In short: LG&E, Louisville’s utility, charged homes about 12.3¢ per kWh in 2024 and logged 434 outage minutes per customer, but only 83 on normal days. Most of the lost time came from storms such as Hurricane Helene’s remnants. Since February 2026 LG&E has credited exported solar at about 7.1¢. Plan for storm backup first, then size solar to your own use.
This page covers Louisville, Jeffersontown and the rest of Jefferson County. Statewide rules, licensing and averages are on our Kentucky energy guide. Here we look at LG&E’s own rates, export credit and programs, Louisville Metro’s permit rules and the county’s storm risks.
Louisville at a glance
- LG&E (Louisville Gas and Electric): serves Louisville and Jeffersontown. About 12.3¢ per kWh for homes (2024 average). Outages in 2024: 434 minutes per customer counting major storms, 83 on normal days, 1.3 interruptions (EIA-861).
- Co-ops at the county’s edges: Salt River Electric (about 10.9¢; 358 outage minutes) and Shelby Energy (about 13.2¢; 528 minutes) also serve parts of Jefferson County.
- Solar export credit: 7.089¢ per kWh exported under LG&E’s NMS-2 rider (tariff effective February 16, 2026).
- Sun: 4.05 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER), about 1,183 kWh a year per kW of panels by our rough estimate.
- Top hazards: tornado risk rated “very high” in Jefferson County; cold waves, heat waves, ice storms, lightning, inland flooding, strong wind and winter weather “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 265 public ports at 94 locations in Louisville (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
LG&E. New solar customers go on LG&E’s NMS-2 rider. You use your own solar power first; every kWh that flows out to the grid earns a dollar bill credit, currently 7.089¢, while the power you buy is billed at the normal rate. Since September 1, 2026 the standard residential rate is 11.499¢ per kWh plus $0.48 a day, before fuel and other adjustments, so a kWh you keep is worth well over a kWh you export. Credits only offset energy charges, carry forward month to month, and are never paid out in cash. LG&E says nearly all net metering applications have no review fee; it installs the net meter and gives permission to operate after your local inspection. Systems are capped at 45 kW.
Two details worth knowing. If you joined net metering before September 24, 2021 (the older NMS-1 kWh credits), adding panels moves you to NMS-2, but LG&E says adding a battery does not count as a capacity change. And LG&E runs Solar Share, a community solar subscription for homes without a good roof, priced from under 20 cents a day.
Salt River Electric and Shelby Energy. These co-ops set their own net metering credits and fees. We could not confirm them, so ask your co-op before you sign.
Backup power in Louisville
LG&E’s normal-day record is good: 83 minutes in 2024. The other 351 minutes, about 81% of the year’s total, came on major event days. On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene’s remnants knocked out power to more than 205,000 LG&E and KU customers, the companies’ fourth-largest event in 20 years, and Louisville was among the hardest-hit areas. Add Jefferson County’s very high tornado rating and its ice storm and flood risks, and a Louisville backup plan should cover at least a day, not just an hour.
- Phones, internet, a fridge and lights: a portable power station with a solar panel to recharge.
- Sump pump, furnace fan or medical equipment: a home battery or a portable generator through a transfer switch.
- Hands-off, multi-day backup: a natural gas standby generator; many Louisville homes already have LG&E gas service.
CPSC safety rules: run a portable generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with exhaust pointed away, never in a garage, and keep battery-backed CO alarms inside. If floodwater reached your wiring, Louisville Metro asks you to call its electrical inspection line at (502) 574-3321 before power is restored. Size your setup with the generator sizing tool or battery backup calculator, and read our backup power guide and generator installation.
Solar in Louisville
Each kW of panels in Louisville makes about 1,183 kWh a year by our estimate. Used at home at LG&E’s 2024 average of 12.3¢, that is worth about $145 a year; exported at 7.089¢, about $84. So the value of a Louisville system depends mostly on how much you use as it’s made. Size to your daytime load, run laundry and the dishwasher in the sun, and treat exports as a bonus. Those figures are estimates, not quotes.
The federal 25D credit ended for systems completed after 2025, and we didn’t confirm a local solar rebate. Check your roof in the solar potential calculator, compare solar costs and net metering rules, and read solar installation.
Home batteries in Louisville
Because LG&E pays less for exports than it charges for power, a battery lets a solar home store the midday surplus and use it after dark instead of selling it cheap. Its bigger job here is storm backup. If you are an older NMS-1 customer, LG&E’s rule that a battery doesn’t count as added capacity means you can add storage without losing your kWh credits; confirm with LG&E’s net metering group before you buy. See battery installation and home battery cost.
EV charging in Louisville
Louisville has 265 public charging ports. At home, using about 30 kWh per 100 miles, LG&E’s 2024 average works out to about $3.68 per 100 miles, or $442 for 12,000 miles a year (our estimate). LG&E’s optional time-of-day rate charges 9.312¢ off-peak, which includes nights and weekends, against 19.307¢ on-peak, but it is limited to 500 customers on a first-come basis. LG&E also runs an Optimized EV Charging Program that pays a $25 sign-up bonus for letting it shift your charging time. Ask LG&E whether your service needs an upgrade before you add a Level 2 charger. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Louisville: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Louisville Metro Construction Review: its electrical permit page says a permit is needed before any electrical work. A homeowner who lives in the house full-time for at least the next year may pull their own; otherwise a licensed electrician must. Starting work without a permit brings a $1,000 fine, then $2,000 for each repeat. Inspections are usually rough-in and final.
- Code: permits pulled since January 1, 2025 follow the 2023 National Electrical Code, and from July 15, 2026 Metro enforces its surge-protection rule for home electrical services (code update). Ask your electrician whether a service upgrade for an EV charger or battery triggers it.
- Solar: Construction Review has a solar panels page pointing to Louisville Metro’s sustainability office for permitting and zoning guidance.
- Jeffersontown and other small cities: check with your city about its permit process.
Check your contractor’s state electrical license (lookup on the Kentucky page), and check HOA rules on panels and generator placement.
Cities we cover
- Louisville
- Jeffersontown
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Louisville energy FAQ
How much does LG&E pay for solar I export?
Under the NMS-2 rider in effect since February 16, 2026, LG&E gives a bill credit of 7.089¢ for every kWh your system sends to the grid. Credits offset energy charges only, roll over month to month and are never paid in cash. The Kentucky Public Service Commission resets the rate in LG&E’s rate cases.
Why did Louisville lose so much power in 2024?
Mostly storms. LG&E’s customers averaged 434 outage minutes in 2024 but only 83 on normal days. Hurricane Helene’s remnants on September 27, 2024 cut power to more than 205,000 LG&E and KU customers, with Louisville among the hardest-hit areas.
Can I pull my own electrical permit in Louisville?
Yes, if it is your own home and you live there full-time for at least the next year; you apply in person with recorded property documents and photo ID. For any other property, a licensed electrician must pull it. Starting work first brings a $1,000 fine.
Is LG&E’s time-of-day rate good for EV charging?
It can be: off-peak power, which includes overnight and weekends, is 9.312¢ against 19.307¢ on-peak, before adjustments. But the rate is capped at 500 customers, first come, first served, and if you use a lot at peak times your bill can go up. Ask LG&E whether space is open.
Sources
U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 for 2024 (sales, reliability, service territories), read October 3, 2026. LG&E electric tariff (Rate RS effective September 1, 2026; NMS-2 and RTOD-Energy effective February 16, 2026), net metering, EV, Solar Share and Hurricane Helene pages. Louisville Metro Construction Review permit, code and inspection pages. FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025). NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. AFDC Station Locator, October 3, 2026. CPSC generator safety guidance.