In short: Connecticut electricity is expensive, averaging about 28¢ per kWh from January to July 2026, while outages are short: about 2.6 hours per customer in 2024. That makes saving on the bill the main reason for solar here, and the state pays well for batteries through Energy Storage Solutions. Plug-in solar became legal on October 1, 2026.
Connecticut has more state programs than most, and they change often. This guide pulls together the state’s numbers and confirmed programs and explains what they mean for solar, batteries, backup power and EV charging. Every figure has its source and date.
Connecticut at a glance
- Home electricity price: 24.16¢/kWh in July 2026 (EIA, preliminary), down from 27.6¢ in July 2025; but 27.97¢ on average for January to July 2026. U.S. average: 18.31¢ (EIA, July 2026).
- Outages in 2024: 154 minutes per customer including major events, 73 minutes without them; under one interruption per customer per year (EIA-861, 2024).
- Sun: about 3.9 kWh per square meter per day in Bridgeport (NASA POWER, 2001–2020), roughly 1,130 kWh per kW of panels per year by our rough estimate.
- Net metering: classic net metering closed at the end of 2021; new solar uses the 20-year Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (RRES) tariff, open to new enrollees through 2027.
- Plug-in (balcony) solar law: in force since October 1, 2026 (Public Act 26-127), up to 1,200 watts.
- Electric vehicles: 48,800 battery-electric and 26,400 plug-in hybrid cars through 2025; 4,940 public charging ports at 1,630 locations, 761 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 2026).
- Main utilities: Connecticut Light & Power, which operates as Eversource (about 76% of customers), and United Illuminating (20%); Wallingford and Norwich run municipal utilities (EIA-861, 2024).
- Top weather hazards: hurricane, winter weather and ice storm all rated relatively moderate; wildfire very low (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Planned wildfire shutoffs (PSPS): no program found for Eversource or UI.
Backup power in Connecticut
Connecticut’s grid is among the more reliable ones: 73 minutes of outage on normal days in 2024, and 154 minutes when major events are counted. Most homes will rarely need more than a few hours of backup. The exceptions are the storms FEMA flags: hurricanes, winter storms and ice storms, all rated relatively moderate. When one of those brings trees down onto lines, outages can last days, and that is the scenario worth planning for.
- Best fit for most homes: a home battery, because Connecticut pays you to install one (see below), and it covers the short outages that are typical here.
- For multi-day storm outages: a generator, especially for homes with a well pump, sump pump or oil or gas boiler that needs power to run.
- Simple and portable: a portable power station for phones, internet, lights and medical devices.
Generator safety (CPSC): outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust pointed away from windows, doors and vents, never in a garage or basement, and battery-powered CO alarms on every level. In a snowstorm, keep the generator and its exhaust clear. House connections need a transfer switch or interlock installed by a licensed electrician (E-1 or E-2 in Connecticut). Size it with the generator sizing calculator or the battery backup calculator.
Solar in Connecticut
Connecticut’s sun is modest, about 1,130 kWh per kW of panels per year by our rough estimate, but its power prices are among the highest in the country. The monthly figure dipped to 24.16¢ in July 2026, while the January to July average was 27.97¢. At those prices each kW of panels offsets roughly $273 to $316 of power a year, and a 6 kW system making about 6,780 kWh is worth roughly $1,640 to $1,900 a year at retail. Those are estimates, not promises: shade from trees can cut output sharply, so get a site assessment.
New systems up to 25 kW enroll in Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (RRES), a 20-year tariff with Eversource or UI. You choose Netting (your solar offsets your bill, with credits for exports) or Buy-All (the utility buys all your output at a fixed rate and you keep paying your normal bill). RRES is open to new enrollees through 2027. One change matters for 2026: new enrollees pay a higher non-bypassable charge, reported at about 3.25¢ per kWh versus 0.5¢ before, so check the current figures on the program page. EIA counted 103,824 net-metered home solar systems in Connecticut in 2024, about 800 MW. Run the solar potential calculator, compare solar costs and read how net metering and its successors work.
Plug-in solar: under Public Act 26-127, Section 9, effective October 1, 2026, you can plug a solar device of up to 1,200 watts into a standard 120-volt outlet without an interconnection application, as long as it is certified to UL 1741 or by a recognized testing lab. One catch: without a net meter, power the device sends back to the grid may be billed to you as usage, so size it to what your home uses during the day.
Tax breaks we could confirm (check the program pages; rules change): solar systems are exempt from Connecticut’s 6.35% sales and use tax with Form CERT-140, and residential solar on one- to four-unit homes installed after October 1, 2007 is exempt from property tax. The federal 25D credit ended for systems completed after December 31, 2025. More in our solar guide and incentives page.
Home batteries in Connecticut
Connecticut has one of the stronger state battery programs. Energy Storage Solutions, run by the Connecticut Green Bank and the utilities, changed on April 1, 2026: it now pays an upfront incentive of $30 per kWh ($130 per kWh in grid-edge locations), plus 10 years of performance payments of $300 to $550 per kW per year for letting the utility draw on the battery during peak demand. The program runs through 2030. Amounts change, so check the program page before you sign.
Uptake so far is small: 677 net-metered solar homes reported a paired battery in 2024. Keep in mind that a battery enrolled in a utility program is partly discharged during peak events, so ask how much reserve stays available for backup. See our home battery guide and home battery costs.
EV charging in Connecticut
Connecticut had 48,800 battery-electric cars through 2025 and 4,940 public charging ports, about 10 cars per port, a dense public network for the number of EVs. At home, using about 30 kWh per 100 miles (a typical rating of the kind fueleconomy.gov shows), 100 miles cost about $7.25 at July’s 24.16¢, or closer to $8.40 at the year-to-date average. For 12,000 miles a year, that is roughly $870 to $1,010 (estimates). Winter cold raises consumption.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Connecticut: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit from a licensed electrician, with a local permit. The federal 30D credit ended September 30, 2025, and the 30C charger credit ended for chargers placed in service after June 30, 2026. Ask Eversource or UI about any current charger or EV rate program. See our EV charging guide and the EV charging cost calculator.
Off-grid, small wind and micro-hydro
Fully off-grid homes are rare in a state this connected, but sheds, barns and seasonal cabins can run on small solar-and-battery systems; see off-grid power. Small wind is weak inland: NASA POWER puts the 50-meter average near the center of the state at about 4.7 m/s, and turbines sit lower among trees. Near the coast the grid point for Bridgeport averages about 5.9 m/s, so an open shoreline site could be worth measuring (wind energy). Micro-hydro needs a year-round stream and state permits; we have no state data, but our hydropower page covers how it works.
Licensing and permits in Connecticut
Connecticut licenses solar specifically. The Department of Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing Division, issues E-1 and E-2 electrical licenses and PV-1 and PV-2 solar photovoltaic licenses. Check any contractor with the state eLicense lookup. Building and electrical permits come from your town’s building department, and Eversource or UI must approve interconnection for rooftop solar and batteries. Plug-in devices that meet the new law are exempt from interconnection, and towns cannot require permits for them.
Local guides in Connecticut
Utilities, rates, outage records, permit offices and local programs for each area:
Where we cover in Connecticut
- Hartford: Hartford, West Hartford, Manchester, Glastonbury
- New Haven: New Haven, Milford
- Fairfield County: Stamford, Norwalk, Fairfield, Danbury, Greenwich
Local pages for these areas will follow as we verify local information and installers.
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Connecticut energy FAQs
Does Connecticut still have net metering?
Not the classic version, which closed at the end of 2021. New home solar enrolls in RRES, a 20-year tariff with a Netting or a Buy-All option, open through 2027. New 2026 enrollees pay a higher non-bypassable charge, reported at about 3.25¢ per kWh, so check the current terms on the program page.
How much does Connecticut pay for home batteries?
Under Energy Storage Solutions, since April 1, 2026, an upfront $30 per kWh ($130 per kWh in grid-edge areas) plus 10 years of performance payments of $300 to $550 per kW per year for sharing the battery at peak times. The program runs through 2030. Amounts change; confirm on the program page.
Is plug-in balcony solar legal in Connecticut?
Yes, since October 1, 2026. Devices up to 1,200 watts that plug into a standard outlet and are UL 1741 or lab-certified are exempt from interconnection. Without a net meter, any power sent back to the grid may be billed to you as usage, so match the device to your daytime use.
Why did Connecticut’s electricity price drop in July 2026?
EIA reports 24.16¢ for July 2026, below July 2025’s 27.6¢, but the January to July 2026 average was 27.97¢. Monthly figures can swing with supply charges and rate changes, and 2026 values are preliminary, so use your own bill, or the year-to-date average, when you estimate solar savings.
What license does a solar installer need in Connecticut?
A PV-1 or PV-2 solar license, or an E-1 or E-2 electrical license, from the Department of Consumer Protection. You can check any license with the state’s eLicense lookup. Permits come from your town building department.
Sources
Electricity prices: EIA Electric Power Monthly, July 2026 and January–July 2026 (preliminary). Outages, utilities and net-metered solar: EIA-861, 2024. Weather hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Sun and wind: NASA POWER, 2001–2020 averages. EV registrations and charging ports: Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC), 2025 registrations and station counts read October 3, 2026. RRES: Energize CT. Energy Storage Solutions: Connecticut Green Bank. Plug-in solar: Connecticut General Assembly, Public Act 26-127. Tax exemptions: Connecticut Department of Revenue Services and Office of Legislative Research. Programs checked October 3, 2026. Licensing: Department of Consumer Protection. Generator safety: CPSC.