Boise–Treasure Valley Energy Guide: Solar, Backup Power, EV

In short: Almost every home in Boise and the Treasure Valley is on Idaho Power, which averaged about 11.8¢ per kWh in 2024. Panels here make roughly 1,330 kWh a year per kW by our estimate, but exports earn only 3¢ most of the year. Idaho Power called its first wildfire shutoff on July 24, 2024, in 60 mph winds.

Here is what that means for solar, batteries, backup power and EV charging in Boise, Meridian, Nampa and the towns around them. For statewide rules (the Idaho tax deduction, electrician licensing), see our Idaho energy guide.

Boise–Treasure Valley at a glance

• Utility: Idaho Power is the only electric utility EIA lists for Ada and Canyon counties.
• Price, 2024 average: about 11.8¢ per kWh for homes (EIA-861, revenue divided by sales, fixed charges included).
• Outages, 2024: 206 minutes per customer with major events and 164 without, about 1.4 interruptions a year (Idaho Power in Idaho, EIA-861; not split by city).
• Sun: 4.56 kWh per square meter per day in Boise (NASA POWER, 2001–2020), from 1.4 in December to 7.7 in July. Our rough estimate: about 1,330 kWh a year per kW of panels.
• Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates winter weather “very high” in both Ada and Canyon counties. Ada is also “relatively high” for wildfire, strong wind and lightning.
• Public charging: 167 ports at 59 locations in Boise, 80 in Meridian, 27 in Caldwell, 23 in Nampa, 12 in Eagle and only a few in Kuna (AFDC, October 2026).

Your utility and what it means

Idaho Power uses net billing for new home solar. You pay the normal rate for every kWh you take from the grid, and power you send back earns the Export Credit Rate. Idaho Power’s customer generation FAQ lists these rates (read October 2026):

• Summer (June 1 to September 30), on-peak, 3 to 11 p.m. Monday to Saturday: about 15.7¢ per kWh.
• Summer, off-peak: about 3.4¢.
• October to May, all hours: about 2.9¢.

Idaho Power says these rates stay until it proposes updates in a filing due April 1, 2028. Homes with systems connected by December 20, 2019 keep the older net metering terms through December 20, 2045. That status stays with the meter, so it doesn’t follow you if you move. A new system costs a $100 application fee. See Idaho Power’s customer generation FAQ.

Idaho Power also offers an optional Time of Use plan for Idaho homes. In summer, power costs about 29.9¢ from 7 to 11 p.m., 15.0¢ from 3 to 7 p.m. and 7.5¢ the rest of the day, Monday to Saturday. From October to May, on-peak runs 6 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. (13.8¢), with 9.2¢ off-peak. Sundays and holidays are off-peak all day. These are energy charges only. In the first year, if the plan costs more than the standard plan, Idaho Power caps the extra at $10. See the Time of Use plan page. We found no Idaho Power rebate for home batteries or EV chargers.

Backup power in the Treasure Valley

The valley has two outage seasons. Winter storms are its highest-rated hazard, and a gas furnace still needs power for its blower. In summer, wind and fire weather can bring a Public Safety Power Shutoff. Idaho Power had a PSPS plan from 2022 but called its first one on July 24, 2024, when gusts reached 60 mph in the Boise area. It says a shutoff lasts as long as the dangerous weather plus the time to patrol the lines, “several hours or even days.” Even homes with buried lines can lose power if those lines are fed from overhead ones.

Idaho Power has added devices that cut power to shorter sections of line; it says they removed 70,000 customers from areas where a PSPS is more likely in 2024. Check your address on Idaho Power’s PSPS page. In fire season, its “enhanced protection settings” can also cause more outages outside shutoff areas, and longer ones while crews inspect lines.

• Battery with solar: Idaho Power notes that ordinary grid-tied solar stops in an outage. With a battery and the right equipment, it can keep running. See home batteries.
• Generator: for long winter outages, and for homes on wells at the valley’s rural edges. See generators and generator installation.
• Portable power station: for phones, a CPAP or an air purifier on smoky days. See portable power stations.

Plan with our backup power guide, the battery backup calculator and the generator sizing tool. Run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with the exhaust pointed away, and keep carbon monoxide alarms inside (CPSC).

Solar in Boise and the Treasure Valley

By our rough estimate, a 6 kW system in Boise makes about 8,000 kWh a year. If you used every kWh at home, it would be worth about $940 at the 2024 average price. In practice, part of it is exported, and outside summer evenings exports earn about 3¢. So the payback depends on how much solar you use as it’s made. Two ideas follow from Idaho Power’s rates:

• West-facing panels make more of their power in late afternoon, when air conditioning runs and the summer on-peak export credit applies. Ask your installer to model west and south.
• Size for your own use rather than for maximum export. Our solar potential tool and solar savings calculator help you test that.

Read how solar installation works, what it costs and net metering and net billing. These figures are estimates, not quotes.

Home batteries

Under net billing, a battery can store midday solar that would otherwise be exported at about 3¢ and use it in the evening, when you’d pay the full rate. At Treasure Valley prices, that saving alone rarely pays for a battery; backup during shutoffs and storms is the stronger reason. Idaho Power’s FAQ notes that a DC-coupled battery doesn’t add to your system’s capacity limit, while an AC-coupled one does, which matters for the application. See battery costs and battery installation.

EV charging

At 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs about $3.50 per 100 miles at the 2024 average price. On the Time of Use plan, charging off-peak at night or on Sundays costs about $2.25 per 100 miles in summer and $2.75 the rest of the year, counting energy charges only. Those are our estimates. A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit and an electrical permit. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.

Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Boise: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Permits and inspections

• City of Boise: Planning and Development Services offers expedited residential solar reviews, typically three days or less and possible over the counter, plus reduced solar permit fees, a residential PV checklist and a guide. See Solar Energy in Boise.
• Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Eagle and Kuna: your city’s building department; outside city limits, Ada or Canyon County.
• Electrical permit: in Idaho it may come from the city or from the state Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, depending on where you live. Your electrician should know which.
• Utility approval: Idaho Power must approve solar or a battery before you switch it on.

Hire an Idaho-licensed electrician (license lookup on the state page). Many newer Treasure Valley subdivisions have HOAs; check their rules on panels and standby generators first.

Cities we cover

• Boise
• Meridian
• Nampa
• Caldwell
• Eagle
• Kuna

Get help in the Treasure Valley

Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Boise–Treasure Valley area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.

Treasure Valley energy questions

What does Idaho Power pay for my exported solar?

For new systems, about 15.7¢ per kWh from 3 to 11 p.m. Monday to Saturday in June through September, about 3.4¢ at other summer hours and about 2.9¢ from October to May. Idaho Power says these rates hold until a filing due April 1, 2028. Power you use yourself saves the full retail rate.

Has Idaho Power shut off power for wildfire risk near Boise?

Yes. Its first Public Safety Power Shutoff was on July 24, 2024, during gusts up to 60 mph in the Boise area. Idaho Power posts a live map during events and an address lookup for areas where a shutoff is more likely.

Will my solar panels work during an outage?

Not on their own. Idaho Power explains that standard grid-tied solar shuts off when the grid is down. To keep power, you need a battery (or a generator) and equipment that safely isolates your home from the grid, installed by a licensed electrician.

How fast is a solar permit in Boise?

The City of Boise says residential solar reviews are expedited, typically three days or less, and can be done over the counter, with reduced fees. Other valley cities and the counties run their own processes. Idaho Power’s approval is a separate step.

Is Idaho Power’s Time of Use plan good for EV owners?

Often, if you charge at night or on Sundays. Off-peak energy costs about 7.5¢ per kWh in summer and 9.2¢ the rest of the year, against summer evening peaks near 30¢. The first-year guarantee caps any extra cost at $10.

Sources

EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; outages; service territory); Idaho Power customer generation FAQ, Time of Use plan, wildfire safety FAQ, PSPS event page and May 2025 customer newsletter; City of Boise Planning and Development Services; NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC station data; CPSC. Read October 2026 unless noted. Estimates are ours and labelled.