about 108,267 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Avista Corp (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 11.87¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 112 minutes of power on normal days and 152 counting major storms, with 0.8 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Spokane Valley).
- Utility: Inland Power & Light Company (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 8.98¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 278 minutes of power on normal days and 386 counting major storms, with 1.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Spokane Valley).
- Utility: Vera Irrigation District #15 (public power district). Homes paid an average 9.18¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861) (utility-wide, not just Spokane Valley).
- Sun: 3.84 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 0.86 in December to 7.42 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,120 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 430 cooling degree-days and 6,860 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Spokane County: ice storms “very high”, cold waves “relatively high” and strong winds “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively moderate”).
- Public charging: 74 ports at 27 locations in Spokane Valley, 14 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Avista Corp is an investor-owned utility and served about 246,055 home customers in 2024; its 11.87¢ average was below the 14.71¢ statewide average for July 2026. Inland Power & Light Company is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 41,684 home customers in 2024; its 8.98¢ average was below the 14.71¢ statewide average for July 2026. Vera Irrigation District #15 is a public power district utility and served about 12,171 home customers in 2024; its 9.18¢ average was below the 14.71¢ statewide average for July 2026. Those are utility-wide averages, not a quote for your address; your own bill is the real number.
For reliability, Inland Power & Light Company reported 278 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 159 (EIA-861). Utility-wide numbers hide a lot: a home at the end of a long rural line usually has more outages than the average.
Net metering, export rates and incentives are set at state level and by each utility. Start with the Washington guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Spokane Valley
- Ice storms (very high): Ice storms bring down lines for days. A standby generator with a transfer switch, or a battery sized for the fridge, furnace blower and well pump, matters more than a small power station.
- Cold waves (relatively high): Cold waves raise demand and can cause both outages and frozen pipes. Keep at least one room warm with a battery-run heater circuit or a generator.
- Heating load: a winter outage can stop a furnace blower, boiler pump or heat pump. List what your heat needs to run before choosing a generator or battery.
- Short outages: a portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi, a CPAP and lights; a home battery switches over automatically.
Size your setup with the generator sizing tool and the battery backup calculator, and compare options in backup power. Generator safety (CPSC): outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from doors and windows, never in a garage, and battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms inside. A licensed electrician should install any transfer switch, with a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Spokane Valley
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,120 kWh a year in Spokane Valley (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Avista Corp’s 2024 average of 11.87¢, that is about $133 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: July is the sunniest month at 7.42 and December the dimmest at 0.86, a 8.6-to-1 gap, so a battery or a bigger system helps in winter.
Check your own roof with the solar potential tool, see solar costs and net metering vs net billing, and read the steps in solar installation. Hail and storm exposure are worth raising with installers and your insurer.
Batteries and EV charging
A home battery earns its place when outages are frequent, when your utility pays little for exported solar, or when evening prices are high; compare in home batteries and battery costs. Spokane Valley has 74 public charging ports in the federal station list including 14 DC fast, but home charging is cheaper and easier: see the EV charging cost calculator and EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Spokane Valley: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
Solar, generator transfer switches and EV chargers normally need an electrical permit from the Spokane Valley building or permitting department, or from Spokane County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Spokane Valley, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Washington guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Spokane energy guide, or the whole Washington energy guide.
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Spokane Valley energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Spokane Valley?
Avista Corp, Inland Power & Light Company and Vera Irrigation District #15 all serve parts of Spokane County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Avista Corp 11.87¢, Inland Power & Light Company 8.98¢, Vera Irrigation District #15 9.18¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Spokane Valley?
About 1,120 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 6,720 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
Is a generator or a battery better for ice storms in Spokane County?
It depends how long the outage lasts. A battery is quiet, automatic and good for short outages and for pairing with solar; a standby generator keeps going as long as it has fuel, which suits multi-day events. Many homes use a battery for everyday outages and add a generator for the rare long one.
Will a home battery keep my heat on in an outage?
It can keep a furnace blower, boiler pump or a heat pump running for a while, but long cold outages drain a battery fast without solar to recharge it. Pair it with a generator or wood or propane heat if outages here run for days.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Spokane Valley?
Almost always an electrical permit for a transfer switch, solar or an EV charger, issued by the city or county where you live. Your licensed electrician or installer normally pulls it. Never connect a generator to your house wiring without a transfer switch.
Sources: EIA Form 861 (2024) for utility prices and outages; NASA POWER climatology (2001 to 2025) for sun and degree-days; FEMA National Risk Index for county hazards; AFDC station locator for public charging; Census Bureau for population. Estimates are ours and are not promises; see our editorial policy. Prices and programs change, so check each program page.