Tri-Cities, WA Energy Guide: Solar, Batteries, Backup Power, EV

In short: The Tri-Cities have some of the cheapest, most reliable power in Washington: about 8.8¢ to 9.8¢ per kWh in 2024 from three local public utilities, with outages of roughly one to one and a half hours a year. The sun is the strongest of our Washington metros, but cheap power stretches solar paybacks.

Each city has its own utility with its own rules: Benton PUD in Kennewick, the City of Richland in Richland and Franklin PUD in Pasco. Here is what each means for solar, batteries, backup and charging. For statewide rules (net metering law, the solar sales tax exemption, licensing), see our Washington energy guide.

Tri-Cities at a glance

• Benton PUD (Kennewick, Finley, Benton City, Prosser): about 8.8¢ per kWh for homes in 2024; 53 minutes without power per customer with major events, 40 without (EIA-861, 2024).
• Richland Energy Services (City of Richland): about 9.8¢ per kWh; 94 minutes out, the same with or without major events.
• Franklin PUD (based in Pasco): about 9.7¢ per kWh; about 55 minutes out (reported on a different standard). Rural Franklin County is partly served by Big Bend Electric Co-op or Inland Power.
• Sun: about 4.22 kWh per square meter per day in Kennewick (NASA POWER, 2001–2020), against 3.42 in Seattle. Our rough estimate: about 1,230 kWh a year per kW; Richland’s own PVWatts figure for a tilted array is higher.
• Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Benton County “relatively high” for cold waves, ice storms and winter weather, and “relatively moderate” for heat waves and wildfire. Franklin County’s overall risk is “relatively low”.
• Public charging: 273 public ports at 90 locations: 110 in Kennewick, 89 in Richland and 74 in Pasco (AFDC, October 2026).

Your utility and what it means

All three are customer-owned public utilities that net meter under state law: exported solar earns a retail-rate credit, and surplus left on March 31 each year goes back to the utility without payment. Beyond that, they differ.

Benton PUD gives full retail credit each month and carries surplus forward. Connecting costs a $100 application fee and $350 for the net meter (a re-inspection is $150), and the system must pass both Benton PUD’s and the state’s inspections. Its key difference is a residential demand charge of $1.00 per kW, based on your highest one hour of grid use during peak hours: weekdays 5 to 8 p.m. all year, plus 6 to 9 a.m. from October through April. For solar homes, only the power drawn from the grid in that hour counts. A 5 kW peak-hour draw adds $5 that month (our example). Benton PUD also offers $250 toward a new all-electric car and $20 for a qualifying Level 2 charger. See Benton PUD rooftop solar.

Richland Energy Services credits exported power at the same retail rate it charges. It had more than 590 systems installed by January 2024, from 3 to 15 kW. Its application fee is $150. It offers a $300 rebate for an ENERGY STAR Level 2 smart charger; see Richland EV incentive.

Franklin PUD offers net metering but says plainly that it gives no solar rebate and that net metering “may not provide the quick payback some customers expect.” We found no Franklin PUD EV program. See Franklin PUD solar at home.

Backup power in the Tri-Cities

Outages here are short and rare by Washington standards, and we found no major outage reported by the local utilities in 2024 to 2026. The risk is winter: cold waves and ice storms are the top hazards FEMA rates in Benton County, and a few hours without heat in a cold snap matters more than a summer outage.

• Most homes: a portable power station or a small home battery covers the short outages typical here: fridge, furnace fan, internet and lights.
• Medical needs or rural homes: a standby generator adds days of runtime. See generator installation.

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, on gravel or pavement away from dry grass, and keep carbon monoxide alarms inside (CPSC).

Solar in the Tri-Cities

Panels produce well here: about 1,230 kWh a year per kW by our rough, flat-surface estimate, and Richland’s own PVWatts run says a 5 kW system in central Richland makes 6,479 to 7,014 kWh a year. The catch is price. Each kW is worth roughly $109 a year at Benton PUD’s 2024 rate, $121 at Richland’s and $119 at Franklin PUD’s, so payback is long. Estimates, not quotes. Benton PUD homes should also weigh the demand charge: solar does little at 5 to 8 p.m., so a battery or shifting loads cuts that part of the bill.

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 the Tri-Cities

With cheap power, retail net metering and no battery program at any of the three utilities, a battery here is mostly peace of mind. Benton PUD’s demand charge is the one exception that can earn something, at $1 per kW of peak-hour draw a month. Summer heat matters too: install batteries where the maker allows, out of afternoon sun. See home batteries, battery costs and battery installation.

EV charging in the Tri-Cities

Home charging is cheap: by our estimate at 30 kWh per 100 miles, about $2.65 per 100 miles on Benton PUD, $2.95 on Richland and $2.90 on Franklin PUD. In Kennewick, charge after 8 p.m. so the car does not set your peak-hour demand. Richland’s $300 rebate helps with a smart charger. 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 Kennewick: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Permits and inspections

• Electrical permits: Kennewick, Pasco and Richland are not on the state’s list of cities that run their own electrical inspections, so permits and inspections come from the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). Richland’s utility confirms every solar system needs an L&I electrical permit.
• Building permits: some systems also need one from your city; ask Kennewick, Pasco or Richland.
• Utility approval: each utility has its own interconnection application; Benton PUD also inspects before installing the net meter.

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

• Kennewick
• Pasco
• Richland

Get help in the Tri-Cities

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

Tri-Cities energy questions

What is Benton PUD’s demand charge?

A $1.00 per kW monthly charge on residential bills since late 2023, based on your highest one hour of grid use during peak hours: weekdays 5 to 8 p.m. all year, plus 6 to 9 a.m. from October through April. Solar homes pay it only on what they draw from the grid in that hour.

Which Tri-Cities utility pays for an EV charger?

Richland Energy Services offers $300 for an ENERGY STAR Level 2 smart charger. Benton PUD offers $20 for a qualifying Level 2 charger and $250 toward a new all-electric car. We found no Franklin PUD EV program. Check each utility’s page before you buy; amounts change.

Is solar worth it in Kennewick, Pasco or Richland?

The sun is strong, but power costs under 10¢ per kWh, so each kW of panels saves only about $110 to $120 a year by our estimate. Solar suits owners who value clean power or plan to stay long. Franklin PUD itself warns that net metering may not give a quick payback.

Who issues electrical permits in the Tri-Cities?

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries, for Kennewick, Pasco and Richland alike, since none runs its own electrical inspections. Your city may also require a building permit, and your utility needs its own application before the system is switched on.

Sources

EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; outages; service territory; net-metered systems); Benton PUD rooftop solar, demand charge, EV rebate and “who we are” pages; City of Richland solar FAQs and EV page; Franklin PUD solar page; Washington L&I; NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC station data; CPSC. All read October 2026. Estimates are ours and labelled.