In short: In western North Dakota, your utility decides almost everything. Montana-Dakota Utilities averaged about 11.7¢ per kWh in 2024 and credits surplus solar at 2.69¢; some co-ops charged far less, Mountrail-Williams about 7.2¢, but logged longer outages. Dickinson gets the state’s best sun, and FEMA rates every county here very high for winter weather.
This page covers Minot, Williston and Dickinson: who supplies power, what it means for solar, batteries and backup, and where permits come from. For statewide rules (net metering for investor-owned utilities, the property tax exemption, electrician licensing), see our North Dakota energy guide.
Western North Dakota at a glance
- Utilities (EIA, 2024): Ward County (Minot): Montana-Dakota Utilities (MDU), Xcel Energy, Otter Tail Power and the Verendrye, McLean, Burke-Divide and Mountrail-Williams co-ops. Williams County (Williston): MDU and the Mountrail-Williams, Burke-Divide, Lower Yellowstone and Sheridan co-ops. Stark County (Dickinson): MDU and Roughrider Electric Cooperative. Your bill tells you which one is yours.
- Price, 2024 average: MDU about 11.7¢ per kWh; Xcel 12.1¢; Verendrye 10.7¢; Roughrider 10.2¢; Mountrail-Williams 7.2¢; McKenzie Electric 7.9¢ (EIA-861, revenue divided by sales).
- Outages, 2024 (minutes per customer, with / without major events): MDU 83 / 79; Verendrye 37 / 37; Mountrail-Williams 282 / 147; McKenzie Electric 257 / 210 (EIA-861). Roughrider did not appear in EIA’s reliability file.
- Sun (NASA POWER, 2001–2020): Dickinson 4.09 kWh per square meter per day, Williston 3.93, Minot 3.89. Our rough estimate: about 1,190, 1,150 and 1,140 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Ward, Williams and Stark counties “very high” for winter weather; Ward and Williams also “relatively high” for cold waves and ice storms.
- Public charging: Dickinson 18 ports at 6 locations, Minot 17 at 6, Williston 12 at 4 (AFDC, October 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Montana-Dakota Utilities and Xcel Energy are investor-owned, so the state net metering rule applies (see the state page). MDU’s solar page gives the number: in North Dakota, any amount over your usage in a monthly billing period is net billed at its avoided cost rate of $0.0269 per kWh, under a quarter of the retail price. Solar for MDU customers should be sized to what the house uses as it produces. EIA recorded no net-metered home solar systems on MDU’s North Dakota lines at the end of 2024.
The cooperatives set their own rules, outside the state net metering rule. Several already connect member systems: EIA counted 8 net-metered home solar systems on Verendrye lines, 8 on McLean’s and 6 on Mountrail-Williams’ at the end of 2024. Prices vary widely: at about 7¢, Mountrail-Williams and McKenzie Electric members pay roughly 40% less than MDU customers, which makes solar savings smaller still but EV charging very cheap. We did not confirm any co-op’s crediting terms, so ask yours before you design a system.
Backup power in western North Dakota
Long distances and deep cold set the stakes. All three counties are rated “very high” for winter weather, and Ward and Williams counties “relatively high” for cold waves and ice storms. In town, MDU’s outages were short in 2024. On rural co-op lines they ran longer: Mountrail-Williams members averaged 282 minutes including major events and McKenzie Electric members 257. Homes and shops on wells, with livestock waterers or heat tape, depend on power when it is coldest.
- Generator: propane or natural gas standby, or a portable unit on a transfer switch, is the rural standard for multi-day outages. See generator installation and the generator sizing tool.
- Home battery: silent, automatic cover for a furnace blower, fridge and lights through short outages; keep it in a heated space. See battery installation.
- Portable power station: phones and a CPAP, and a winter-travel kit on long highway drives. See portable power stations.
Our backup power guide and battery backup calculator help size a system. Run generators outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with the exhaust pointed away, never in a garage or shop, and keep carbon monoxide alarms inside (CPSC). A licensed electrician should install the transfer switch.
Solar in western North Dakota
Dickinson’s sun is the best of the six North Dakota cities we checked. By our rough estimate, a 6 kW system there makes about 7,160 kWh a year, worth up to about $840 at MDU’s 2024 price if you use it all yourself; in Minot, about 6,820 kWh, worth about $800 to $830 on MDU or Xcel. Exports earn far less on MDU, and on a 7¢ co-op even self-used solar saves little, so payback is long everywhere. These are estimates, not quotes. Off-grid solar with a battery and generator can still make sense for a shop, cabin or stock well far from a line; see off-grid power.
Use 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 western North Dakota
For MDU customers with solar, a battery turns surplus credited at 2.7¢ into evening power worth about 11.7¢; the yearly gain is modest. We found no utility battery program here. The stronger reason is backup, especially on co-op lines with longer outages. See home batteries and battery costs.
EV charging in western North Dakota
By our estimate at 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs about $3.50 per 100 miles on MDU, $3.10 on Roughrider and about $2.20 on Mountrail-Williams at 2024 average prices, more in deep cold. Public ports are few and far apart, under 20 in each city, so plan winter trips around them and charge at home on a Level 2 charger installed by a licensed electrician with a permit. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Minot: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Minot: the city’s Building Safety division publishes a Review, Permit and Inspection Guide and takes residential permit applications online; residential plans are checked for code compliance before a permit is issued (Minot Building Safety).
- Williston: the Building Safety department posts building permit applications, fees and FAQs (Williston Building Safety).
- Dickinson and rural areas: ask the City of Dickinson or your county about building permits.
- Utility approval: MDU, Xcel or your co-op must approve a grid-tied system before it runs.
Use a North Dakota licensed electrician (license search on the state page), and check HOA rules on panels and generators where they apply.
Cities we cover
- Minot
- Williston
- Dickinson
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Western North Dakota energy questions
Why are some co-op electricity prices so low in western North Dakota?
EIA’s 2024 figures show Mountrail-Williams Electric at about 7.2¢ per kWh and McKenzie Electric at about 7.9¢, against 11.7¢ for MDU. Each co-op sets its own rates for its members. Lower prices mean slower solar payback but very cheap home EV charging.
How does MDU credit solar in Minot, Williston or Dickinson?
For MDU customers in North Dakota, usage and production are netted each month, and any surplus is billed at MDU’s avoided cost rate, given on its solar page as $0.0269 per kWh. Self-used solar saves the full retail price, so smaller systems matched to daytime use pay best.
How long do outages last on rural lines here?
Longer than in town. EIA’s 2024 data shows Mountrail-Williams members averaged about 282 minutes and McKenzie Electric members about 257, including major events, against 83 for MDU customers. Rural homes should plan backup for heat and water.
Where do I get a permit in Minot?
From the City of Minot’s Building Safety division, which takes residential applications online and publishes a Review, Permit and Inspection Guide. Your utility must also approve any grid-tied solar or battery system.
Sources
EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; outages; service territory; net-metered systems); Montana-Dakota Utilities renewable and solar energy page (archived April 2026); City of Minot Building Safety and City of Williston Building Safety (archived 2026); NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC station data; CPSC. Read October 2026 unless noted. Estimates are ours and labelled.