In short: Provo has about 115,500 people and sits in Utah County. PacifiCorp, Provo City Corp and Lehi City Corporation serves different parts of Utah County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 10.95¢ to 12.52¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Utah County lightning “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,400 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Provo: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Utah energy guide.
Provo at a glance
- Place: Provo, Utah County, Utah; about 115,479 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: PacifiCorp (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 12.52¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 109 minutes of power on normal days, with 1.0 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Provo).
- Utility: Provo City Corp (city-owned). Homes paid an average 11.39¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 35 minutes of power on normal days, with 0.5 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Provo).
- Utility: Lehi City Corporation (city-owned). Homes paid an average 10.95¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 42 minutes of power on normal days, with 0.4 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Provo).
- Sun: 4.80 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.86 in December to 7.81 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,400 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 870 cooling degree-days and 6,460 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Utah County: lightning “very high”, wildfires “relatively high” and earthquakes “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively high”).
- Public charging: 90 ports at 39 locations in Provo, 24 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
PacifiCorp is an investor-owned utility and served about 947,246 home customers in 2024; its 12.52¢ average was below the 13.12¢ statewide average for July 2026. Provo City Corp is a city-owned utility and served about 35,299 home customers in 2024; its 11.39¢ average was below the 13.12¢ statewide average for July 2026. Lehi City Corporation is a city-owned utility and served about 27,459 home customers in 2024; its 10.95¢ average was below the 13.12¢ 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 109 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 107 (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 Utah guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Provo
- Lightning (very high): Lightning causes short outages and damages electronics. Surge protection and a battery that switches over automatically protect the things you care about.
- Wildfires (relatively high): Wildfire risk can mean planned shutoffs and smoke. A battery charged by solar gives quiet backup, and fueled generators need extra care on dry days and clear space around them.
- 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 Provo
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,400 kWh a year in Provo (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at PacifiCorp’s 2024 average of 12.52¢, that is about $175 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 7.81 and December the dimmest at 1.86, a 4.2-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. Provo has 90 public charging ports in the federal station list including 24 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 Provo: 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 Provo building or permitting department, or from Utah County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Provo, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Utah guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Orem, Lehi, Eagle Mountain and Sandy, or the whole Utah energy guide.
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Provo energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Provo?
PacifiCorp, Provo City Corp and Lehi City Corporation all serve parts of Utah County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (PacifiCorp 12.52¢, Provo City Corp 11.39¢, Lehi City Corporation 10.95¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Provo?
About 1,400 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 8,400 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
Is a generator or a battery better for wildfires in Utah County?
It depends how long the outage lasts. A battery is quiet, automatic and good for short outages and for pairing with solar; a standby generator keeps going as long as it has fuel, which suits multi-day events. Many homes use a battery for everyday outages and add a generator for the rare long one.
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 Provo?
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.