In short: Ames has about 69,000 people and sits in Story County. Interstate Power and Light Co, City of Ames and Midland Power Coop serves different parts of Story County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 12.1¢ to 17.9¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Story County drought “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,180 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is about average for the U.S..
This page covers what is local to Ames: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Iowa energy guide and the wider area is covered in the Des Moines guide.
Ames at a glance
- Place: Ames, Story County, Iowa; about 69,026 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Interstate Power and Light Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 17.9¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 99 minutes of power on normal days and 116 counting major storms, with 1.0 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Ames).
- Utility: City of Ames (city-owned). Homes paid an average 12.1¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 19 minutes of power on normal days and 39 counting major storms, with 0.3 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Ames).
- Utility: Midland Power Coop (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 13.6¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 105 minutes of power on normal days and 123 counting major storms, with 1.3 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Ames).
- Sun: 4.03 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.57 in December to 6.42 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,180 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 950 cooling degree-days and 6,580 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Story County: drought “relatively high”, tornadoes “relatively high” and winter weather “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively low”).
- Public charging: 54 ports at 23 locations in Ames, 21 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Interstate Power and Light Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 417,153 home customers in 2024; its 17.9¢ average was above the 15.99¢ statewide average for July 2026. City of Ames is a city-owned utility and served about 24,979 home customers in 2024; its 12.1¢ average was below the 15.99¢ statewide average for July 2026. Midland Power Coop is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 11,939 home customers in 2024; its 13.6¢ average was below the 15.99¢ statewide average for July 2026. Those are utility-wide averages, not a quote for your address; your own bill is the real number.
For reliability, Midland Power Coop reported 105 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 90 (EIA-861). Utility-wide numbers hide a lot: a home at the end of a long rural line usually has more outages than the average.
Net metering, export rates and incentives are set at state level and by each utility. Start with the Iowa guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Ames
- Drought (relatively high): Drought raises fire and heat risk and strains wells. If you rely on a well pump, include it in your backup plan.
- Tornadoes (relatively high): Tornado-season storms cut power quickly. A battery that switches on by itself, or a portable generator ready to go, covers the first night; sirens and weather radios need power too.
- Heating load: a winter outage can stop a furnace blower, boiler pump or heat pump. List what your heat needs to run before choosing a generator or battery.
- Short outages: a portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi, a CPAP and lights; a home battery switches over automatically.
Size your setup with the generator sizing tool and the battery backup calculator, and compare options in backup power. Generator safety (CPSC): outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from doors and windows, never in a garage, and battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms inside. A licensed electrician should install any transfer switch, with a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Ames
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,180 kWh a year in Ames (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Interstate Power and Light Co’s 2024 average of 17.9¢, that is about $211 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: July is the sunniest month at 6.42 and December the dimmest at 1.57, a 4.1-to-1 gap, so a battery or a bigger system helps in winter.
Check your own roof with the solar potential tool, see solar costs and net metering vs net billing, and read the steps in solar installation. Hail and storm exposure are worth raising with installers and your insurer.
Batteries and EV charging
A home battery earns its place when outages are frequent, when your utility pays little for exported solar, or when evening prices are high; compare in home batteries and battery costs. Ames has 54 public charging ports in the federal station list including 21 DC fast, but home charging is cheaper and easier: see the EV charging cost calculator and EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Ames: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
Solar, generator transfer switches and EV chargers normally need an electrical permit from the Ames building or permitting department, or from Story County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Ames, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Iowa guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Des Moines energy guide, Ankeny, Urbandale, Waukee and West Des Moines, or the whole Iowa energy guide.
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Ames energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Ames?
Interstate Power and Light Co, City of Ames and Midland Power Coop all serve parts of Story County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Interstate Power and Light Co 17.9¢, City of Ames 12.1¢, Midland Power Coop 13.6¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Ames?
About 1,180 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,080 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
Is a generator or a battery better for tornadoes in Story County?
It depends how long the outage lasts. A battery is quiet, automatic and good for short outages and for pairing with solar; a standby generator keeps going as long as it has fuel, which suits multi-day events. Many homes use a battery for everyday outages and add a generator for the rare long one.
Will a home battery keep my heat on in an outage?
It can keep a furnace blower, boiler pump or a heat pump running for a while, but long cold outages drain a battery fast without solar to recharge it. Pair it with a generator or wood or propane heat if outages here run for days.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Ames?
Almost always an electrical permit for a transfer switch, solar or an EV charger, issued by the city or county where you live. Your licensed electrician or installer normally pulls it. Never connect a generator to your house wiring without a transfer switch.
Sources: EIA Form 861 (2024) for utility prices and outages; NASA POWER climatology (2001 to 2025) for sun and degree-days; FEMA National Risk Index for county hazards; AFDC station locator for public charging; Census Bureau for population. Estimates are ours and are not promises; see our editorial policy. Prices and programs change, so check each program page.