In short: Montgomery and Auburn are Alabama Power cities, at about 16.8¢ per kWh for homes in 2024, while co-ops such as Dixie Electric (about 15¢) serve the countryside. The area gets the most sun of central Alabama, about 1,350 kWh per kW of panels, and FEMA rates heat waves, flooding and tornadoes “relatively high” in Montgomery County.
This page covers Montgomery (Montgomery County) and Auburn (Lee County). Statewide rules, licensing and averages are in our Alabama energy guide. Below: which utility you likely have, what its rules mean for backup power, solar, batteries and EVs, and where permits come from in each city.
Montgomery at a glance
- Alabama Power: serves the cities of Montgomery and Auburn. About 16.8¢ per kWh for homes (2024 average); company-wide outages in 2024 of 117 minutes per customer on normal days and 334 minutes with major storms (EIA-861).
- Dixie Electric Cooperative: parts of Montgomery and Lee counties. About 15.05¢ per kWh; 198 minutes on normal days, 332 with major events.
- Central Alabama Electric Cooperative (Elmore and Autauga counties): about 16.6¢; 198 and 296 minutes. Tallapoosa River Electric Cooperative (Lee County): about 14.4¢; 245 and 378 minutes. City of Opelika: about 12.8¢.
- Sun: 4.61 kWh per square meter per day in Montgomery (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020), about 1,350 kWh a year per kW of panels by our rough estimate.
- Top hazards: lightning “very high” in Montgomery County; heat wave, inland flooding, strong wind and tornado “relatively high”. Lee County’s overall risk is “relatively low”, led by lightning (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 101 public ports in Montgomery and 97 in Auburn (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Alabama Power (Montgomery and Auburn). In December 2025 the company said its regulated retail rates are not scheduled to rise through 2027. Its Rate Rider RGB charges homes that run their own generation in parallel with the grid $5.41 per kW of nameplate capacity each month, about $32 a month for a 6 kW solar system by our reading, or offers the Time Advantage rate with 71¢ per kWh on summer weekday afternoons from 3 to 5 p.m. instead. For EV drivers there is a $500 Level 2 home charger rebate, about 1.7¢ off each kWh charged between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., and up to $100 through GridWise+. Confirm current terms on Alabama Power’s program pages.
The co-ops and Opelika. Dixie, Central Alabama, Tallapoosa River and the City of Opelika set their own solar and EV terms; the Alabama Power rider does not apply to them. Central Alabama Electric had 32 home solar systems on net metering in 2024 (EIA-861), so at least one local co-op does connect them. We could not confirm any co-op’s export rate, so ask for it in writing.
Backup power in Montgomery
The co-ops serving the edges of the metro had longer normal-day outages in 2024 (about 3.3 to 4 hours) than Alabama Power’s city customers (about 2 hours). If you live in the countryside around Montgomery or Auburn, plan for longer waits. Montgomery’s particular risk is summer: FEMA rates heat waves “relatively high” in the county, so an outage on a hot afternoon is the one that matters most for older people and anyone with medical needs. Alabama Power’s company-wide storm reports show the scale of big events: more than 107,000 customers affected in the March 2025 tornadoes and 27,000 in Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
- Fridge, fans, Wi-Fi and medical devices: a portable power station or small home battery.
- Air conditioning in a summer outage: a standby generator or a large battery sized for the AC’s starting load.
- Rural homes with a well pump: a generator with a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician.
The CPSC says to run a portable generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with exhaust pointed away, never in a garage, with battery-backed CO alarms on every level. Lightning is the top-rated hazard in both counties, so ask about whole-home surge protection too. See our backup power guide, generator installation and the generator sizing calculator.
Solar in Montgomery
Each kW of panels in Montgomery makes about 1,350 kWh a year by our estimate. Used at home, that is worth about $225 a year at Alabama Power’s 2024 average, before the capacity reservation charge of about $65 per kW a year; at Dixie Electric’s 15.05¢ it is worth about $205, under whatever terms the co-op sets. Exports to Alabama Power earn a much lower rate (reported as its avoided cost; we could not open the current schedule). So size to your daytime use, and ask every installer to include the utility’s monthly charges in the payback.
The federal 25D credit ended for systems completed after 2025. Try the solar potential calculator and solar savings calculator, compare solar costs and read solar installation.
Home batteries in Montgomery
A battery covers the heat-wave and storm outages without fuel and keeps midday solar for the evening instead of exporting it cheaply. We found no utility battery program in the area. Ask Alabama Power or your co-op how a battery is treated before you buy. See battery installation, home battery cost and the battery backup calculator.
EV charging in Montgomery
Montgomery has 101 public ports and Auburn 97, a high count for a college town. At home, at about 30 kWh per 100 miles, charging costs about $5 per 100 miles at Alabama Power’s average price and about $4.50 at Dixie Electric’s; 12,000 miles a year on Alabama Power is about $600 (estimates). Alabama Power’s $500 rebate applies to a new Level 2 charger at a single-family home. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Montgomery: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
In Montgomery, the city’s Inspections Department (25 Washington Avenue) issues electrical permits to contractors holding a current Alabama electrical contractor license, with an online permitting portal. In Auburn, Inspection Services (171 N. Ross Street) requires an electrical permit for a new service or upgrade and for any work that runs new circuits, which typically includes generator transfer switches, EV chargers, batteries and solar. Neither city publishes a solar-specific guide that we found.
Use a contractor licensed by the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board (see the state page), and get the utility’s written interconnection approval before a solar system runs. Check HOA rules first.
Cities we cover
- Montgomery
- Auburn
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Montgomery energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Montgomery or Auburn?
Inside the cities of Montgomery and Auburn it is usually Alabama Power. Around them, Dixie Electric, Central Alabama Electric, Tallapoosa River Electric or the City of Opelika may serve you (EIA-861, 2024). Check your bill: solar and EV terms depend on it.
Are outages longer outside Montgomery?
In 2024, yes. Dixie, Central Alabama and Tallapoosa River co-op members averaged about 198 to 245 minutes without power on normal days, against about 117 minutes for Alabama Power customers company-wide (EIA-861).
Is solar worth it in Montgomery?
Montgomery has good sun, about 1,350 kWh per kW a year by our estimate, but Alabama Power adds a $5.41 per kW monthly charge and buys exports cheaply. Solar works best sized to your own daytime use. Ask for every utility charge in the quote.
Do I need a permit for a generator in Auburn?
A portable generator plugged into appliances does not need wiring. Connecting one to the house through a transfer switch or installing a standby unit means new circuits, so Auburn requires an electrical permit and a licensed electrician.
Sources
U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 for 2024 (sales, reliability, service territories, net metering), read October 3, 2026. Alabama Power: Rate Rider RGB, EV rebate, night charging discount and GridWise+ pages, December 2, 2025 rate announcement and Alabama News Center storm reports, read October 3, 2026. City of Montgomery Inspections and City of Auburn Inspection Services. FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025). NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. AFDC Station Locator, October 3, 2026. CPSC generator safety guidance.