Spokane Energy Guide: Solar, Batteries, Backup Power, EV

In short: Most Spokane homes buy power from Avista, at about 11.9¢ per kWh in 2024, with outages averaging about 2.5 hours a year. The bigger worry is planned: Avista cut power to parts of north Spokane and the South Hill during fire weather in June and August 2026. Spokane also gets more sun than Seattle.

Below: Spokane’s utilities, wildfire shutoffs, sun, charging and permits. For statewide rules (net metering law, the solar sales tax exemption, licensing), see our Washington energy guide.

Spokane at a glance

• Avista: the main utility in Spokane County. About 11.9¢ per kWh for homes in 2024; 152 minutes without power per customer with major events, 112 without (EIA-861, 2024, Washington customers).
• Smaller utilities: parts of the county are served by Inland Power & Light (a co-op, about 9.0¢; 386 minutes out with major events, 278 without), Modern Electric Water Company (about 7.4¢) or Vera Irrigation District (about 9.2¢).
• Sun: about 3.84 kWh per square meter per day in Spokane (NASA POWER, 2001–2020), against 3.42 in Seattle. Our rough estimate: about 1,120 kWh a year per kW of panels.
• Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Spokane County “very high” for cold waves and ice storms and “relatively high” for strong wind and winter weather; wildfire is “relatively moderate”.
• Wildfire shutoffs: Avista ran public safety power shutoffs in Spokane on June 16 and August 1, 2026.
• Public charging: 435 public ports at 165 locations in Spokane and Spokane Valley (AFDC, October 2026), 350 of them in Spokane.

Your utility and what it means

Avista is an investor-owned utility regulated by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. It offers net metering under state law: power you send to the grid earns a kWh credit at the retail rate, carried forward from bill to bill, and anything unused on March 31 each year is lost without payment. Size a system to your yearly use. EIA counted about 4,400 net-metered home solar systems on Avista in Washington in 2024.

We could not confirm Avista’s current EV charger, battery or time-of-use programs from its own pages, so we list none here; ask Avista what it offers before you buy.

Inland Power & Light, Modern Electric and Vera are member- or customer-owned and set their own programs. Their prices are lower, which stretches a solar payback; Inland’s 2024 outage record was also longer than Avista’s, which helps the case for backup. Your bill tells you which utility you have.

Backup power in Spokane

Spokane faces two kinds of outage. In winter, ice storms and cold snaps, both rated “very high” by FEMA here, can bring down lines when heat matters most. In summer, Avista may switch lines off on purpose. On June 16, 2026 it cut power to about 1,800 customers in Indian Trail, warning it could stay off more than 48 hours. On August 1, 2026, under a Red Flag Warning, it shut off parts of north Spokane, Indian Trail and Five Mile, Nine Mile Falls, Mead and the South Hill, warning of outages over 24 hours. Power comes back only after crews patrol the lines.

• Shutoffs: Avista contacts affected customers directly, so keep your contact details current with Avista. A charged home battery can carry the fridge, internet, lights and a fan through a day; summer sun can recharge it with solar.
• Winter storms: a standby generator handles a multi-day outage and a furnace better than a battery alone. See generator installation. On fire-risk days, run any generator on gravel or pavement, away from dry grass.
• Apartments and medical devices: a portable power station covers a CPAP, phones and Wi-Fi.

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 Spokane

Spokane’s sun is about 12% stronger than Seattle’s on NASA’s long-term averages, with sunny summers (over 7 kWh per square meter a day in July) and dark Decembers. By our rough estimate, each kW of panels makes about 1,120 kWh a year, worth about $133 at Avista’s 2024 price; a 6 kW array would make around 6,700 kWh, worth about $800. That is an estimate, not a quote. Net metering carries summer surplus into fall and winter, until March 31.

Snow sheds best from steep, south-facing roofs; ask your installer about snow load and racking. 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 Spokane

Retail net metering means a battery earns little by shifting solar, so in Spokane it is about shutoffs and storms. Shutoffs come with notice, so you can charge it fully beforehand. Most batteries lose capacity in deep cold; install them where the maker allows, often in a garage or basement rather than on an outside wall. See home batteries, battery costs and battery installation.

EV charging in Spokane

Our estimate at about 30 kWh per 100 miles: roughly $3.55 per 100 miles at Avista’s average price, about $2.70 at Inland Power’s and $2.25 at Modern Electric’s. Expect more in winter, when cold cuts range. 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 Spokane: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Permits and inspections

• City of Spokane: the city issues its own electrical permits and inspections (L&I list). It accepts SolarAPP+ online review for simple rooftop solar; confirm details with the Development Services Center at City Hall.
• Spokane Valley and unincorporated Spokane County: electrical permits come from the state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I); building permits from the city or county.
• Utility approval: your utility must approve a grid-tied solar or battery system before you switch it on.

Hire a licensed electrical contractor (check them on L&I’s site, linked from the state page), and send plans to your HOA first if you have one.

Cities we cover

• Spokane
• Spokane Valley

Get help in Spokane

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

Spokane energy questions

Which Spokane neighborhoods have had power shutoffs?

Avista’s own notices list Indian Trail in northwest Spokane on June 16, 2026, and on August 1, 2026 parts of north Spokane, Indian Trail and Five Mile, Nine Mile Falls, Mead and the South Hill. Other areas can be added when fire weather is forecast, so keep your contact details current with Avista.

How long does an Avista shutoff last?

Until the fire weather passes and crews have patrolled the lines, sometimes with drones. Avista warned the August 2026 outages could last more than 24 hours, and the June one more than 48. Plan for at least a day without power: food, water, medicine and a charged battery or power station.

Is solar worth it in Spokane?

It works better than on the west side, since Spokane’s sun is about 12% stronger than Seattle’s, but power is cheaper. Our rough estimate: each kW of panels makes about 1,120 kWh a year, worth about $133 at Avista’s 2024 price. On a cheaper co-op or water-company utility the payback is longer.

Who issues electrical permits in Spokane Valley?

The state Department of Labor and Industries, since Spokane Valley is not on L&I’s list of cities that run their own electrical inspections. The City of Spokane does run its own. Building permits, when needed, come from the city or county where you live.

Sources

EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; outages; net-metered systems); Avista news releases of June 16 and August 1, 2026; Washington L&I; City of Spokane; NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC station data; CPSC. All read October 2026. Estimates are ours and labelled.