In short: Sacramento and Roseville have their own public utilities, not PG&E, and that changes everything. SMUD homes paid about 17.9¢ per kWh in 2024, and since June 1, 2026 SMUD pays 9.6¢ for every kWh of solar you export. SMUD also pays up to $6,000 toward a battery added to solar and up to $850 toward a home charger.
This page covers the City of Sacramento (SMUD) and Roseville (Roseville Electric). Neither is under the state’s NEM 3.0, and both set their own solar credits and rebates. For statewide rules (SGIP, CSLB licensing, plug-in solar), see our California energy guide.
Sacramento at a glance
- SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District): about 17.9¢ per kWh for homes in 2024; 44 minutes without power per customer on normal days and 228 including major events (EIA-861, 2024, reported under a different method from the investor-owned utilities).
- Roseville Electric: about 18.7¢ per kWh; about 22 minutes without power in 2024, 23 including major events.
- PG&E: EIA also lists PG&E in Sacramento and Placer counties, outside those utilities’ areas (about 39.6¢ for full-service homes).
- Sun: about 5.2 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER, 2001–2020), from about 8.3 in June to 2.0 in December. Our rough estimate: about 1,530 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Sacramento County “relatively high” for drought, earthquake and inland flooding; Placer County “relatively high” for wildfire, lightning and flooding.
- Public charging: Sacramento had 1,726 public charging ports and Roseville 247 (AFDC Station Locator data, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
- SMUD: new solar goes on the Solar and Storage Rate. Solar you use yourself saves the full rate, and anything you export earns a flat 9.6¢ per kWh at any time of day or season, up from 7.4¢ on June 1, 2026. Systems can be sized up to 110% of your last 12 months’ use, or 120% if you add a battery.
- Roseville Electric: systems connected since October 1, 2018 are on Roseville Solar 2.0, which pays 6.91¢ per kWh for surplus energy; older net metering customers receive 14.69¢ and keep their terms until 2028. Rates took effect July 1, 2026 and can be revised by the City Council.
Your bill shows which utility serves you. If you are on PG&E instead, the state’s NEM 3.0 and PG&E’s programs apply; see our Bay Area page for PG&E details.
Backup power in Sacramento
On normal days the grid is reliable: 44 minutes per SMUD customer and about 22 in Roseville in 2024. Major events are what count here: SMUD customers averaged 228 minutes in 2024 once those days were included, and FEMA flags flooding and, in the Placer foothills, wildfire. Summer heat also pushes demand up when you most need air conditioning.
For most homes, a portable power station or a home battery covers the typical outage; a generator makes sense if you need days of runtime or a well pump. In SMUD territory, a battery paired with solar can also earn SMUD’s battery incentive (below). Compare options in our backup power guide, size them with the battery backup calculator or generator sizing calculator, and run generators outdoors, at least 20 feet from the house (CPSC). See generator installation.
Solar in Sacramento
By our rough estimate, a kW of panels makes about 1,530 kWh a year here. On SMUD, the output you use at home saves about 17.9¢ per kWh, roughly $270 a year per kW, and exports earn 9.6¢, about $150 per kW if all of it went to the grid. Since power is cheap compared with PG&E areas, payback depends heavily on your installed price; get several quotes. In Roseville, self-used solar saves about 18.7¢ per kWh and exports earn 6.91¢, so covering your own daytime use matters more.
These are estimates, not promises. Try the solar potential tool and the solar savings calculator with your own rate, and read how solar installation works.
Batteries
SMUD’s battery incentive changed on September 23, 2026: projects submitted from that date earn $300 per kWh, up to $6,000 per household (it was $500 per kWh, up to $10,000). You must have solar on the Solar and Storage Rate, enroll in SMUD’s My Energy Optimizer Partner+ program within 90 days of permission to operate, and you cannot be on the medical rate or in an individual rental unit. A 13.5 kWh battery would earn about $4,050 under the new formula.
Roseville Electric lists no battery amount on its rebates page; ask the utility. The state’s SGIP is for customers of PG&E, SCE, SoCalGas and SDG&E, including gas customers (CPUC), so a SMUD or Roseville home with PG&E gas service may qualify; check the program page. See home battery installation and battery costs.
EV charging
SMUD’s Charge@Home pays up to $850 toward a home charger and its installation, plus up to $200 for a circuit-sharing or energy management device that can avoid a panel upgrade. Registering your EV with SMUD earns a 1.5¢ per kWh discount on all electricity used between midnight and 6 a.m., and income-qualified customers can get a free charger and circuit installation. Roseville points EV drivers to state and federal incentives.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Sacramento: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
At about 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs roughly $5.40 per 100 miles at SMUD’s 2024 average and $5.60 in Roseville (our estimate), about half the PG&E figure. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Permits and inspections
- City of Sacramento: registered licensed contractors can use SolarAPP+ for homes with one or two units and ADUs, then apply on the city’s Public Permit Portal with the SolarAPP+ approval, the building application, construction plans and a SMUD interconnection letter (residential solar page). Other projects go through standard review.
- Roseville: SolarAPP+ covers rooftop systems on the main home, without main panel upgrades, after pre-approval from Roseville Electric; it must be filed by a C-10, C-46 or B licensed contractor (no permit runners), and the city’s building permit fee is currently $1,349.49.
- Unincorporated Sacramento County: County Building Permits and Inspection.
- Contractors and HOAs: check CSLB licenses, and check HOA rules before you sign.
Cities in this guide
- Sacramento
- Roseville
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Sacramento energy questions
How much does SMUD pay for exported solar?
9.6¢ per kWh on the Solar and Storage Rate, at any time of day or season, since June 1, 2026 (it was 7.4¢). Solar you use at home saves your full rate. SMUD revisits the export rate periodically, so check its solar page before you sign.
What is the SMUD battery rebate now?
For projects submitted on or after September 23, 2026: $300 per kWh, up to $6,000 per household. You need solar on the Solar and Storage Rate and must enroll in My Energy Optimizer Partner+ within 90 days of permission to operate. Medical-rate customers and individual rental units are excluded.
Is Roseville on NEM 3.0?
No. Roseville Electric is city-owned and runs Roseville Solar 2.0: systems connected since October 1, 2018 earn 6.91¢ per kWh for surplus energy, while older net metering customers receive 14.69¢ until 2028. The City Council can revise these rates.
Does SMUD help pay for a home EV charger?
Yes. Charge@Home pays up to $850 toward charging equipment and installation, plus up to $200 for a circuit-sharing or energy management device. Registered EVs also get 1.5¢ off every kWh used from midnight to 6 a.m., and income-qualified customers can get a free charger.
Sources
Utility prices, service areas and outage minutes: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 2024 data (prices are 2024 averages). SMUD news release of April 27, 2026, solar, battery and residential EV pages; Roseville Electric rates and Solar 2.0 pages (rates effective July 1, 2026) and rebates page; CPUC SGIP eligibility. City of Sacramento residential solar page, City of Roseville SolarAPP+ page, Sacramento County Building Permits and Inspection. 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.