In short: In Northern Colorado your utility depends on your city. Fort Collins’ city utility charged homes about 13.2¢ per kWh in 2024 with just 11 minutes of outages, and pays rebates of up to $7,500 for solar and batteries. Loveland’s city utility charged 14.4¢; Boulder is served by Xcel Energy at about 15¢.
Below: each utility’s solar credit, rebates and peak hours, wildfire shutoff history, and who issues permits. For statewide rules (net metering law, the plug-in solar law, tax exemptions, electrician licensing), see our Colorado energy guide.
Northern Colorado at a glance
- Fort Collins Utilities: city-owned. About 13.2¢ per kWh for homes in 2024 and only 11 minutes without power per customer, one of the lowest figures in the state (EIA-861, 2024).
- Loveland Water and Power: city-owned. About 14.4¢ per kWh; 81 minutes out with major events, 19 without.
- Xcel Energy (Boulder and other areas): about 15.1¢ per kWh; 352 minutes out with major events, 158 without, across its Colorado system.
- Poudre Valley REA, a co-op in the rural areas around the cities: about 12.2¢ per kWh; 325 minutes out with major events, 74 without.
- Sun: about 4.58 kWh per square meter per day in Fort Collins, Loveland and Boulder (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,340 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Larimer and Boulder counties “very high” for lightning and winter weather, and “relatively high” for wildfire, hail, strong wind and tornadoes.
- Public charging: 914 public charging ports at 373 locations in Boulder (483), Fort Collins (233) and Loveland (198) (AFDC, October 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Fort Collins Utilities has more than 5,000 solar homes. Homes pay time-of-day prices: on weekdays, on-peak runs from 2 to 7 p.m. in May to September and from 5 to 9 p.m. in October to April, and off-peak costs about 70% less. Solar you send to the grid is credited at whichever price is in effect at that moment, so midday exports earn the off-peak price; unused credits roll over month to month.
- Solar rebate: $300 per kW, up to $1,500 (a 5 kW system earns the maximum).
- Battery rebate: $300 per kWh, up to $6,000 (20 kWh of usable capacity earns the maximum), with or without solar. The battery must be set to store solar or work around time-of-day prices.
- Rules: up to $7,500 in total, only through the city’s Participating Solar Contractor Network, with new listed equipment. The city’s Epic Loan can put the cost on your utility bill. See Fort Collins solar and battery storage.
- Plug-in solar: although the state law took effect in August 2026, Fort Collins says plug-in (balcony) solar will not be allowed in the city before January 1, 2027, while it tests compatibility.
Loveland Water and Power has more than 400 solar homes and offers no solar rebate at the moment, though a panel upgrade to 200 amps for solar or a battery may qualify for its electric panel rebate. Its net metering carries extra kWh forward month to month and pays any balance left at the December bill at its buyback rate. See Loveland’s rooftop solar page.
Xcel Energy (Boulder): net metering with a dollar-credit rollover at the energy rate, a 5 to 9 p.m. weekday peak on time of use, the Renewable Battery Connect payment ($250 per kW of battery output, up to $5,000, plus $100 a year) and a charger rebate of up to $500. Our Denver guide explains each one. The City of Boulder adds its own help: a partial rebate of city sales tax on solar and battery systems, and solar grants for affordable housing; see How to Go Solar.
Backup power in Northern Colorado
Boulder County has been in every one of Xcel’s wildfire shutoffs: April 2024 (Colorado’s first, about 55,000 customers), March 2025 (about 12,000) and both December 2025 events (about 50,000 and 69,000), which also reached Larimer and Weld counties. Xcel aims to warn up to 48 hours ahead, and restoring power can take hours to days. Fort Collins and Loveland have their own city grids with short outage times, so there backup is mostly about winter storms and medical needs.
- Foothills homes on Xcel: a home battery or standby generator sized for the furnace, fridge and well pump (if you have one). See generator installation.
- In town: a portable power station covers Wi-Fi, lights and a CPAP through a short outage.
Compare the options in our backup power guide and size them with the battery backup calculator and generator sizing tool. Run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with the exhaust pointed away, and keep carbon monoxide alarms inside (CPSC).
Solar in Northern Colorado
Each kW of panels makes about 1,340 kWh a year by our rough estimate. Used at home, that is worth about $177 a year at Fort Collins’ 2024 average price, $193 at Loveland’s and $201 at Xcel’s. In Fort Collins, exports earn the cheaper off-peak price, so use solar during the day and keep peak-hour use low; the $1,500 rebate offsets part of the cost. In Loveland and on Xcel, exported kWh keep more of their value. These are estimates, not quotes.
Check your roof with the solar potential tool and solar savings calculator, then read how solar installation works, what it costs and how net metering works.
Home batteries in Northern Colorado
Fort Collins makes a strong case for a battery: up to $6,000 back, plus time-of-day prices that let a battery charge cheaply and cover the on-peak hours. In Boulder, Xcel’s Battery Connect pays part of the cost and the battery covers shutoffs. Keep batteries within the maker’s temperature range; unheated garages get very cold. See home batteries, battery costs and battery installation.
EV charging in Northern Colorado
At about 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs roughly $4 per 100 miles at Fort Collins’ 2024 average price, $4.30 in Loveland and $4.50 on Xcel, and less if you charge off-peak (estimates). A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit and a permit, installed by a licensed electrician. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Fort Collins: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Fort Collins: your contractor pulls the building permit; City of Fort Collins Building Services inspects the wiring, Fort Collins Utilities tests the system, then you get a Permission to Operate letter.
- Loveland: the city handles both interconnection and permits; your installer applies, and the utility’s renewables team answers questions (der@cityofloveland.org).
- Boulder: every solar system needs an electrical permit from Planning & Development Services; small roof-mounted systems under 10 kW are usually approved over the counter with a complete application.
- Outside city limits: the county building department. HOAs: get written approval before you sign.
Cities we cover
- Boulder
- Fort Collins
- Loveland
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Northern Colorado energy questions
What solar and battery rebates does Fort Collins offer?
Fort Collins Utilities pays $300 per kW of solar, up to $1,500, and $300 per kWh of battery, up to $6,000, with a $7,500 cap per home. You must use a contractor from the city’s Participating Solar Contractor Network. Check the program page before signing, since amounts can change.
How does Fort Collins credit exported solar?
At the time-of-day price in effect when the power leaves your home. Most exports happen around midday, which is off-peak, so they earn the lower price, while power you buy from 2 to 7 p.m. in summer or 5 to 9 p.m. in winter costs more. A battery or shifting use to midday helps.
Can I use a plug-in balcony solar kit in Fort Collins?
Not yet. Colorado’s plug-in solar law took effect on August 12, 2026, but Fort Collins Utilities says these devices will not be allowed in the city before January 1, 2027 while it reviews compatibility. In other areas, check with your utility first.
Does Loveland pay for extra solar power?
Yes, once a year. Loveland carries surplus kWh forward each month, and any balance left at the December bill is paid out at the city’s self-generation buyback rate. The city has no solar rebate at the moment.
Has Boulder had wildfire power shutoffs?
Yes. Boulder County was named in all four of Xcel’s shutoffs between April 2024 and December 2025. Sign up for Xcel’s alerts, and plan backup for a day or more if you live in or near the foothills.
Sources
EIA-861, 2024 data (price = residential revenue ÷ sales); Fort Collins Utilities solar and battery storage and time-of-day pages; Loveland Water and Power rooftop solar page; City of Boulder How to Go Solar; Xcel Energy Colorado program pages and newsroom releases, April 2024 to December 2025; NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC station data; CPSC. All read October 2026. Estimates are ours and labelled.