In short: Stillwater’s city-owned utility charged homes about 13.3 cents per kWh in 2024 and averaged 145 minutes without power, about half the state’s 271 (EIA). Its solar tariff is unusual: a fixed $65.04 monthly fee for homes, with netted and exported energy priced at the wholesale rate. Talk to the city before signing any solar contract.
This page covers Stillwater and the nearby Payne County area. Statewide rules on net billing, licensing and incentives are in our Oklahoma energy guide.
Stillwater at a glance
- Stillwater Electric Utility (city-owned): about 13.3¢ per kWh for homes, averaged over 2024; 145 minutes without power per customer with major events, 58 without them; about one interruption a year (EIA-861, 2024). The city says it has run its own utility since 1901 and holds the American Public Power Association’s RP3 reliability designation.
- Around the city: Central Rural Electric Cooperative, about 11.6¢ and 199 minutes with major events; EIA also lists OG&E in Payne County (EIA-861, 2024).
- Sun: about 4.7 kWh per square meter a day (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020), or roughly 1,370 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate.
- Top hazards: Payne County is “very high” for ice storms and “relatively high” for cold waves, hail and tornadoes (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 24 ports at 6 locations in Stillwater (AFDC data, October 3, 2026).
Prices above are 2024 averages across all months. For the current statewide price, see the state guide.
Your utility and what it means
Stillwater Electric Utility does not use OG&E-style net billing. Its Net Energy Metering Distributed Generation tariff (revision effective January 1, 2026) works like this:
- A fixed fee: residential solar customers pay a Service Availability Fee of $65.04 a month, about $780 a year.
- Wholesale pricing: the tariff replaces your normal energy charge. Your solar output is netted against your use; any use beyond your output is billed at the Wholesale Energy Rate, and any output beyond your use is credited at the same rate. That rate is the utility’s avoided cost, based on what it pays the Grand River Dam Authority for power, and is set monthly.
- Limits: both credits are capped at your highest monthly use in the previous calendar year, and systems are limited to 125% of last year’s peak load or 100 kW, whichever is less. Credits roll forward but expire if you end service. The city may stop taking new solar customers once total solar on its system reaches a set level.
- Costs to connect: two meters, paid for by the customer ($160 in the city’s permit packet), and a $125 non-refundable processing fee.
Because the fee and the wholesale pricing change the math so much, the city asks customers to contact Stillwater Electric Utility before signing a contract or buying equipment; its renewable energy page lists the electric chief engineer, 405-533-8444. Ask the city, and any installer, to run your own past bills through the tariff. The utility also offers rebates on heat pumps and electric water heaters. Outside the city, Central Rural or OG&E set the rules.
Backup power in Stillwater
Day to day, the city grid is reliable: about an hour without power in 2024 once major events are set aside. Payne County’s risk is ice. FEMA rates ice storms “very high” there, its top rating, and freezing rain can take lines and trees down for days. Spring brings hail and tornadoes. Homes outside the city on co-op lines saw longer outages in 2024.
For an ice storm, keep the heat on first. A gas furnace needs only a little electricity, so a portable power station or a home battery can run its fan and controls, plus the fridge and lights, for hours. For several days, a generator on a transfer switch, or a standby unit on natural gas or propane, runs as long as the fuel lasts. Compare in backup power options and size with the generator sizing tool or battery backup calculator.
Safety: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says to run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from windows, doors and vents, never in a garage. Fit battery-backed carbon monoxide alarms. A licensed electrician should install the transfer switch; see generator installation.
Solar in Stillwater
Stillwater has good sun, roughly 1,370 kWh a year per kW by our estimate. But inside the city the usual rule of thumb, output times the retail price, does not apply: under the tariff your solar is valued at the wholesale rate, and you pay the $65.04 monthly fee whether the panels produce or not. A quote that multiplies your output by about 13 cents is using the wrong number for a city customer. EIA counted only 56 home solar systems on the city utility in 2024.
If you still want solar, for independence, backup or the environment, go in with clear numbers. Use the solar potential tool for output, then ask the city to price it under the tariff. Read solar installation and net metering and net billing.
Batteries in Stillwater
Since exports are credited at the same wholesale rate as netted energy, a battery will not improve bill savings much inside the city. Its value is backup through ice storms and spring outages. Any battery tied to solar falls under the city’s interconnection rules, so ask first. See home battery installation and home battery cost.
EV charging in Stillwater
Stillwater has 24 public charging ports at 6 locations (AFDC data, October 3, 2026). At home, about 30 kWh per 100 miles at the city’s 2024 average of 13.3¢ is roughly $3.98 per 100 miles, about $480 for 12,000 miles a year (estimate). We found no city EV rebate. Use the EV charging cost calculator and read EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Stillwater: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- City of Stillwater: Development Services, 723 S. Lewis Street, (405) 742-8220. For solar or small wind, the city’s residential renewable energy permit packet asks for an accessory permit application, a site plan, an electrical permit application naming the licensed electrical company, the distributed generation application and fees, and an interconnection agreement that must be signed and notarized. The utility needs an outdoor lockable disconnect it can reach.
- Generators, batteries and EV circuits: ask Development Services which permits apply. The city’s forms say electrical work must be done by contractors licensed by the State of Oklahoma and registered and bonded with the city.
- Outside city limits: ask Payne County and your utility.
Cities we cover
- Stillwater
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Stillwater energy FAQ
Is there a monthly fee for solar in Stillwater?
Yes. Under the city’s distributed generation tariff, effective January 2026, residential customers pay a Service Availability Fee of $65.04 a month. Energy you use beyond your output, and output beyond your use, are both priced at the wholesale rate, which the city sets monthly.
Should I talk to the city before buying solar?
Yes. The city asks customers to contact Stillwater Electric Utility before signing a contract or buying equipment, so you understand how the tariff will affect your bill. Bring a year of bills and the installer’s production estimate.
What permits does a solar system need in Stillwater?
The city’s renewable energy permit packet includes an accessory permit, an electrical permit from a licensed electrical company, a site plan, the distributed generation application with a $125 processing fee and metering charge, and a notarized interconnection agreement.
What is the biggest outage risk in Stillwater?
Ice. FEMA rates ice storms “very high” for Payne County. The city grid is reliable day to day, but an ice storm can cut power for days, so plan a way to run the furnace fan and fridge, and keep any generator outdoors.
Sources
Utilities, prices, outages and net-metered homes: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024. City of Stillwater renewable energy page, Net Energy Metering Distributed Generation tariff (effective January 1, 2026), residential renewable energy permit packet, rebates and building permit pages, 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.