In short: Rawlins has about 8,000 people and sits in Carbon County. PacifiCorp, High Plains Power Inc and Yampa Valley Electric Assn Inc serves different parts of Carbon County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 13.44¢ to 17.5¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Carbon County avalanches “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,390 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Rawlins: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Wyoming energy guide.
Rawlins at a glance
- Place: Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyoming; about 7,952 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: PacifiCorp (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 13.44¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 92 minutes of power on normal days, with 0.9 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Rawlins).
- Utility: High Plains Power Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 13.71¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 312 minutes of power on normal days (utility-wide, not just Rawlins).
- Utility: Yampa Valley Electric Assn Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 17.5¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861) (utility-wide, not just Rawlins).
- Sun: 4.74 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.83 in December to 7.70 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,390 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 390 cooling degree-days and 8,130 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Carbon County: avalanches “relatively high”, lightning “relatively high” and landslides “relatively moderate” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “very low”).
- Public charging: 17 ports at 4 locations in Rawlins, 16 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
PacifiCorp is an investor-owned utility and served about 118,130 home customers in 2024; its 13.44¢ average was below the 14.36¢ statewide average for July 2026. High Plains Power Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 12,767 home customers in 2024; its 13.71¢ average was below the 14.36¢ statewide average for July 2026. Yampa Valley Electric Assn Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 569 home customers in 2024; its 17.5¢ average was above the 14.36¢ 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, High Plains Power Inc reported 312 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 109 (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 Wyoming guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Rawlins
- Lightning (relatively high): Lightning causes short outages and damages electronics. Surge protection and a battery that switches over automatically protect the things you care about.
- 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 Rawlins
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,390 kWh a year in Rawlins (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at PacifiCorp’s 2024 average of 13.44¢, that is about $187 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: June is the sunniest month at 7.70 and December the dimmest at 1.83, a 4.2-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.
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. Rawlins has 17 public charging ports in the federal station list including 16 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 Rawlins: 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 Rawlins building or permitting department, or from Carbon County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Rawlins, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Wyoming guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: see all of Wyoming, or the whole Wyoming energy guide.
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Rawlins energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Rawlins?
PacifiCorp, High Plains Power Inc and Yampa Valley Electric Assn Inc all serve parts of Carbon County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (PacifiCorp 13.44¢, High Plains Power Inc 13.71¢, Yampa Valley Electric Assn Inc 17.5¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Rawlins?
About 1,390 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 8,340 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
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 Rawlins?
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.