In short: Orange County has two very different price tags. Anaheim’s city utility charged homes about 17.1¢ per kWh in 2024 and lost only 46 minutes of power per customer; Southern California Edison, which serves Irvine and most of the county, averaged about 32.4¢. That gap changes how solar, batteries and EV charging pay off.
This page covers Irvine and Anaheim: which utility you have, how each one credits solar, the local battery and charger rebates, and how permits work. For statewide rules (NEM 3.0, SGIP, CSLB licensing, plug-in solar), see our California energy guide.
Orange County at a glance
- Anaheim Public Utilities (APU): about 17.1¢ per kWh for homes in 2024; 46 minutes without power per customer and 0.63 interruptions in 2024 (EIA-861).
- Southern California Edison (SCE): about 32.4¢ per kWh for full-service homes; 158 minutes without power with major events, 100 without (2024, systemwide).
- SDG&E: EIA also lists San Diego Gas & Electric in Orange County, in the south of the county.
- Sun: about 5.4 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER, 2001–2020, for the grid cell covering Irvine and Anaheim). Our rough estimate: about 1,580 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Orange County “very high” for earthquake and inland flooding, and “relatively high” for wildfire, heat waves, landslides and coastal flooding.
- Public charging: Irvine had 1,723 public charging ports and Anaheim 768 (AFDC Station Locator data, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
If you live in Anaheim, your power comes from the city. Irvine and most of the county outside Anaheim are SCE territory, and some SCE customers buy their power from a community choice provider while SCE delivers it. Your bill tells you which applies.
- Anaheim Public Utilities: runs its own NEM 2.0, not the state’s NEM 3.0. Solar you use at home saves the full rate; every kWh you send to the grid is bought at APU’s published “Annual Cash Compensation” rate. Through June 30, 2027 that is 4.77¢ per kWh in off-peak hours, which include midday and weekends, 7.95¢ in mid-peak hours and 11.94¢ on summer weekday afternoons and evenings (4 to 9 p.m., July through October).
- SCE: new solar goes on the state’s Net Billing Tariff (NEM 3.0), with exports credited at hourly values usually far below retail. SCE’s TOU-D-PRIME rate is for homes with an EV, a home battery or an electric heat pump.
Backup power in Orange County
Day-to-day outages are short, especially in Anaheim (46 minutes in 2024). The risks to plan for are earthquakes and, in canyon and foothill neighborhoods, wildfire. SCE and SDG&E can switch off lines in high fire-threat areas during dangerous winds (Public Safety Power Shutoffs); the CPUC lists SCE shutoff reports in 2024, 2025 and 2026 and SDG&E reports from November 2024 to January 2025. Homes in flat, central neighborhoods are much less exposed.
SCE lists rebates of up to $200 on qualifying portable power stations and up to $800 on generators for customers in shutoff-affected areas; check eligibility on SCE’s backup power page. A portable power station is the simple earthquake-kit answer; a home battery or generator covers longer outages. Compare them in our backup power guide and size them with the battery backup calculator or generator sizing calculator. Run generators outdoors, at least 20 feet from the house (CPSC); see generator installation.
Solar in Orange County
A kW of panels here might make about 1,580 kWh a year by our estimate. In SCE territory, every kWh you use yourself avoids about 32¢, so self-used solar is worth roughly $510 a year per kW; exports earn much less, which is why sizing to your own use and adding a battery matter under NEM 3.0.
Anaheim is the opposite case: cheap power and modest export rates. Self-used solar saves about 17¢ per kWh (roughly $270 per kW a year), and midday exports earn 4.77¢ (about $76 per kW a year if all of it went to the grid). So in Anaheim, solar pays mainly by covering your own daytime use, and a battery that shifts power into the 4 to 9 p.m. summer peak earns the higher export rate. These are rough estimates; try the solar potential tool and solar savings calculator, and read how solar installation works.
Batteries
Anaheim Public Utilities pays up to $1,500 per household for a battery of at least 5 kWh that is hardwired into an existing solar system. You must stay on a time-of-use rate and in APU’s MyPower Savings Program for at least 12 months, and the unit must be UL certified. In SCE territory, the state’s SGIP program is the main battery incentive, now mostly for income-qualified and vulnerable households (CPUC). See home battery installation and battery costs.
EV charging
Anaheim Public Utilities offers a rebate on a private-use Level 2 charger, with a larger amount for a networked charger if you sign up for a time-of-use rate; it covers related panel upgrades, and the city permit must be issued before installation. APU’s own documents show different amounts, so confirm the current figure with APU before you buy. In Irvine, on SCE, compare the TOU-D-PRIME rate before you choose a charger schedule.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Irvine: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
At about 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs roughly $5 per 100 miles at Anaheim’s 2024 average price and about $10 at SCE’s (our estimate). See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Permits and inspections
- Irvine: since April 2024 the city has offered instant online permits through PermitsDIRECT! (powered by Symbium) for eligible single-family rooftop solar up to 38.4 kW plus one battery, submitted by licensed contractors; see the city’s announcement.
- Anaheim: solar needs a Planning & Building permit; systems under 10 kW are issued without review, and the Building Division’s final sign-off, not APU, clears the system to operate (APU solar page).
- Statewide: SB 379 requires online, automated permits for typical home solar and paired batteries in larger cities (California Energy Commission). Use a CSLB-licensed C-10 or C-46 contractor, and check HOA rules, which are common in Irvine’s planned communities.
Cities in this guide
- Irvine
- Anaheim
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Orange County energy questions
Is Anaheim on NEM 3.0?
No. Anaheim Public Utilities is city-owned and runs its own NEM 2.0, a wholesale-based program. Power you send to the grid is bought at its published rates, currently 4.77¢ to 11.94¢ per kWh depending on the hour and season, through June 30, 2027. Irvine homes on SCE follow the state’s NEM 3.0.
Does Anaheim pay a battery rebate?
Yes: up to $1,500 per household for a battery of at least 5 kWh added to an existing solar system, if you stay on a time-of-use rate and in the MyPower Savings Program for 12 months. Check APU’s battery page before you buy; amounts have changed before.
How fast can I get a solar permit in Irvine?
For eligible single-family systems, instantly. Irvine’s PermitsDIRECT! platform lets licensed contractors get permits online for rooftop solar up to 38.4 kW plus one battery, checking code and licenses automatically. Larger or unusual projects still go through plan review, and SCE must approve the interconnection.
Is solar worth more in Irvine or Anaheim?
Per kWh used at home, Irvine: SCE’s 2024 average was about 32.4¢ against Anaheim’s 17.1¢, so the same panels avoid nearly twice the cost. Anaheim pays for every exported kWh at its NEM 2.0 rates, while SCE’s export credits are low. Your usage and roof decide the final answer.
Sources
Utility prices, service areas and outage minutes: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 2024 data (prices are 2024 averages; SCE is full-service customers). Anaheim Public Utilities solar and net metering page, NEM 2.0 excess energy rate sheet, battery storage page and EV charger documents; SCE backup power and EV rate pages; City of Irvine announcement of April 5, 2024; CPUC SGIP and PSPS post-event reports; California Energy Commission (SB 379). 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.