In short: Bakersfield has about 417,500 people and sits in Kern County. Southern California Edison Co and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. serves different parts of Kern County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 32.43¢ to 39.62¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Kern County wildfires “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,630 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is among the best in the country.
This page covers what is local to Bakersfield: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our California energy guide.
Bakersfield at a glance
- Place: Bakersfield, Kern County, California; about 417,468 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Southern California Edison Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 32.43¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 100 minutes of power on normal days and 158 counting major storms, with 0.9 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Bakersfield).
- Utility: Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 39.62¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 276 minutes of power on normal days and 509 counting major storms, with 1.8 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Bakersfield).
- Sun: 5.58 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.48 in December to 8.51 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,630 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 1,810 cooling degree-days and 2,560 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Kern County: wildfires “relatively high”, heat waves “relatively high” and earthquakes “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively high”).
- Public charging: 519 ports at 140 locations in Bakersfield, 247 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Southern California Edison Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 3,219,520 home customers in 2024; its 32.43¢ average was below the 33.61¢ statewide average for July 2026. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is an investor-owned utility and served about 1,856,780 home customers in 2024; its 39.62¢ average was above the 33.61¢ 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, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. reported 276 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 158 (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 California guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Bakersfield
- Wildfires (relatively high): Wildfire risk can mean planned shutoffs and smoke. A battery charged by solar gives quiet backup, and fueled generators need extra care on dry days and clear space around them.
- Heat waves (relatively high): Heat waves strain the grid just when air conditioning matters most. Decide what must stay cool, such as one room, medicine and the fridge, and size backup to that rather than the whole house.
- 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 Bakersfield
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,630 kWh a year in Bakersfield (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Southern California Edison Co’s 2024 average of 32.43¢, that is about $529 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 8.51 and December the dimmest at 2.48, a 3.4-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. Bakersfield has 519 public charging ports in the federal station list including 247 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 Bakersfield: 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 Bakersfield building or permitting department, or from Kern County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Bakersfield, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the California guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: see all of California, or the whole California energy guide.
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Bakersfield energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Bakersfield?
Southern California Edison Co and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. both serve parts of Kern County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Southern California Edison Co 32.43¢, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. 39.62¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Bakersfield?
About 1,630 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 9,780 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 wildfires in Kern 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.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Bakersfield?
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.