In short: Almost every home in the Salt Lake Valley buys power from Rocky Mountain Power, which averaged about 12.5¢ per kWh in 2024 and about two hours of outages per customer. Its time-of-use plan charges about 32¢ from 6 to 10 p.m. on summer weekdays and about 7¢ the rest of the time, so timing matters more here than panels alone.
This page covers what is local to the valley: the city clean energy program that starts on bills in 2027, the county’s earthquake and winter risk, Salt Lake City’s solar permit rules and where to charge. For statewide rules (the export credit, the plug-in solar law, the battery incentive, contractor licensing), see our Utah energy guide.
Salt Lake Valley at a glance
- Rocky Mountain Power: serves Salt Lake City, West Jordan, South Jordan, Sandy, Draper and Herriman. About 12.5¢ per kWh for homes in 2024; across its Utah system, 118 minutes without power per customer with major events and 109 without, about one outage a year (EIA-861, 2024).
- Murray City Power: the valley’s one city-owned utility, serving Murray. About 11.1¢ per kWh in 2024; it did not report outage minutes to EIA.
- Sun: about 4.80 kWh per square meter per day in Salt Lake City (NASA POWER, 2001–2020), as little as 1.9 in December and 7.8 in June. Our rough estimate: about 1,400 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Salt Lake County “very high” for earthquake, winter weather and avalanche, and “relatively high” for wildfire, flooding and lightning.
- Public charging: 631 ports in Salt Lake City, 117 in Draper, 103 in Sandy, 48 in South Jordan, 31 in West Jordan and 12 in Herriman (AFDC, October 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Rocky Mountain Power. New rooftop solar is on net billing: you use your own power first and exports earn a credit of a few cents per kWh, explained on our Utah page. Three Utah programs matter more in the valley than the export credit:
- Time of Use (Schedule 1 option): on-peak is 6 to 10 p.m. on weekdays. June to September, on-peak costs about 32.1¢ and off-peak 7.1¢; October to May, about 28.4¢ and 6.3¢. It takes a 12-month commitment, and in the first year Rocky Mountain Power guarantees you will not pay more than 10% above the standard rate.
- Wattsmart Battery: a one-time payment and yearly bill credits if you let the utility draw on your battery during grid events. Amounts are on our Utah page; check the program page before you buy.
- Wattsmart Drive: EV drivers earn up to $100 in bill credits the first year and up to $50 a year after that, in return for short pauses in charging (up to 5 minutes, at most 48 times a year).
Community Clean Energy Program. Salt Lake City, unincorporated Salt Lake County, Millcreek, Holladay and Midvale have joined Rocky Mountain Power’s Community Clean Energy Program with Utah Renewable Communities. It is opt-out: homes in those communities get notices by mail and email in November and December 2026, and anyone who does not opt out by January 1, 2027 pays an extra $4.00 a month from 2027 (pending review; the Utah Public Service Commission can change it once a year). If you live there, decide before January. Details are on Rocky Mountain Power’s Community Clean Energy page.
Murray City Power. Murray sets its own rates and solar rules, so the Rocky Mountain Power programs above do not apply there. Ask Murray City Power for its current net metering terms before you sign.
Backup power in the Salt Lake Valley
Day to day, the grid is steady. What sets the valley apart is a very high earthquake rating and heavy winter storms. A strong earthquake could cut power for days, so this is the one place in Utah where planning for a long outage is worth thinking about even if you never lose power in a normal year.
Wildfire is a smaller risk on the valley floor but real along the benches and canyon mouths. Rocky Mountain Power no longer limits Public Safety Power Shutoffs to pre-drawn areas: it can call one anywhere it serves, usually with about 48 hours’ notice. During fire season it can also switch lines to sensitive settings that trip instantly, which can mean more and longer outages while crews patrol.
- Winter storm, a few hours out: a portable power station or small home battery runs a gas furnace blower, internet and the fridge.
- Earthquake or multi-day outage: a standby generator on a transfer switch, or a battery charged by solar, keeps going longer. See generator installation; gas lines can be shut off after a quake, so ask your installer about fuel choice.
Compare the options in our backup power guide, and size them with the battery backup calculator and generator sizing tool. Run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with exhaust pointed away, and keep carbon monoxide alarms inside (CPSC).
Solar in the Salt Lake Valley
By our rough estimate, each kW of panels makes about 1,400 kWh a year here, worth about $176 at the 2024 average price if you use it all at home. Exports earn much less, so size panels to your daytime use. Production swings a lot: a December day gives about a quarter of a June day, and snow and winter inversions cut it further. These are estimates, not quotes.
On time of use, midday solar offsets cheap off-peak power, while the expensive hours are after 6 p.m. That makes a battery, or shifting laundry and charging to daytime, the way to get more from panels. Check your roof with the solar potential tool and solar savings calculator, then read how solar installation works, what it costs and net metering vs net billing.
Home batteries in the Salt Lake Valley
The summer time-of-use spread is about 25¢ per kWh, so a battery that stores off-peak or solar power for the 6 to 10 p.m. peak can save real money, on top of Wattsmart Battery payments and backup for winter storms or an earthquake. Keep it inside the maker’s temperature range: garages here drop well below freezing. See home batteries, battery costs and battery installation.
EV charging in the Salt Lake Valley
At about 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs about $3.75 per 100 miles at the 2024 average price, or about $2.15 on summer off-peak time-of-use and $1.90 in winter (our estimates). Rocky Mountain Power suggests charging after 10 p.m. or between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Its charger rebates are for businesses, communities and apartment buildings, not single-family homes. A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit and a permit, installed by a licensed electrician. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Salt Lake City: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Salt Lake City: Building Services’ Solar PV Systems Packet must go in with the solar permit application. The packet route covers systems up to 15 kW with listed equipment. Roof arrays may cover up to 90% of the roof and need a 3-foot fire access path. Homes in historic districts need a Certificate of Appropriateness first, with panels in the least visible spot. The page also has a permit fee estimator.
- West Jordan, South Jordan, Sandy, Draper, Herriman: each city’s building department issues its own permits; ask it for solar, battery, generator and EV charger requirements.
- Utility approval: grid-tied solar and batteries also need Rocky Mountain Power’s (or Murray’s) interconnection approval before you switch on.
- HOAs: if you have one, get written approval before you sign.
Cities we cover
- Salt Lake City
- West Jordan
- South Jordan
- Sandy
- Draper
- Herriman
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Salt Lake Valley energy questions
What is the $4 charge coming to Salt Lake City power bills?
It is the Community Clean Energy Program, which Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Millcreek, Holladay and Midvale joined. Homes there are enrolled automatically unless they opt out by January 1, 2027. Residential customers then pay about $4.00 a month extra from 2027. Notices go out in November and December 2026.
Is time-of-use worth it with solar or an EV in Salt Lake City?
Often, if you can avoid 6 to 10 p.m. on weekdays. Off-peak power costs about 6 to 7¢ per kWh, on-peak about 28 to 32¢. Overnight EV charging and a battery that covers the evening peak fit it well. The first-year guarantee caps any loss at 10% above the standard rate.
Do I need backup power for an earthquake in the Salt Lake Valley?
FEMA rates Salt Lake County’s earthquake risk “very high”. Nobody can predict when, but a major quake could leave homes without power for days. A battery with solar, or a generator on a transfer switch, plus stored water and supplies, is sensible if anyone at home depends on power for medical needs.
What does Salt Lake City require for a solar permit?
A completed Solar PV Permit Packet with the application: project details, roof structure information, an electrical diagram, a site plan with fire access paths and labels. Historic district homes need a Certificate of Appropriateness first. Rocky Mountain Power must also approve the connection.
Sources
EIA-861, 2024 data (price = residential revenue ÷ sales); Rocky Mountain Power pages on time of use, Wattsmart Drive, electric vehicles, Public Safety Power Shutoffs, enhanced safety settings and the Community Clean Energy Program; Salt Lake City Building Services; NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC station data; CPSC. All read October 2026. Estimates are ours and labelled.