In short: Palmdale has about 162,500 people and sits in Los Angeles County. Southern California Edison Co, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power and City of Glendale serves different parts of Los Angeles County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 23.84¢ to 33.81¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Los Angeles County river and heavy-rain flooding “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,650 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 Palmdale: 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 and the wider area is covered in the Los Angeles guide.
Palmdale at a glance
- Place: Palmdale, Los Angeles County, California; about 162,536 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 Palmdale).
- Utility: Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (city-owned). Homes paid an average 23.84¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 111 minutes of power on normal days, with 0.7 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Palmdale).
- Utility: City of Glendale (city-owned). Homes paid an average 33.81¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 160 minutes of power on normal days, with 1.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Palmdale).
- Sun: 5.65 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.86 in December to 8.10 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,650 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 1,880 cooling degree-days and 2,370 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Los Angeles County: river and heavy-rain flooding “very high”, earthquakes “very high” and wildfires “very high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “very high”).
- Public charging: 126 ports at 30 locations in Palmdale, 64 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. Los Angeles Department of Water & Power is a city-owned utility and served about 1,410,191 home customers in 2024; its 23.84¢ average was below the 33.61¢ statewide average for July 2026. City of Glendale is a city-owned utility and served about 77,563 home customers in 2024; its 33.81¢ average was close to 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, City of Glendale reported 160 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 Palmdale
- River and heavy-rain flooding (very high): Heavy rain can flood basements and take out power. Put sump pumps on backup power and keep equipment above the flood line.
- Earthquakes (very high): Earthquake risk is mainly about secure mounting and gas shut-off for generators; ask the installer to follow local seismic requirements.
- 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 Palmdale
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,650 kWh a year in Palmdale (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 $535 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 8.10 and December the dimmest at 2.86, a 2.8-to-1 gap.
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. Palmdale has 126 public charging ports in the federal station list including 64 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 Palmdale: 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 Palmdale building or permitting department, or from Los Angeles County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Palmdale, 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: Los Angeles energy guide, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, Glendale and Pomona, or the whole California energy guide.
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Palmdale energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Palmdale?
Southern California Edison Co, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power and City of Glendale all serve parts of Los Angeles 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¢, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power 23.84¢, City of Glendale 33.81¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Palmdale?
About 1,650 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 9,900 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 Los Angeles 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 Palmdale?
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.