In short: every Cape Cod town is on Eversource’s wires, but the Cape Light Compact runs the local power supply program, energy efficiency offers, battery payments ($275 per kW each summer) and a 2.75% solar loan for year-round homeowners. Barnstable County’s top risk is coastal flooding, rated “very high” by FEMA, followed by hurricanes and lightning.
This page covers what is specific to the Cape. Statewide rules (net metering, SMART 3.0, the state solar tax credit, electrician licensing) are in our Massachusetts energy guide.
Cape Cod at a glance
- Utility: Eversource (NSTAR Electric) in all 15 Cape towns, from Bourne and Falmouth to Provincetown (MassGIS, from DPU data). There are no town-owned utilities on the Cape.
- Price and outages: about 29.9¢ per kWh in 2024 for homes on Eversource’s own supply; 81 outage minutes per customer counting major storms, 66 without. These are Eversource’s Massachusetts-wide figures; EIA does not split out the Cape (EIA-861, 2024).
- Cape Light Compact: run by the 21 towns of Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard and Dukes County, serving about 210,000 customers with power supply, efficiency programs and consumer advocacy (Cape Light Compact).
- Sun: about 3.9 kWh per square meter per day at Hyannis (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,140 kWh a year per kW of panels, a little more than Boston.
- Top hazards: Barnstable County is “very high” for coastal flooding and “relatively high” for hurricanes and lightning. Ice storms rate only “relatively low” here, unlike inland Massachusetts (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 131 ports at 47 locations listed under Barnstable and its village of Hyannis (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
On the Cape, two organizations matter. Eversource owns the poles and wires, restores power after storms and approves solar and battery connections. State net metering rules apply to its customers. Cape Light Compact was created after the 1997 restructuring law so the towns could buy power together and run energy efficiency programs themselves instead of the utility.
- Power supply: the Compact buys supply for customers who don’t choose another supplier, usually at a fixed rate for about six months at a time for homes. You can compare it with other offers on the DPU’s Energy Switch Massachusetts site. When you value solar, use your bill’s total price per kWh.
- Battery payments: Cape and Vineyard homes enroll in ConnectedSolutions through the Compact, not through Eversource (details below).
- Solar loan: the Compact’s Cape & Vineyard Solar Loan (details below).
Backup power on Cape Cod
The Cape’s outage risk comes from the ocean: FEMA’s top ratings here are coastal flooding, hurricanes and lightning, and storms bring wind, falling trees and flooding. Ice storms, the main winter threat inland, rate low here. Plan for a storm that keeps you without power for several days, especially if you have a well pump, a sump pump or medical equipment.
- Short outages or a summer cottage: a portable power station covers phones, lights, Wi-Fi and a CPAP.
- Year-round homes: a standby generator on propane or natural gas, or a home battery paired with solar so it can recharge between storms. Compare them in backup power and size with the generator sizing tool or battery backup calculator.
- Low-lying lots: keep generators, batteries and transfer equipment above expected flood levels.
After a hurricane, people run generators for days, and that is when carbon monoxide accidents happen. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says to run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust away from doors, windows and vents, and never in a garage. Use battery-powered CO alarms, and have a licensed electrician install the transfer switch; see generator installation.
Solar on Cape Cod
By our rough estimate, each kW of panels makes about 1,140 kWh a year here, worth about $342 a year at Eversource’s 2024 average price if it offsets power you would otherwise buy (an estimate, not a promise). Check your roof with the solar potential tool and test quotes in the solar savings calculator. Near the water, ask installers about wind ratings and corrosion-resistant hardware.
Cape & Vineyard Solar Loan: up to $50,000 at 2.75% for 10 years, serviced by Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank and funded by a USDA loan to the Compact. It is for year-round, primary-residence homeowners only; second homes and seasonal residents are not eligible. You need a completed Home Energy Assessment with the recommended weatherization done, and the loan covers panels, inverters and labor only, not roofs or batteries. Funds are limited and first-come, first-served (Cape Light Compact, October 2026). More on the process in solar installation.
Batteries
The Compact’s ConnectedSolutions program pays $275 per kW of your battery’s average discharge during summer peak events: June 1 to September 30, 30 to 60 events of up to three hours between 3 and 8 p.m. The rate is locked for your first five summers. The Compact says it won’t discharge your battery for an event when extreme weather is forecast, so it stays ready for an outage. Some manufacturers keep part of the payment, and Sunrun pays a flat $250 a year instead. The battery must be interconnected with Eversource. As a rough example, a battery averaging 5 kW would earn about $1,375 a season before any manufacturer share (our arithmetic).
The solar loan doesn’t cover batteries, but the Compact points to the Mass Save HEAT Loan for them. See home battery installation and battery cost.
EV charging
Barnstable and Hyannis together list 131 public ports (AFDC, October 2026), useful for visitors and for drivers heading off-Cape. At home, at about 30 kWh per 100 miles and Eversource’s 2024 average price, charging costs roughly $9 per 100 miles (an estimate; the Compact’s supply price may differ). Run your own figures in the EV charging cost calculator. A Level 2 charger needs a licensed electrician and an electrical permit; see EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Barnstable: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Barnstable: the town’s Building Division handles building and electrical permits for all its villages, including Hyannis.
- Other Cape towns: each town’s building department and wiring inspector issue permits.
- Historic districts: some Cape neighborhoods are in local historic districts with their own review. The Compact’s solar loan requires proof of historic approval, so get it before you sign.
- Connection: Eversource must approve solar and batteries before they are switched on; your installer normally files the application.
Cities we cover
- Barnstable
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Cape Cod energy FAQ
What is the Cape Light Compact?
A public energy organization run by the 21 towns of Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard and Dukes County. It buys electricity supply for customers as a group, runs the energy efficiency programs that the utility runs elsewhere, and advocates for consumers. Eversource still delivers the power and handles outages.
Can I get the Cape & Vineyard Solar Loan for a summer home?
No. The Compact says the loan is only for year-round, primary-residence homeowners; part-time and seasonal residents are not eligible. Eligible homeowners can borrow up to $50,000 at 2.75% for 10 years for solar panels and inverters, subject to credit approval and limited funds.
Will ConnectedSolutions drain my battery before a hurricane?
The Compact says it won’t discharge enrolled batteries for a peak event when extreme weather is forecast, so the battery stays ready for an outage. Events run only from June through September, between 3 and 8 p.m. You can also set how much of the battery you’re willing to contribute.
Is a generator or a battery better on the Cape?
For a long post-hurricane outage, a fuel-fed standby generator runs the longest. A battery with solar is quiet and automatic, can recharge on sunny days after the storm, and earns ConnectedSolutions payments in summer. Keep either above flood level, and size it for the must-run loads, such as a well pump.
Sources
Utility price and outages: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024. Utility by town: MassGIS Electricity Providers map (DPU data). Cape Light Compact About, Power Supply, Enroll My Battery and Cape & Vineyard Solar Loan pages, read October 3, 2026. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Charging: Alternative Fuels Data Center, October 3, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC.