California power outages: what size power station you need (CA)
In 2025, the average California electricity customer lost power for 5.7 hours, across 1.28 outages (EIA). To keep a fridge, router and lights running through one average outage you need about 561 Wh.
One average California (CA) outage lasted 4.5 hours (344.6 SAIDI minutes divided by 1.28 SAIFI interruptions). Covering California's full 5.7-hour annual outage total without recharging requires 720 Wh. Excluding major storm events, California customers averaged 2.3 hours (135.0 minutes) across 1.05 non-storm interruptions, ranking #15 of 51 states for total outage duration (compared with 4.7 hours in 2024).
Three lowest $/Wh stations covering an average California outage (561 Wh)
| $/Wh | Price | Capacity (Wh) | Output (W) | Chemistry | Product | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.08 | $149 | 1,920 Wh | 2,500 W | LiFePO4 | ALLPOWERS R2500 V2 + SE160 160W Solar Panel Solar Generator Kit | Buy at ALLPOWERS Store for $149 |
| $0.29 | $899 | 3,072 Wh | 3,600 W | LiFePO4 | Pecron F3000LFP Portable Power Station 3600W 3072Wh | Buy at Pecron Store for $899 |
| $0.31 | $629 | 2,048 Wh | 2,400 W | LiFePO4 | FOSSiBOT F2400 Portable Power Station | Buy at FOSSiBOT Store for $629 |
California residential electricity price and 1,000 Wh grid recharge cost
California residential electricity averaged 29.75 cents per kWh in August 2026 (EIA), ranking #4 of 51 US jurisdictions (compared with 30.92 cents per kWh in August 2025). At California's 29.75 ¢/kWh tariff and 85% AC charging efficiency (35.00 ¢ per stored kWh), fully recharging a 1,000 Wh power station from a California wall outlet costs $0.35.
Solar panel output near Los Angeles, CA and 200 W recharge time
1 kW of fixed panels near Los Angeles makes about 3.88 kWh per day in December and 5.18 in June (NREL PVWatts). Recharging a depleted 1,000 Wh power station from a 200 W solar panel near Los Angeles, CA (34.05°N, -118.24°W) at 90% MPPT charge efficiency takes 1.4 days in December (699 Wh/day net solar harvest, ranking #5 of 51 for winter sun) and 1.1 days in June (932 Wh/day net solar harvest).
Monthly solar yield near Los Angeles, CA (1 kW DC array)
| Month | Los Angeles 1 kW monthly (kWh) | Los Angeles 1 kW daily (kWh/day) | 200 W panel net harvest (Wh/day) | Days to refill 1,000 Wh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January (Los Angeles, CA) | 130.7 kWh | 4.22 kWh/day | 759 Wh | 1.3 d |
| February (Los Angeles, CA) | 125.0 kWh | 4.46 kWh/day | 804 Wh | 1.2 d |
| March (Los Angeles, CA) | 151.5 kWh | 4.89 kWh/day | 880 Wh | 1.1 d |
| April (Los Angeles, CA) | 158.7 kWh | 5.29 kWh/day | 952 Wh | 1.1 d |
| May (Los Angeles, CA) | 148.7 kWh | 4.80 kWh/day | 864 Wh | 1.2 d |
| June (Los Angeles, CA) | 155.3 kWh | 5.18 kWh/day | 932 Wh | 1.1 d |
| July (Los Angeles, CA) | 165.2 kWh | 5.33 kWh/day | 959 Wh | 1.0 d |
| August (Los Angeles, CA) | 174.3 kWh | 5.62 kWh/day | 1012 Wh | 1.0 d |
| September (Los Angeles, CA) | 161.7 kWh | 5.39 kWh/day | 970 Wh | 1.0 d |
| October (Los Angeles, CA) | 151.2 kWh | 4.88 kWh/day | 878 Wh | 1.1 d |
| November (Los Angeles, CA) | 136.8 kWh | 4.56 kWh/day | 821 Wh | 1.2 d |
| December (Los Angeles, CA) | 120.4 kWh | 3.88 kWh/day | 699 Wh | 1.4 d |
Data sources and verification dates for California
- California outage duration and frequency: EIA Electric Power Annual, Table 11.3 (2025 and 2024) (California SAIDI with major events: 344.6 minutes; SAIFI with major events: 1.28 interruptions; 98.5% of California customers reported; fetched 2026-11-06).
- California residential electricity price: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (August 2026) (California residential retail rate: 29.75 cents per kWh in August 2026; fetched 2026-11-06).
- Los Angeles, California solar irradiance and DC yield: NREL PVWatts V8 (NSRDB PSM V3 GOES tmy-2020 3.2.0) (reference city: Los Angeles, CA at 34.0522°N, -118.2437°W; fetched 2026-11-06).
Compare California against all 50 US states and DC on the state outage and solar hub.