Seattle–Tacoma Energy Guide: Solar, Batteries, Backup Power, EV

In short: Seattle–Tacoma homes are served by four main utilities. In 2024 Tacoma Power homes paid about 10.8¢ per kWh and PSE homes 14.6¢, and PSE customers lost about 20 hours of power on average, mostly in the November 2024 bomb cyclone. Panels make roughly 1,000 kWh per kW a year here, so backup comes first.

Below: what changes from one Puget Sound utility to the next, and who issues your permits. For statewide rules (net metering law, the solar sales tax exemption, licensing), see our Washington energy guide.

Seattle–Tacoma at a glance

• Puget Sound Energy (PSE): most of King County outside Seattle (Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Kent and parts of Renton), Puyallup and all of Thurston County, including Olympia. About 14.6¢ per kWh for homes in 2024; about 1,196 minutes without power per customer with major events, 203 without (EIA-861, 2024).
• Seattle City Light: Seattle, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Burien, Tukwila, SeaTac, Normandy Park and part of Renton. About 14.1¢ per kWh; 324 minutes out with major events, 111 without.
• Snohomish County PUD: all of Snohomish County, including Everett and Lynnwood. About 11.5¢ per kWh; 621 minutes out with major events, 181 without.
• Tacoma Power: Tacoma, University Place, Fircrest, Fife, Lakewood and nearby Pierce County. About 10.8¢ per kWh; 171 minutes out with major events, 80 without.
• Sun: about 3.42 kWh per square meter per day in Seattle (NASA POWER, 2001–2020), from under 1 in December to over 6 in July. Our rough estimate: about 1,000 kWh a year per kW of panels.
• Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates King and Pierce counties “very high” for earthquake, and Snohomish County “very high” for ice storms and landslides. All three rate “relatively high” or higher for ice storms and winter weather.
• Public charging: 3,879 public ports at 1,461 locations across the 11 cities we list below, about 43% of Washington’s total (AFDC, October 2026). Seattle alone has 1,735 and Bellevue 841.

Your utility and what it means

All four net meter at the retail rate under state law, and all clear unused credits each March 31 without payment, so size a system to your yearly use. The differences are in the extras.

PSE offers net metering under its Schedule 150. The tariff keeps it open to new applicants until December 31, 2025, or until a replacement schedule is in place, whichever is later; systems approved under it can stay on it. Ask PSE which schedule a new system would join. PSE also has the most programs:

• Flex Batteries: $75 per kWh of battery at enrollment, up to $1,000 per battery, then $0.50 per kWh your battery supplies during Flex events, up to $500 a year. Events run in summer and winter seasons, up to 100 a year. Only listed brands qualify; see PSE Flex Batteries.
• EV charger rebate: up to $300 on a prequalified ENERGY STAR smart Level 2 charger; income-qualified homes can get up to $600 plus up to $2,000 toward installation. Apply within 60 days.
• Time-of-use plans: weekday peaks of 5 to 8 p.m. (plus 7 to 10 a.m. in winter); one plan adds a super off-peak period from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., though PSE says it may be full.

Seattle City Light net meters systems up to 100 kW AC, but not in its downtown network: most of Downtown Seattle and parts of First Hill, South Lake Union and the University District cannot export at all. Its time-of-use rate charges about 8¢ per kWh from midnight to 6 a.m. against 16¢ from 5 to 9 p.m. (Seattle prices), but it is not open to net-metered solar homes. Its EV page lists no home charger rebate now.

Tacoma Power keeps surplus in a “Net Meter Bank” and offers no solar rebate, but pays for home charging: a $400 bill credit each for a Level 2 charger, a smart splitter, the electrical work or a 240-volt outlet, up to $600 in total. See Tacoma Power EV charging incentives.

Snohomish County PUD banks surplus in a yearly reserve. Its home charger rebate ended on December 31, 2025, and we found no battery program.

Backup power in Seattle–Tacoma

The risk here is the big winter windstorm. On November 19, 2024, a “bomb cyclone” with gusts near 60 mph knocked out power to more than 114,000 Seattle City Light customers, its largest outage since 2006, and to 135,000 Snohomish PUD customers at peak. A week later PSE still had about 21,000 customers out, mostly on the Eastside and in South King County. That storm helps explain why PSE’s 2024 average with major events is six times its ordinary-day figure.

• Tree-lined Eastside and Snohomish County streets: multi-day outages are possible, so pair a home battery with careful load limits, or choose a standby generator. Know how your home is heated first. See generator installation.
• Apartments and condos: a portable power station keeps phones, Wi-Fi, lights and a CPAP going.
• Wildfire shutoffs: PSE says one could happen anywhere in its area in extreme fire weather, with about 48 hours’ notice when possible; we found none in this metro.

Compare options in our backup power guide; size them with the battery backup calculator and 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).

Solar in Seattle–Tacoma

Puget Sound sun is strongly seasonal, so summer credits carry winter bills (until March 31). By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,000 kWh a year, worth about $146 at PSE’s 2024 price, $141 at Seattle City Light’s, $115 at Snohomish PUD’s and $108 at Tacoma Power’s. Payback is slow, fastest on PSE and City Light. Tall evergreens matter most; get a shade check.

EIA counted about 23,800 net-metered home systems on PSE, 7,600 on City Light, 4,800 on Snohomish PUD and 2,800 on Tacoma Power in 2024. Check 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.

Home batteries in Seattle–Tacoma

With retail net metering, a battery here is mostly for storms. PSE homes are the exception: Flex Batteries pays at sign-up (a typical 13.5 kWh battery would hit the $1,000 cap) and then for each event. In Seattle, a home battery needs Seattle Fire Department review only above 40 kWh, and City Light’s engineers review any solar system with battery backup. See home batteries, battery costs and battery installation.

EV charging in Seattle–Tacoma

Our estimate at about 30 kWh per 100 miles: roughly $4.40 per 100 miles at PSE’s average price, $4.20 at Seattle City Light’s (about $2.40 on its midnight-to-6 a.m. rate), $3.50 at Snohomish PUD’s and $3.20 at Tacoma Power’s. A Level 2 charger 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 Seattle: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Permits and inspections

The electrical permit every solar, battery, generator or charger job needs often comes from your city here, not the state.

• Seattle: the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI). Under SDCI Tip 420, most rooftop systems on houses need no building permit, but every solar system needs an electrical permit: over the counter up to 12 kW, plan review above. Under Tip 132, a 40-amp home charger permit needs no plan review and can be bought online.
• Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Renton, Everett, Lynnwood and Olympia: each issues its own electrical permits and inspections, as do Burien, Tukwila and SeaTac (L&I list).
• Tacoma Power’s area: Tacoma Power issues electrical permits and inspects in Tacoma, Fircrest, University Place, Fife, Lakewood and nearby unincorporated Pierce County.
• Kent, Puyallup and unincorporated areas: electrical permits come from the state Department of Labor and Industries; building permits from your city or county.
• Utility approval: every utility needs an interconnection application before you switch on.

Hire a licensed electrical contractor (check them on L&I’s site, linked from the state page). Many neighborhoods have HOAs; send plans before you sign.

Cities we cover

• Seattle
• Bellevue
• Redmond
• Kirkland
• Everett
• Lynnwood
• Renton
• Kent
• Tacoma
• Puyallup
• Olympia

Get help in Seattle–Tacoma

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

Seattle–Tacoma energy questions

Can I net meter solar in downtown Seattle?

Usually not. Seattle City Light does not allow export in its network area, which covers most of Downtown Seattle and parts of First Hill, South Lake Union and the University District. Solar there must be sized to use everything on site. Elsewhere in Seattle, net metering at the retail rate is available up to 100 kW AC.

Does PSE pay me for a home battery?

Yes, through PSE Flex Batteries: $75 per kWh of storage when you enroll, up to $1,000 per battery, plus $0.50 per kWh supplied during events, up to $500 a year. The battery must be a listed brand and interconnected with PSE. Seattle City Light, Tacoma Power and Snohomish PUD list no similar program.

What happens to my solar credits on March 31?

All four utilities clear unused net metering credits each March 31, as state law allows, with no payment. Spring and summer surplus therefore needs to be used by the following March. Size your system to your yearly use; an installer can model it with your past 12 months of bills.

How long were Seattle-area outages in the 2024 bomb cyclone?

City Light restored everyone by the Sunday after the Tuesday, November 19 storm; Snohomish PUD had 95% back by Saturday morning; PSE still had about 21,000 customers out six days later, around Sammamish, Issaquah, Mercer Island and Enumclaw. Plan for days, not hours.

Sources

EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales); PSE tariffs, program pages and November 2024 release; Seattle City Light program pages and storm report; Tacoma Power and Snohomish PUD program pages and board records; Washington L&I; Seattle SDCI Tips 420 and 132; NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC; CPSC. All read October 2026. Estimates are ours and labelled.