Backup Power for Pacific Palisades

Pacific Palisades is in a moment unlike any other community we serve. The January 2025 Palisades Fire reshaped the neighborhood in ways homeowners are still working through. Some homes were spared and now want hardened backup power to weather the next event. Many properties are mid-rebuild and have the rare opportunity to engineer backup power into the project from day one rather than retrofitting later.

We work with both groups. We've spent considerable time on streets between Sunset and PCH, in the Alphabet Streets, and in Marquez Knolls. Every install in the 90272 has at least three things in common that don't apply elsewhere: salt air, fire-zone code requirements, and a rebuild environment where coordination with general contractors and architects is essential.

What Pacific Palisades Homes Need Right Now

For existing homes that survived the fire: The most common request is hardened backup power that can carry the home through extended PSPS shutoffs and any future grid disruption. We see this as a layered system: a Cummins or Generac whole-home generator paired with a Tesla Powerwall or Franklin Home Power battery. The battery handles short outages silently and runs the home off solar during the day; the generator handles multi-day events.

For rebuilds in progress: We work directly with the general contractor and architect to integrate generator, battery, and EV charger infrastructure into the new electrical design. This is dramatically easier and cheaper than retrofitting a finished home. Pad placement, gas line stub-outs, panel sizing (often 400A for modern Palisades rebuilds), and transfer switch integration are all designed in from the start.

For lots where the home hasn't been started yet: We're happy to sit down with the homeowner and the design team early to size the system properly and stub out the gas, conduit, and pad placement so the install at the end is fast and clean.

Coastal Conditions Matter More Than Most Quotes Acknowledge

Generators within a mile of the Pacific lose 20–30% of their effective lifespan if installed with standard enclosures. Salt air corrodes the steel housing, the cooling fins, and the internal electrical connections faster than inland air does. The fix isn't exotic, but it has to be specified at quote time:

Cummins offers corrosion-resistant enclosure packages for coastal installations. The aluminum-skinned housing and treated internals add to the price but dramatically extend service life in Palisades conditions.

Generac similarly offers an aluminum enclosure option on the Guardian and Protector lines. We always specify these for installs within a mile of the coast.

We orient the unit with the air intake away from the prevailing onshore wind where lot geometry allows, and we recommend a more aggressive maintenance schedule (twice yearly rather than annually) so corrosion is caught early.

Code Considerations for Rebuilds

Pacific Palisades sits in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and the post-2025 code conversation has gotten more stringent. Things that matter for any generator install in a rebuild:

Setback from windows, doors, and combustibles — the rules are tighter than they were five years ago.

Ignition-resistant materials around the generator pad — landscape and ground-cover choices factor into permit approval.

Coordination with the home's new fire-hardening upgrades — many rebuilds include ember-resistant venting, Class A roofing, and tempered glass. The generator install should match the same hardening standard.

Modern panel sizing — most rebuilds we're seeing are speccing 400A service from the start. This makes generator integration cleaner and future-proofs the home for additional EV chargers, heat pumps, and induction cooking loads.

What Most Palisades Installs Look Like

For existing homes: a 20–22kW Cummins QuietConnect RS20 or RS22, or a 22kW Generac Guardian, paired with a Tesla Powerwall 3 (often two units) or a Franklin Home Power aPower 2. All-in installed cost typically lands $30,000–$55,000 depending on battery capacity and panel work needed.

For rebuilds: typically a 24–32kW generator (Cummins RS22 or Generac Guardian 26kW) integrated during the build, with 400A service, EV charger conduit, and battery backup pre-wired into the new panel. All-in cost is similar but the install is dramatically faster because everything is roughed in.

Services We Provide in Pacific Palisades

• Cummins QuietConnect whole-home standby generator installation (coastal-grade enclosures)

• Generac Guardian and Protector whole-home standby generator installation (aluminum enclosure)

• Tesla Powerwall and Franklin Home Power battery backup installation

• 200A and 400A main electrical panel upgrades

• Tesla Wall Connector and EV charger installation

• Rebuild electrical design coordination with general contractors and architects

• Fire-zone code compliance and permit support

• Ongoing maintenance with twice-yearly coastal service schedule

• 24-hour emergency service

Nearby Cities We Also Serve

We serve Pacific Palisades alongside neighboring communities: Malibu, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, and Los Angeles.

Ready to Talk?

Whether you're hardening an existing home or designing a rebuild from the studs up, we'd be glad to walk the property, review your panel, talk to your contractor or architect if relevant, and quote the right system from Cummins or Generac with the coastal-grade specifications spelled out.

Call (818) 606-8651 or request a quote online. Free on-site assessments within 25 miles of our LA base.

RC Generators & Electric is a CSLB-licensed (#1105336) electrical contractor based in the greater Los Angeles area. We're an authorized Cummins dealer and a full-service Generac dealer — sales, installation, and service for both lines. We're also authorized installers for Franklin Home Power and Tesla Powerwall battery backup systems. Specialists in residential and commercial standby generator installation with 80+ generator projects completed and 1,000+ electrical projects overall, across the LA, Malibu, and Ventura County markets. Free on-site assessment within 25 miles. (818) 606-8651.