In short: Union City has about 66,900 people and sits in Hudson County. Public Service Elec & Gas Co serves the county, averaging 20.42¢ per kWh for homes in 2024 (EIA). FEMA rates Hudson County coastal flooding “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,140 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is on the modest side, so price and incentives matter more.
This page covers what is local to Union City: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our New Jersey energy guide.
Union City at a glance
- Place: Union City, Hudson County, New Jersey; about 66,918 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Public Service Elec & Gas Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 20.42¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 39 minutes of power on normal days and 45 counting major storms, with 0.6 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Union City).
- Sun: 3.92 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.62 in December to 6.03 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,140 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 910 cooling degree-days and 5,620 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Hudson County: coastal flooding “very high”, heat waves “relatively high” and river and heavy-rain flooding “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively high”).
- Public charging: 22 ports at 3 locations in Union City, none of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Public Service Elec & Gas Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 1,966,950 home customers in 2024; its 20.42¢ average was below the 25.19¢ 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, Public Service Elec & Gas Co reported 39 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, less than the statewide figure of 100 (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 New Jersey guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Union City
- Coastal flooding (very high): Coastal flooding means keeping batteries, generators and electrical panels above flood level; ask a licensed electrician about elevating equipment.
- Heat waves (relatively high): Heat waves strain the grid just when air conditioning matters most. Decide what must stay cool, such as one room, medicine and the fridge, and size backup to that rather than the whole house.
- 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 Union City
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,140 kWh a year in Union City (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Public Service Elec & Gas Co’s 2024 average of 20.42¢, that is about $233 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 6.03 and December the dimmest at 1.62, a 3.7-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. Union City has 22 public charging ports in the federal station list (none of them 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 Union City: 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 Union City building or permitting department, or from Hudson County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Union City, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the New Jersey guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Hoboken, West New York, Jersey City and Newark, or the whole New Jersey energy guide.
Get help
Are you a licensed installer in Union City? 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 Union City area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.
Union City energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Union City?
Federal data lists Public Service Elec & Gas Co as the main utility serving Hudson County. Small areas can be served by a different company or a co-op, so confirm on your bill.
How much power will solar make in Union City?
About 1,140 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 6,840 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 coastal flooding in Hudson 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 Union City?
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.