In short: Jamestown has about 15,800 people and sits in Stutsman County. Otter Tail Power Co, Northern Plains Electric Coop and Dakota Valley Elec Coop Inc serves different parts of Stutsman County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 10.65¢ to 12.01¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Stutsman County winter weather “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,170 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 Jamestown: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our North Dakota energy guide.
Jamestown at a glance
- Place: Jamestown, Stutsman County, North Dakota; about 15,789 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Otter Tail Power Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 11.38¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 130 minutes of power on normal days and 171 counting major storms, with 1.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Jamestown).
- Utility: Northern Plains Electric Coop (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 10.65¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 262 minutes of power on normal days, with 1.9 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Jamestown).
- Utility: Dakota Valley Elec Coop Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 12.01¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 187 minutes of power on normal days and 223 counting major storms, with 1.6 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Jamestown).
- Sun: 4.01 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.34 in December to 6.64 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,170 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 570 cooling degree-days and 8,520 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Stutsman County: winter weather “relatively high”, ice storms “relatively high” and hail “relatively moderate” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively low”).
- Public charging: 25 ports at 10 locations in Jamestown, 19 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Otter Tail Power Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 45,467 home customers in 2024; its 11.38¢ average was below the 13.41¢ statewide average for July 2026. Northern Plains Electric Coop is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 10,393 home customers in 2024; its 10.65¢ average was below the 13.41¢ statewide average for July 2026. Dakota Valley Elec Coop Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 5,721 home customers in 2024; its 12.01¢ average was below the 13.41¢ 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, Northern Plains Electric Coop reported 262 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 84 (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 North Dakota guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Jamestown
- Winter weather (relatively high): Winter storms and cold snaps combine outages with heating demand. Plan for the furnace blower or heat pump, not just lights, and keep a fuel supply you can reach in snow.
- Ice storms (relatively high): Ice storms bring down lines for days. A standby generator with a transfer switch, or a battery sized for the fridge, furnace blower and well pump, matters more than a small power station.
- 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 Jamestown
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,170 kWh a year in Jamestown (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Otter Tail Power Co’s 2024 average of 11.38¢, that is about $133 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 6.64 and December the dimmest at 1.34, a 5.0-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.
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. Jamestown has 25 public charging ports in the federal station list including 19 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 Jamestown: 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 Jamestown building or permitting department, or from Stutsman County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Jamestown, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the North Dakota guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Valley City, or the whole North Dakota energy guide.
Get help
Are you a licensed installer in Jamestown? Join SolutionEnergy and get requests from homeowners and businesses →
Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Jamestown area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.
Jamestown energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Jamestown?
Otter Tail Power Co, Northern Plains Electric Coop and Dakota Valley Elec Coop Inc all serve parts of Stutsman County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Otter Tail Power Co 11.38¢, Northern Plains Electric Coop 10.65¢, Dakota Valley Elec Coop Inc 12.01¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Jamestown?
About 1,170 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,020 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 winter weather in Stutsman 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 Jamestown?
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.