Traditionally, switching your home or business to solar power has been a matter of personal preference or eco-consciousness.
Today, Washington residents are making the switch with a sense of urgency.
“For a long time, people viewed solar as something that was nice to have or environmentally driven,” said Brandon Provalenko, general manager at Bellingham’s Western Solar. “Now, with electricity rates rising year over year, the conversation is much more practical. Homeowners and businesses are looking for ways to stabilize their costs and gain some predictability.
As utility prices and energy demand continue to rise in Washington, the state’s home and business owners have an opportunity to use solar tools, including battery storage, to build personal energy resilience and contribute to a statewide energy solution. The decision to go solar could help prepare Washington residents to weather energy and cost uncertainty with flexibility and independence.
“The (customer) response has shifted,” Provalenko said. “It’s less about ‘Should I go solar?’ and more about ‘How do I make sure I’m prepared for what is coming?’”
What’s Driving Rising Energy Costs?
For many Washingtonians, electricity has traditionally been a set-it-and-forget-it utility. That’s no longer the case.
“For a long time, electricity was something most people did not think much about,” Provalenko said. “You flipped the switch, paid the bill, and moved on. That is changing. Demand is growing, costs are rising, and the grid is being asked to do more than it was originally built to do.”
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) users will notice that the utility increased its rates in January 2025 and 2026 and is currently seeking state approval for additional rate hikes. If the proposed rate increases are approved, the typical PSE-powered household will see its energy bill rise by about $28/month in 2027, $7/month in 2028, and $16/month in 2029.
The rate hikes come as PSE works to shore up its gas and electric systems, address external factors such as higher electricity demand, and move toward a 100% clean electricity future by 2045. The utility is working to keep up with larger, statewide clean energy goals, even as Washington deals with a growing strain on its existing energy infrastructure.
Thanks to factors such as population growth and development, energy demand in the Pacific Northwest is expected to grow by 3.2% annually. One significant report examined the region’s power supply and found that it is most likely to fall short if a days-long cold snap occurs during a dry hydropower year.
Washington residents can no longer ignore the effects of power supply, demand, and pricing, but there are options for home and business owners to become part of the larger solution.
From Grid Reliance to Greater Control
Many Washington residents are already aware of solar power systems, the clean energy resource that can help slash your home’s electric bill over time as the system produces its own electricity. Trusted local companies like Western Solar, which has operated in Washington for over two decades, exist to educate customers and guide them toward the best solar solutions for their setup.
But Western Solar can also help home and business owners invest in another solar solution that might make sense for your goals: battery storage.
A solar battery stores the excess electricity your system produces during the day. Without a battery, that extra power would go back to the utility as a credit on your electric bill; with a battery, you’re able to store the extra energy and use it later, whether you need it during the dark evening hours when your system isn’t producing power or during a power outage, when a battery can help keep critical home systems running.
Supporting a Stronger Energy Grid
The solar system-battery storage combination can be a huge win for customers looking to save money and build personal or business energy resilience, Provalenko said.
“What makes this combination sustainable is that it is not dependent on a single outcome,” he said. “Even if utility programs change or rates continue to rise, customers still have the ability to generate, store, and use their own energy. It gives them flexibility and a level of independence that holds value over time.”
While battery systems have traditionally offered little more than a fail-safe backup power option during a power outage, today’s batteries can even come in handy during peak electricity use hours, when you can rely on saved energy instead of paying premium utility rates.
“What we are seeing now is that batteries are becoming less about backup alone and more about flexibility,” Provalenko said. “They give customers more control over when and how they use their energy, reduce reliance on the grid during peak times, and better position them for how utility programs may evolve in the future.”
Solar systems and batteries are reliable, cost-saving tools for individuals and businesses, but thanks to initiatives like PSE’s Flex program, they can also enhance community energy stability.
PSE Flex offers battery owners the chance to enroll their batteries in the program, then automatically participate in “Flex events.” During a Flex event, PSE will pull stored energy from participating batteries, supporting the grid during high-use hours with your batteries’ resources.
The program offers customers several financial incentives (including an enrollment payment and payments for participating in Flex events), and also gives participants a chance to support large-scale energy needs.
As Washington’s energy needs continue to grow, increased electricity production will need to be paired with this kind of smarter energy management, Provalenko said.
“We will need systems that can generate electricity, store it, shift it, and use it more intelligently,” he said. “We should be building the tools now, including solar, storage, energy efficiency, smart load control, and programs that compensate customers for supporting the grid. PSE’s Flex batteries program is one local example of that direction.”
Energy consumers who are ready to explore solar systems and battery options have resources not only in local incentive programs, but in Western Solar. The Bellingham-based company isn’t just an installer. It’s a partner in a long-term investment that might be right for your home or business.
“In an industry that has seen a lot of turnover and aggressive sales models, our approach stands the test of time,” Provalenko said. “We are here to be a long-term partner in the community, and that shapes everything from how we design systems to how we take care of our customers.”
