In short: Santa Rosa has about 177,500 people and sits in Sonoma County. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. serves the county, averaging 39.62¢ per kWh for homes in 2024 (EIA). FEMA rates Sonoma County landslides “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,500 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 Santa Rosa: 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.
Santa Rosa at a glance
- Place: Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California; about 177,524 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- 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 Santa Rosa).
- Sun: 5.14 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.01 in December to 8.14 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,500 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 1,000 cooling degree-days and 2,970 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Sonoma County: landslides “relatively high”, earthquakes “relatively high” and drought “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively high”).
- Public charging: 225 ports at 90 locations in Santa Rosa, 39 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
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 Santa Rosa
- Earthquakes (relatively 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 Santa Rosa
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,500 kWh a year in Santa Rosa (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Pacific Gas & Electric Co.’s 2024 average of 39.62¢, that is about $594 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 8.14 and December the dimmest at 2.01, a 4.0-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. Santa Rosa has 225 public charging ports in the federal station list including 39 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 Santa Rosa: 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 Santa Rosa building or permitting department, or from Sonoma County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Santa Rosa, 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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Santa Rosa energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Santa Rosa?
Federal data lists Pacific Gas & Electric Co. as the main utility serving Sonoma County. Small areas can be served by a different company or a co-op, so confirm on your bill.
How much power will solar make in Santa Rosa?
About 1,500 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 9,000 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Santa Rosa?
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.