Seattle City Light is excited to introduce our new Distributed Energy Resources (DER) web page, a centralized hub designed to help customers learn about accessing solar power, battery storage, and other clean energy technologies. We know many customers want to install DERs, and this new page aims to make it easier to understand your options and how City Light can support you.
Our communities have told us they want access to solar energy, backup power, efficient appliances, and electric vehicles. We created our Solar and Battery Storage Strategy in response to that feedback, with a focus on keeping costs low, strengthening grid reliability for everyone, and removing barriers that make it harder for some communities to participate in our solar programs.
What are DERs?
DERs include rooftop solar panels, battery storage, electric vehicles capable of sending electricity back to the grid, and smart home devices like thermostats and water heaters that can shift usage to nonpeak hours (for example, middle of the night). These technologies help empower customers to produce and store their own power, improve resilience during outages, and save money on their bill.
Benefits of DERs
DERs offer meaningful financial and environmental benefits. Solar panels and batteries help customers reduce bills, access renewable energy, and store power for use during unplanned outages. Community solar projects allow renters and income-eligible households to benefit from shared clean energy systems. And resilience hubs, which are community spaces equipped with solar and battery backup, can provide heating, cooling, food storage, and device charging for the community during emergencies.
DERs can also help improve the electric grid. Customer solar and batteries may reduce the need for costly infrastructure upgrades, helping keep rates affordable.
How City Light Can Help
City Light is working to make connecting solar and batteries to our grid easier and more predictable. In January 2026, we published the DER Interconnection Handbook, a step-by-step guide to help installers navigate the approval process and understand typical timelines.
We are committed to addressing historic inequities by reducing participation barriers, improving outreach, and ensuring priority populations have access to DER programs. We are also expanding solar and battery programs so more customers can share the benefits. This includes designing a new community solar program, developing a solar credit allocation program (sharing financial credits between customers), and increasing financial incentives to reduce upfront costs.
Learn More
Visit our new DER web page to explore programs, find resources for homes and businesses, and learn how you can get started. We will continue to add more resources, and we look forward to helping you participate in Seattle’s clean energy future.