In short: Huntsville and Madison buy TVA power through Huntsville Utilities, at about 11.5¢ per kWh for homes in 2024, among the lowest prices in Alabama, with about two hours of outages per customer. There is no net metering: Huntsville Utilities pays about 6.4¢ per kWh for exported solar in 2026. Ice storms, tornadoes and lightning are the main risks.
This page covers Huntsville and Madison in Madison County. Statewide rules, licensing and averages are in our Alabama energy guide. Huntsville is different from most of Alabama: its city-owned utility buys power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) instead of Alabama Power, so its prices, solar rules and programs are its own.
Huntsville at a glance
- Huntsville Utilities: the city-owned utility serving Huntsville and Madison, with 234,968 electric customers as of September 1, 2026. About 11.45¢ per kWh for homes (2024 average). Outages in 2024: about 120 minutes per customer and about one interruption (EIA-861; the utility reported the same figure with and without major events).
- Athens Utilities: serves Limestone County, where part of Madison lies (about 12.2¢ per kWh in 2024).
- Sun: 4.43 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020), about 1,295 kWh a year per kW of panels by our rough estimate.
- Top hazards: lightning rated “very high” in Madison County; cold wave, ice storm, winter weather, tornado, strong wind and inland flooding “relatively high”; overall risk “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 122 public ports at 48 locations in Huntsville and 39 in Madison (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Huntsville Utilities and Solar Connect. The utility states plainly that it does not offer net metering or net billing. Instead, its Solar Connect program buys the excess power a home system sends to the grid, with credits based on the TVA wholesale rate: $0.064270 per kWh for 2026. The rules on its program page:
- A $100 application fee, billed to your account; systems up to 50 kW; the program has a participation cap, so the utility encourages early applications.
- No extra insurance up to 10 kW; above 10 kW, at least $1,000,000 of general liability coverage.
- Design and installation must meet NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) requirements; the utility reviews the one-line diagram first.
- The solar disconnect and a rapid-shutdown control must be grouped with the main disconnect at the meter, and the system cannot run until the utility approves it in writing and the local inspector passes it.
- Batteries are “potentially allowed” but need to meet additional requirements.
The utility also mentions TVA’s Dispersed Power Production program as another route, and notes that a system not enrolled in either one is not paid for its exports. Huntsville Utilities’ Energy Services team offers home energy inspections and TVA EnergyRight smart thermostat rewards. We found no Huntsville Utilities EV rate or charger rebate; ask the utility before you buy a charger.
Backup power in Huntsville
Huntsville’s outage record is good: about two hours per customer in 2024, and the utility reported a 2023 average of 65 minutes against a national 148. The weather risk is winter as much as spring. FEMA rates ice storms, cold waves and winter weather “relatively high” for Madison County, and Huntsville Utilities posted winter storm alerts in January 2025 and January 2026 warning of ice and dangerous cold. An ice-storm outage in a cold snap is the one to plan for.
- Short outages: a portable power station or small battery for lights, Wi-Fi, phones and medical devices.
- Heat in a winter outage: a gas furnace needs electricity for its blower, so a generator or a home battery sized for the furnace fan and fridge is the core plan; a heat pump needs a much larger system.
- Several days after an ice storm: a standby or portable generator with a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician.
The CPSC says to run portable generators outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with exhaust pointed away, never in a garage, and to keep battery-backed CO alarms on every level. Read our backup power guide and generator installation, and size it with the generator sizing calculator.
Solar in Huntsville
Each kW of panels in Huntsville makes about 1,295 kWh a year by our estimate. Used at home, that is worth about $148 a year at Huntsville Utilities’ 11.45¢; sent to the grid through Solar Connect at 6.43¢, about $83. Low prices make solar slower to pay back here than in Alabama Power territory, so the strongest case is a system sized to your own daytime use, or solar bought mainly for resilience with a battery. These are estimates, not promises.
The federal 25D credit ended for systems completed after 2025. Run the solar potential calculator, compare solar costs and read solar installation and net metering and net billing.
Home batteries in Huntsville
With exports paid at about 6.4¢ and power bought at about 11.5¢, a battery that stores midday solar for the evening saves about 5¢ per kWh shifted. That alone rarely pays for a battery, so in Huntsville a battery is mainly a backup purchase for ice storms and tornado warnings. Huntsville Utilities allows batteries with additional requirements; ask for them before you order. See battery installation, home battery cost and the battery backup calculator.
EV charging in Huntsville
Huntsville has 122 public charging ports and Madison 39. Home charging is cheap: at about 30 kWh per 100 miles and 11.45¢, about $3.45 per 100 miles, or about $410 for 12,000 miles a year (estimates). A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit, a permit and a licensed electrician. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Huntsville: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
In Huntsville, permits come from the city’s Inspection Office on the first floor of City Hall, 305 Fountain Circle. The City of Madison Building Department (100 Hughes Road) lists solar PV among the work that needs a permit and asks for the interconnection agreement, engineered documents and a single-line drawing for solar arrays. Homes outside city limits go to Madison County’s building and fire inspection office. Solar Connect also requires the local inspector’s final approval before the system runs.
Hire a contractor licensed by the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board (see the state page), and for solar ask for NABCEP credentials, since Huntsville Utilities requires NABCEP-standard work. Check HOA covenants first.
Cities we cover
- Huntsville
- Madison
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Huntsville energy FAQ
Does Huntsville Utilities offer net metering?
No. Huntsville Utilities says it does not do net metering or net billing. Its Solar Connect program buys excess solar at a rate based on TVA wholesale power, $0.064270 per kWh in 2026, with a $100 application fee and a 50 kW limit.
Why is electricity cheaper in Huntsville than in Birmingham?
Huntsville Utilities is a city-owned utility that buys power from TVA, while Birmingham is served by Alabama Power. In 2024 Huntsville homes paid about 11.45¢ per kWh on average, against about 16.77¢ for Alabama Power customers (EIA-861).
What is the main outage risk in Huntsville?
Winter. FEMA rates ice storms, cold waves and winter weather “relatively high” in Madison County, alongside tornadoes and lightning. Normal outages are short, about two hours per customer in 2024, but an ice storm can bring down lines for longer.
Do I need a NABCEP-certified installer in Huntsville?
Huntsville Utilities’ Solar Connect requires design and installation to meet NABCEP requirements, and the work also needs an Alabama-licensed electrical contractor and a city permit. Ask installers for both before you compare quotes.
Sources
U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 for 2024 (sales, reliability, service territories), read October 3, 2026. Huntsville Utilities: Solar Connect program page, Energy Services, Key Facts and Figures, and news posts (August 2024, January 2025, January 2026), read October 3, 2026. City of Huntsville Inspection Office and City of Madison Building Department. FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025). NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. AFDC Station Locator, October 3, 2026. CPSC generator safety guidance.