In short: NIPSCO serves Crown Point, Valparaiso and most of Lake and Porter counties. Its homes paid about 19.1¢ per kWh in 2024, the highest of Indiana’s big utilities, and lost about 9 hours of power each (EIA). Then the August 11, 2026 derecho cut power to about 317,000 customers at its peak; some went 10 to 14 days without it.
This page covers backup power, solar, batteries and EV charging in Northwest Indiana. Indiana’s export rules, the solar property tax deduction and state prices are in our Indiana energy guide.
Northwest Indiana at a glance
- NIPSCO (Northern Indiana Public Service Co): about 19.09¢ per kWh for homes on average in 2024; 534 minutes of outages per customer counting major storms, 169 without them (EIA-861, 2024). That was before the 2026 derecho.
- Rural edges: Kankakee Valley REMC, a co-op in parts of Lake and Porter counties, averaged 15.2¢ and 679 outage minutes (332 without major storms) in 2024 (EIA-861).
- Sun: about 3.8 kWh per square meter per day at Crown Point (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,120 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: Lake County is “very high” for tornadoes and cold waves and “relatively high” for strong wind, lightning, flooding and winter weather. Porter County is “relatively high” for tornadoes, strong wind and cold waves (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 49 ports at 16 locations in Valparaiso (AFDC, October 3, 2026). Crown Point’s stations are mostly listed under nearby towns, so we don’t quote a count.
Your utility and what it means
Your utility is set by your address; Indiana homes don’t shop for a supplier. Almost everyone in Crown Point and Valparaiso is on NIPSCO; some rural homes are on a co-op, so check your bill.
- Solar exports: NIPSCO is one of the Indiana utilities that replaced net metering with excess distributed generation credits: what you send to the grid is measured as it flows out and credited at 1.25 times NIPSCO’s average wholesale energy cost from the year before, well below the 19¢ retail price. NIPSCO publishes the rate on its excess distributed generation page; its site didn’t load for us in October 2026, so check the current rate there.
- Why the high price matters: at about 19¢, every kWh you make and use yourself is worth more here than anywhere else in Indiana’s big utility areas. That tilts the math toward solar sized for daytime use and toward batteries.
- Other programs: we couldn’t confirm a current NIPSCO battery or EV charger program; ask NIPSCO before you buy.
Backup power in Northwest Indiana
The August 11, 2026 derecho, which the region’s planners call “Storm Lucy,” brought straight-line winds from 70 to more than 100 mph, several tornadoes and flash flooding. About 243,000 NIPSCO customers lost power that day and about 317,000 at the peak. More than 4,000 workers from 14 states helped restore service; NIPSCO reached 99% on August 25 (Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, September 2026).
Residents described what a two-week outage means: spoiled food and medicine, basements flooded when sump pumps stopped, and dangerous heat. Gary, Portage, Munster, Lake Station and Hobart were hit hardest, and the governor called for investigations into the utility’s preparation and tree trimming. For homes here, the lesson is to plan backup for days, not hours:
- Sump pump first: a battery backup on the sump pump, or a generator circuit that includes it, protects a basement in a storm that brings both rain and outages.
- Multi-day runtime: a natural gas standby generator doesn’t need refueling; a portable generator on a transfer switch costs less but needs fuel stored safely.
- Batteries: a home battery covers essentials for about a day, longer with solar recharging it. A portable power station keeps phones, Wi-Fi and medical devices going.
Compare options in backup power options, and size them with the generator sizing tool and battery backup calculator. Safety: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says to run generators outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from openings, never in a garage, with battery-backed carbon monoxide alarms inside. Connections to house wiring need a licensed electrician and a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Northwest Indiana
By our rough estimate, a 6 kW system near Crown Point makes about 6,700 kWh a year on a flat surface; a south-facing, unshaded roof usually does better. Used at home as it’s made, that power would be worth up to about $1,280 a year at NIPSCO’s 2024 average. Exports earn far less, so a system sized to what you use during the day, with big loads moved to sunny hours, pays back fastest. These are estimates, not promises.
Lake County’s tornado and wind ratings also matter for the roof: ask installers about racking rated for local wind loads and check that your homeowner’s policy covers the panels. Model your roof with the solar potential tool, test quotes in the solar savings calculator, and read solar installation and how export credits work.
Batteries in Northwest Indiana
Of the Indiana metros we cover, Northwest Indiana makes the strongest case for a battery: the highest big-utility price to shift solar into the evening, and a 2026 outage that lasted up to two weeks. A battery alone won’t carry a home through 14 days, so pair it with solar or a generator if long outages are your worry. We found no confirmed NIPSCO or state battery rebate. See home battery installation and home battery cost.
EV charging in Northwest Indiana
Valparaiso has 49 public ports. At NIPSCO’s 2024 average and about 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs roughly $5.70 per 100 miles by our estimate. A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit from a licensed electrician and an electrical permit; see EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Crown Point: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Crown Point: the city’s Building Department handles building permits; ask it which electrician licenses it accepts.
- Valparaiso: start at the city’s permits page.
- Unincorporated Lake or Porter County: ask your county building office.
- Utility approval and HOAs: NIPSCO must approve the interconnection before solar or a grid-tied battery is switched on. Get written HOA approval before you sign. Electricians are licensed locally in Indiana, so check your installer’s license with the city.
The two city websites didn’t load for us in October 2026, so we’ve linked the pages without describing them.
Cities we cover
- Crown Point
- Valparaiso
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Northwest Indiana energy FAQ
How long were NIPSCO outages after the August 2026 derecho?
About 317,000 NIPSCO customers were out at the peak. NIPSCO restored 99% by August 25 and called restoration substantially complete on August 26, two weeks after the storm. Residents reported going 10 to 14 days without power (Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission summary, September 17, 2026).
Why is electricity more expensive on NIPSCO?
We report what EIA’s data shows, not the reasons: NIPSCO homes averaged about 19.1¢ per kWh in 2024, against 12.8¢ to 17.5¢ for Indiana’s other large utilities. For you, it means each kWh you avoid buying, through solar, efficiency or shifting use, is worth more here.
Does NIPSCO still offer net metering?
Not for new systems. Like Indiana’s other investor-owned utilities, NIPSCO credits new solar exports under excess distributed generation rules, at a rate tied to wholesale costs and reset yearly. Customers who joined net metering earlier keep it until 2032 or 2047. Check NIPSCO’s excess distributed generation page for the current rate.
What backup protects a basement in a storm outage?
A sump pump with its own battery backup is the cheapest step. For longer outages, put the sump pump on a generator transfer switch or a home battery circuit, installed by a licensed electrician with a permit. In 2026, flooded basements from stopped sump pumps were one of the most common problems residents reported.
Sources
Utilities, prices, outages: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024; HIFLD service territory map. Derecho: Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, “August 11, 2026, Derecho (‘Storm Lucy’) and Restoration Effort in Northwest Indiana,” September 17, 2026, 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.