In short: Rexburg has about 40,700 people and sits in Madison County. PacifiCorp and Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc serves different parts of Madison County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 11.11¢ to 12.11¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Madison County lightning “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,290 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Rexburg: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Idaho energy guide.
Rexburg at a glance
- Place: Rexburg, Madison County, Idaho; about 40,695 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: PacifiCorp (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 12.11¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 129 minutes of power on normal days and 265 counting major storms, with 1.3 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Rexburg).
- Utility: Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 11.11¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 7 minutes of power on normal days and 9 counting major storms, with 0.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Rexburg).
- Sun: 4.41 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.37 in December to 7.60 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,290 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 380 cooling degree-days and 8,440 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Madison County: lightning “relatively high”, cold waves “relatively moderate” and winter weather “relatively moderate” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively low”).
- Public charging: 17 ports at 9 locations in Rexburg, 4 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
PacifiCorp is an investor-owned utility and served about 74,170 home customers in 2024; its 12.11¢ average was below the 13.73¢ statewide average for July 2026. Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 15,433 home customers in 2024; its 11.11¢ average was below the 13.73¢ 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, PacifiCorp reported 129 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, less than the statewide figure of 174 (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 Idaho guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Rexburg
- Lightning (relatively high): Lightning causes short outages and damages electronics. Surge protection and a battery that switches over automatically protect the things you care about.
- Cold waves (relatively moderate): Cold waves raise demand and can cause both outages and frozen pipes. Keep at least one room warm with a battery-run heater circuit or a generator.
- Heating load: a winter outage can stop a furnace blower, boiler pump or heat pump. List what your heat needs to run before choosing a generator or battery.
- 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 Rexburg
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,290 kWh a year in Rexburg (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at PacifiCorp’s 2024 average of 12.11¢, that is about $156 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: July is the sunniest month at 7.60 and December the dimmest at 1.37, a 5.5-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. Rexburg has 17 public charging ports in the federal station list including 4 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 Rexburg: 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 Rexburg building or permitting department, or from Madison County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Rexburg, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Idaho guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Idaho Falls, or the whole Idaho energy guide.
Get help
Are you a licensed installer in Rexburg? Join SolutionEnergy and get requests from homeowners and businesses →
Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Rexburg area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.
Rexburg energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Rexburg?
PacifiCorp and Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc both serve parts of Madison County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (PacifiCorp 12.11¢, Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc 11.11¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Rexburg?
About 1,290 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,740 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
Will a home battery keep my heat on in an outage?
It can keep a furnace blower, boiler pump or a heat pump running for a while, but long cold outages drain a battery fast without solar to recharge it. Pair it with a generator or wood or propane heat if outages here run for days.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Rexburg?
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.