Central Oregon Energy Guide: Solar, Batteries, Backup Power, EV

In short: Bend gets about 16% more sun than Portland, roughly 1,250 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate. Homes are served by Pacific Power (about 14.0¢ per kWh in 2024) or Central Electric Cooperative (about 9.8¢). Wildfire is the top local hazard, and Pacific Power can shut off lines in fire weather, so backup belongs in the plan.

Below: which utility serves you and what it offers, what the high-desert sun means for solar, how to plan for fire-season shutoffs and winter storms, and where Bend and Redmond permits come from. For statewide rules (annual net metering, the state rebate, licensing), see our Oregon energy guide.

Central Oregon at a glance

• Utilities: in Deschutes County, EIA lists Pacific Power, Central Electric Cooperative (CEC), Midstate Electric Cooperative and Harney Electric. Your bill tells you which one serves your Bend or Redmond address.
• Price, 2024 average: Pacific Power about 14.0¢ per kWh; CEC about 9.8¢; Midstate about 10.5¢ (EIA-861, revenue divided by sales).
• Outages, 2024: Pacific Power (Oregon) 368 minutes per customer with major events, 108 without (EIA-861). CEC did not appear in EIA’s reliability file.
• Sun: about 4.27 kWh per square meter per day in Bend (NASA POWER, 2001–2020), against 3.67 in Portland. Our rough estimate: about 1,250 kWh a year per kW of panels.
• Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Deschutes County “relatively high” for wildfire, winter weather and lightning, and “relatively moderate” for cold waves and hail.
• Public charging: 139 public ports at 64 locations in Bend and 30 at 11 in Redmond (AFDC, October 2026).

Your utility and what it means

Pacific Power customers get Oregon’s annual net metering (see the state page) and Energy Trust of Oregon incentives, plus Pacific Power’s own programs:

• Energy Trust: $2,500 per home for solar; for a battery connected to qualifying solar, $240 per kWh up to $3,000. Funding changes; see Energy Trust’s solar page.
• Wattsmart Battery: $600 per kW of battery output, up to $3,000, plus a $15 per kW yearly bill credit from the second year, for a four-year commitment in which Pacific Power can use the battery for grid needs. See Wattsmart Battery.
• EV chargers: income-qualified customers can get up to $1,500 for a hardwired Level 2 charger or $500 for a 240-volt outlet bought in 2026 or later. See Pacific Power charger rebates.

Central Electric Cooperative is member-owned and not-for-profit, serving parts of Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson and four other counties. It reported about 38,000 accounts and 4,111 miles of energized lines at the end of 2023. CEC has net metering (EIA counted 811 member home solar systems in 2024), but its rules are its own, not the state rule for Pacific Power, and Energy Trust incentives do not apply. We could not load CEC’s website to confirm the details, so ask CEC how surplus is credited before you size a system.

Backup power in Central Oregon

Two seasons matter here. In summer and early fall, wildfire weather can lead Pacific Power to call a Public Safety Power Shutoff anywhere in its service area; power returns only after crews patrol the lines in daylight. In winter, snow and cold, rated “relatively high” and “relatively moderate” for Deschutes County, bring down lines when heat matters most. Homes on wells or at the rural edge of Bend and Redmond lose water as well as power.

• Solar plus battery: shutoffs usually come on clear, dry days, when panels can recharge a battery. See home batteries.
• Generator: for long winter outages and well pumps. Keep it and its fuel on bare ground away from dry grass in fire season. See generators and generator installation.
• Portable power station: keeps phones and medical devices going and leaves with you if you evacuate. 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), even when smoke tempts you to keep windows shut.

Solar in Central Oregon

The high desert is one of Oregon’s better places for solar: NASA’s averages for Bend run from about 1.3 kWh per square meter a day in December to 7.7 in July. By our rough estimate, a 6 kW system makes about 7,500 kWh a year, worth about $1,050 at Pacific Power’s 2024 average price. For CEC members the same output is worth less, about $730 at CEC’s lower price, and depends on how CEC credits surplus. Snow on panels trims winter output a little. These are estimates, not quotes.

Model your roof with the solar potential tool and solar savings calculator, then read how solar installation works, what it costs and how net metering works. Off-grid cabins east of the Cascades are realistic too; see off-grid power.

Home batteries in Central Oregon

For Pacific Power customers, stacking Energy Trust’s battery incentive (with solar) and the Wattsmart enrollment payment can cover a large share of a battery, in exchange for letting Pacific Power draw on it at times. Read the commitment terms and ask how much charge it keeps for outages. CEC members should ask CEC about battery rules. See home batteries, battery costs and battery installation.

EV charging in Central Oregon

By our estimate at 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs about $4.20 per 100 miles on Pacific Power and about $2.90 on CEC (2024 averages). Cold mornings cut range, so a Level 2 charger at home is worth it for daily drivers. It 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 Bend: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Permits and inspections

• City of Bend: the Building Safety Division issues permits and publishes a solar systems prescriptive installation checklist for standard rooftop systems.
• City of Redmond: the Building Division takes residential applications online through the state’s buildingpermits.oregon.gov portal and has a Solar Photovoltaic Packet and a separate electrical permit on its applications page.
• Outside city limits: Deschutes County handles permits.
• Utility approval: Pacific Power or CEC must approve a grid-tied system before you switch on.

Hire an Oregon-licensed contractor and electrician (license checks are on the state page). If you have an HOA, check its rules on roof equipment and generators first.

Cities we cover

• Bend
• Redmond

Get help in Central Oregon

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

Central Oregon energy questions

Is solar better in Bend than in Portland?

Yes, on sunshine: NASA’s averages give Bend about 4.27 kWh per square meter a day against 3.67 in Portland, roughly 16% more output per panel. Whether it pays better depends on your utility’s price and surplus rules, which are lower and different for CEC members than for Pacific Power customers.

Can Pacific Power shut off my power for wildfire risk?

Yes. Pacific Power says it can call a Public Safety Power Shutoff wherever extreme wildfire conditions make it necessary across its service area, not only in pre-mapped zones. Power returns after the weather passes and crews inspect the lines in daylight. Keep your contact details current to get the warnings.

Can Central Electric Cooperative members get Energy Trust incentives?

No. Energy Trust of Oregon incentives are only for Portland General Electric and Pacific Power customers. CEC members should ask the co-op about its own net metering terms and any programs.

How do I get a solar permit in Redmond?

Redmond’s Building Division takes residential applications through the state’s online portal, buildingpermits.oregon.gov, using its Solar Photovoltaic Packet plus an electrical permit. Your installer normally files them, and your utility must approve the connection.

Sources

EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; outages; service territory; net-metered systems); Pacific Power Wattsmart Battery, Oregon home charger rebate and Public Safety Power Shutoff pages; Energy Trust of Oregon; Central Electric Cooperative “Who We Are” page (archived May 2026); City of Redmond Building Division; City of Bend; NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC station data; CPSC. Read October 2026 unless noted. Estimates are ours and labelled.