In short: Richland has about 64,400 people and sits in Benton County. PacifiCorp, PUD No 1 of Benton County and City of Richland serves different parts of Benton County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 8.81¢ to 11.08¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Benton County winter weather “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,230 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is about average for the U.S..
This page covers what is local to Richland: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Washington energy guide.
Richland at a glance
- Place: Richland, Benton County, Washington; about 64,372 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: PacifiCorp (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 11.08¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 102 minutes of power on normal days and 209 counting major storms, with 0.7 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Richland).
- Utility: PUD No 1 of Benton County (public power district). Homes paid an average 8.81¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 40 minutes of power on normal days and 53 counting major storms, with 0.4 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Richland).
- Utility: City of Richland (city-owned). Homes paid an average 9.82¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 94 minutes of power on normal days, with 0.7 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Richland).
- Sun: 4.22 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 0.99 in December to 7.66 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,230 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 1,030 cooling degree-days and 5,010 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Benton County: winter weather “relatively high”, ice storms “relatively high” and wildfires “relatively moderate” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively moderate”).
- Public charging: 95 ports at 24 locations in Richland, 61 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
PacifiCorp is an investor-owned utility and served about 114,453 home customers in 2024; its 11.08¢ average was below the 14.71¢ statewide average for July 2026. PUD No 1 of Benton County is a public power district utility and served about 50,072 home customers in 2024; its 8.81¢ average was below the 14.71¢ statewide average for July 2026. City of Richland is a city-owned utility and served about 25,687 home customers in 2024; its 9.82¢ average was below the 14.71¢ 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, Benton Rural Electric Assn reported 156 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, less than the statewide figure of 159 (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 Washington guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Richland
- Winter weather (relatively high): Winter storms and cold snaps combine outages with heating demand. Plan for the furnace blower or heat pump, not just lights, and keep a fuel supply you can reach in snow.
- Ice storms (relatively high): Ice storms bring down lines for days. A standby generator with a transfer switch, or a battery sized for the fridge, furnace blower and well pump, matters more than a small power station.
- 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 Richland
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,230 kWh a year in Richland (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at PacifiCorp’s 2024 average of 11.08¢, that is about $136 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 7.66 and December the dimmest at 0.99, a 7.7-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. Richland has 95 public charging ports in the federal station list including 61 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 Richland: 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 Richland building or permitting department, or from Benton County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Richland, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Washington guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Kennewick and Pasco, or the whole Washington energy guide.
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Richland energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Richland?
PacifiCorp, PUD No 1 of Benton County and City of Richland all serve parts of Benton County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (PacifiCorp 11.08¢, PUD No 1 of Benton County 8.81¢, City of Richland 9.82¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Richland?
About 1,230 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,380 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 winter weather in Benton 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.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Richland?
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.