Nashville Energy Guide: Solar, Batteries, Backup Power and EV

In short: Winter Storm Fern knocked out power to 231,749 Nashville Electric Service customers in January 2026, about half the system, and full restoration took 12 days. NES power costs about 13.5¢ per kWh and exported solar earns only about 3¢, so in the Nashville area backup comes first and solar should be sized to what you use.

This page covers Nashville and the nearby cities of Franklin, Brentwood, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville and Gallatin, in Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford and Sumner counties. Statewide rules, licensing and averages are on our Tennessee energy guide. Here we cover the local power companies, what Fern showed, and how their rules change each decision.

Nashville at a glance

• Nashville Electric Service (NES): the only utility EIA lists in Davidson County, and it also serves parts of Williamson, Rutherford and Sumner. About 13.5¢ per kWh for homes (2024 average). On normal days in 2024, outages averaged 87 minutes per customer; NES’s total including major storms was not usable in the federal data.
• Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE): the member co-op listed in Williamson and Rutherford counties, where it serves large parts. About 11.8¢ per kWh, and only 49 minutes of outages per member in 2024, storms included.
• Sumner County: Cumberland EMC (about 13¢; 220 minutes with storms), the City of Gallatin’s utility (about 11.8¢; 164 minutes) and Tri-County EMC (about 12.3¢; 390 minutes) serve parts of the county beside NES.
• Sun: 4.23 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER), about 1,235 kWh a year per kW of panels by our rough estimate.
• Top hazards: tornadoes, strong wind, cold waves and inland flooding rated “relatively high” in Davidson County; winter weather “very high” in Rutherford County; ice storms “relatively high” in Sumner and Williamson (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
• Public charging: 899 public ports in Nashville, 90 in Brentwood, 80 in Franklin, 71 in Murfreesboro, 21 in Gallatin and 11 in Hendersonville (AFDC, October 3, 2026).

Your utility and what it means

Every utility here resells Tennessee Valley Authority power, so there is no net metering. What changes from one company to the next is who buys your extra solar output and how.

NES. Under NESolar Savings, NES itself buys the solar power your home sends to the grid and credits it on your bill. Its October 2024 guidelines pay about 3.1¢ per kWh in summer and 3.2¢ in winter and spring or fall, plus TVA’s monthly fuel cost. There are catches: your system must export at least 50 kWh a month on average, it cannot exceed 250 kW, sales to NES cannot exceed your yearly use, and the whole program is capped at 10 MW, first come, first served. Contracts run five years and renew. NES charges a flat rate per kWh for home EV charging, with no special EV plan.

Middle Tennessee Electric. MTE requires an approved interconnection application and agreement before construction starts. Extra output can be sold to TVA under TVA’s Dispersed Power Production program, and MTE notes that the TVA contract can take two to three months, so start it early. Ask MTE for the current price.

Cumberland EMC, Gallatin, Tri-County and Duck River. Each sets its own interconnection steps, fees and EV terms. We could not confirm them, so ask before you sign a contract.

Backup power in Nashville

Fern was the largest outage in NES history: ice brought trees and limbs down onto lines across the city, around 800 poles broke, and some homes waited 12 days. For comparison, the March 2020 derecho caused 130,000 outages. NES says most of the damage traced back to trees, and it has since widened its trimming to 15 feet around poles and lines with no overhanging limbs.

So plan for two kinds of outage: short spring thunderstorm cuts, and a rare ice storm that lasts a week or more, in freezing weather.

• Hours: a portable power station or a home battery keeps Wi-Fi, lights, a fridge and medical devices going.
• A week in winter: a natural gas or propane standby generator is the practical answer. Many furnaces need power for the blower even when they burn gas, so size for the furnace too.
• Budget: a portable generator with an interlock or transfer switch fitted by a licensed electrician.

NES also reminds homeowners that if a storm damages the weatherhead, mast or meter base on your house, its crews cannot reconnect you until a licensed electrician repairs it. The CPSC says portable generators belong outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with exhaust pointed away, never in a garage, with battery-backed CO alarms inside. Size your system with the generator sizing tool and read our backup power guide and generator installation.

Solar in Nashville

By our estimate, each kW of panels in Nashville makes about 1,235 kWh a year. Used in your own home, that is worth about $166 a year at NES’s 13.5¢, or about $145 at MTE’s 11.8¢. Sold to NES at about 3.1¢, the same kWh are worth only about $38 to $40 plus the fuel-cost add-on. So size the array to your daytime use, or add a battery to store the midday surplus. The NES minimum export of 50 kWh a month also means a small system that you use entirely may not qualify for NESolar Savings at all; ask your installer to check.

The federal 25D credit ended for systems completed after 2025. Check your roof with the solar potential calculator, compare solar costs, see how buyback rules work, and read solar installation.

Home batteries in Nashville

NESolar Savings accepts solar with battery storage. Here, a battery’s best job is keeping your own solar power at home instead of selling it for about 3¢ and buying it back at 13.5¢, plus covering the frequent short outages. For a 12-day ice storm, a battery alone will not last; pair it with solar or a generator. See battery installation, home battery cost and the battery backup calculator.

EV charging in Nashville

Nashville has 899 public charging ports, far more than any other Tennessee city we cover. At home, at about 30 kWh per 100 miles, NES’s average price works out to about $4.04 per 100 miles, or $485 for 12,000 miles a year; at MTE’s average it is about $3.53 and $423 (our estimates). NES notes that a Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit and often panel work, which means a licensed electrician and a permit. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.

Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Nashville: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Permits and inspections

• Nashville and Davidson County: the Metro Codes and Building Safety Department issues permits through ePermits. Its solar permit page says only contractors licensed with the state and registered with Metro Codes may apply; home systems need proof the roof can carry the load and a scaled roof plan with setbacks and walking paths. Permits start at $75, and Metro aims to review home applications within 30 days, often within a week. NES approval is separate.
• Franklin, Brentwood, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville and Gallatin: permits come from your city or county building department.

Your installer should hold the right Tennessee license (lookup on the state page), pull the permits and file your utility’s paperwork. In Williamson and Rutherford county subdivisions, check HOA rules on panels and generator placement first.

Cities we cover

• Nashville
• Franklin
• Brentwood
• Murfreesboro
• Hendersonville
• Gallatin

Get help in Nashville

Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Nashville area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. See how it works.

Nashville energy FAQ

How bad was Winter Storm Fern for Nashville’s power?

The worst in NES history. The ice storm hit in late January 2026, cut power to 231,749 customers, about half of NES, broke around 800 poles and took 12 days to fully restore. NES has since tightened tree trimming to 15 feet around its lines.

Does NES pay for extra solar power?

Yes, through NESolar Savings, as a bill credit of about 3.1 to 3.2¢ per kWh plus TVA’s monthly fuel cost, under its October 2024 guidelines. You need at least 50 kWh of average monthly export, and the program has a 10 MW cap. There is no net metering.

Which utility serves my home near Nashville?

All of Davidson County is NES. In Williamson and Rutherford counties, Middle Tennessee Electric serves large parts, with NES and Duck River EMC also listed. Sumner County splits among NES, Cumberland EMC, Gallatin’s city utility and Tri-County EMC. Your bill tells you which one.

Who can pull a solar permit in Nashville?

Only a contractor licensed and bonded with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance and registered with Metro Codes. Homeowners cannot pull the photovoltaic permit themselves. Permits start at $75 and need a roof plan and structural check.

Sources

U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 for 2024 (sales, reliability, service territories), read October 3, 2026. Nashville Electric Service: Winter Storm Fern after-action report to the NES board (June 2026) and storm Q&A, NESolar program page, NESolar guidelines (October 2024) and power purchase agreement, EV page. Middle Tennessee Electric solar FAQ. Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety solar permit page. FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025). NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. AFDC Station Locator, October 3, 2026. CPSC generator safety guidance.