In short: Jackson has Wyoming’s cheapest home electricity: Lower Valley Energy averaged about 6.4¢ per kWh in 2024, and its 2026 residential energy charge is 6.2¢. That makes solar a slow payback but EV charging very cheap, about $1.90 per 100 miles by our estimate. FEMA rates Teton County very high for avalanches and lightning.
Below: how Lower Valley Energy’s prices and net metering shape each choice, what a mountain-valley outage means for backup, and how electrical and building permits work in Jackson and Teton County. Statewide rules (the 25 kW net metering law, licensing) are on our Wyoming energy guide.
Jackson at a glance
- Utilities: Lower Valley Energy (LVE), a member-owned cooperative based in Jackson, serves the area. In Teton County, EIA also lists Fall River Rural Electric, High Plains Power and NorthWestern Energy. Check your bill.
- Price: LVE averaged about 6.4¢ per kWh in 2024, the lowest of any Wyoming utility in EIA’s data. Its residential rate effective April 29, 2026: an $18 monthly facility charge (higher for larger services) plus 6.2¢ per kWh.
- Outages: LVE does not appear in EIA’s 2024 reliability file, so we have no outage-minute figure for it.
- Sun: about 4.38 kWh per square meter per day, from 1.5 in December to 7.4 in July (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,280 kWh a year per kW of panels, before shading from mountains and trees.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Teton County “very high” for avalanche and lightning and “relatively moderate” for landslide, wildfire and winter weather.
- Public charging: 52 public ports at 18 locations in Jackson, more than in Cheyenne (AFDC, October 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Lower Valley Energy has worked with net-metered members for more than 25 years, for systems of 25 kW or less; larger ones need special board approval. EIA counted 122 net-metered home solar systems on LVE lines at the end of 2024. What LVE’s own documents say about connecting:
- LVE’s metering supervisor must approve your one-line diagram before installation, and you sign a Net Metering Agreement.
- The system needs an electrical permit and inspection, any building inspections, and LVE’s own test (an “island test”) before billing switches to net metering. You pay for LVE’s meter.
- LVE uses one meter that records what you use and what you generate; the net is billed each month.
- A lockable, visible manual disconnect must sit next to the meter, accessible to LVE.
LVE’s specifications are not fully clear on how a month’s surplus is valued, so ask LVE before you size a system. LVE also lists a community solar program, an option for homes with shaded or snowy roofs. See LVE’s solar page.
Backup power in Jackson
Jackson Hole’s risks are mountain risks. FEMA rates the county “very high” for avalanches, which can close roads, and for lightning; wildfire and winter weather are “relatively moderate”. LVE’s 2025 wildfire mitigation plan includes a Public Safety Power Shutdown section: lines can be de-energized in fire conditions, including on guidance from the incident commander during an active fire, and restored after patrols and testing. Long cold outages are the main thing to plan for, especially for homes on wells or with heat-trace lines.
- Home battery: quiet, automatic backup for the furnace blower, fridge, lights and internet. See battery installation.
- Generator: for multi-day winter outages; propane is common. At over 6,000 feet a generator delivers less than its sea-level rating, so size with margin. LVE’s specifications include a wiring arrangement for using on-site generation as backup, which LVE must approve. See generator installation.
- Portable power station: phones and medical devices, and easy to take in an evacuation. See portable power stations.
Size it with the battery backup calculator or generator sizing tool and compare in the backup power guide. Generators run outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from doors and windows, never in a garage; keep the exhaust clear of snow and carbon monoxide alarms inside (CPSC).
Solar in Jackson
The sun is good; the price is the hurdle. By our rough estimate, a 6 kW system makes about 7,670 kWh a year on an open roof, but at LVE’s 6.2¢ energy charge that output is worth only about $480 a year, about a third of what the same system would save in Cheyenne. Mountain shading, heavy snow loads and roof shedding cut output and add cost. Solar here is mostly about independence, backup with a battery, or a cabin beyond the lines. These are estimates, not quotes.
Check a site with the solar potential tool and solar savings calculator; read how solar installation works, what it costs and off-grid power for remote cabins.
Home batteries in Jackson
With power this cheap, a battery will not pay for itself in savings; it is a backup purchase. In Teton County, a battery is an “energy storage system” that needs electrical plan review and a building permit (below). We found no LVE battery program, and Rocky Mountain Power’s battery incentive on the state page does not apply here. See home batteries and battery costs.
EV charging in Jackson
This is where Jackson’s prices shine. At LVE’s 6.2¢ energy charge and 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs about $1.90 per 100 miles by our estimate, a fraction of gasoline, though cold mornings and mountain passes raise use. Jackson already has 52 public ports. A Level 2 charger at home needs a 240-volt circuit and an electrical permit from the Fire/EMS Electrical Division. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Jackson: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Electrical permits (Town of Jackson and Teton County): issued by the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Electrical Division through the SmartGov portal, before work starts or a double fee applies. Solar PV and energy storage need an electrical plan review, and every PV or battery electrical permit also needs a building permit. The site plan must show Lower Valley’s transformer (Electrical Division).
- Building permits in town: the Town of Jackson Planning & Building Department (150 E Pearl Avenue) takes trade permits through SmartGov, and contractors need a Town of Jackson contractor license in their trade (Town of Jackson Building).
- Outside town: Teton County’s building department handles unincorporated areas.
- Utility approval: LVE approves the design and tests the system before net metering starts.
Check any HOA or design-review rules for roofs and generators before you buy.
Cities we cover
- Jackson
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Jackson energy questions
How much does electricity cost in Jackson?
Lower Valley Energy’s residential rate effective April 29, 2026 is an $18 monthly facility charge for most homes plus 6.2¢ per kWh. EIA’s 2024 average, fixed charges included, was about 6.4¢, the lowest of any Wyoming utility and less than half the statewide average.
Does Lower Valley Energy offer net metering?
Yes, for systems of 25 kW or less, with larger ones needing board approval. LVE approves your one-line diagram, signs a net metering agreement with you and runs an island test before switching your billing. Ask LVE how a month’s surplus is credited.
Do I need a permit for a home battery in Jackson?
Yes. The Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Electrical Division requires an electrical plan review for solar and energy storage systems, and every such electrical permit also needs a building permit. Applications go through SmartGov.
Is solar worth it in Jackson Hole?
Financially it is slow: by our estimate a 6 kW system’s output is worth about $480 a year at LVE’s energy charge. People here choose solar mainly for independence, backup with a battery, or remote cabins. Community solar through LVE is another route; ask LVE.
Sources
EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; service territory; net-metered systems); Lower Valley Energy rates page, solar page, net metering specifications and 2025 wildfire mitigation plan (archived December 2025 to July 2026); Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Electrical Division (Teton County); Town of Jackson Building (archived September 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.