In short: Pierre has about 13,800 people and sits in Hughes County. NorthWestern Energy and City of Pierre serves different parts of Hughes County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 10.65¢ to 12.56¢ per kWh (EIA). Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,220 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 Pierre: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our South Dakota energy guide.
Pierre at a glance
- Place: Pierre, Hughes County, South Dakota; about 13,788 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: NorthWestern Energy (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 12.56¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 66 minutes of power on normal days, with 0.6 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Pierre).
- Utility: City of Pierre (city-owned). Homes paid an average 10.65¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861) (utility-wide, not just Pierre).
- Sun: 4.18 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.52 in December to 6.91 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,220 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 1,140 cooling degree-days and 6,720 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Hughes County: winter weather “relatively moderate”, wildfires “relatively low” and ice storms “relatively low” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “very low”).
- Public charging: 13 ports at 6 locations in Pierre, 5 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
NorthWestern Energy is an investor-owned utility and served about 51,467 home customers in 2024; its 12.56¢ average was below the 15.37¢ statewide average for July 2026. City of Pierre is a city-owned utility and served about 6,126 home customers in 2024; its 10.65¢ average was below the 15.37¢ 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, NorthWestern Energy reported 66 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 62 (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 South Dakota guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Pierre
- Winter weather (relatively moderate): 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.
- Wildfires (relatively low): Wildfire risk can mean planned shutoffs and smoke. A battery charged by solar gives quiet backup, and fueled generators need extra care on dry days and clear space around them.
- 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 Pierre
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,220 kWh a year in Pierre (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at NorthWestern Energy’s 2024 average of 12.56¢, that is about $153 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 6.91 and December the dimmest at 1.52, a 4.6-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. Pierre has 13 public charging ports in the federal station list including 5 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 Pierre: 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 Pierre building or permitting department, or from Hughes County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Pierre, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the South Dakota guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: see all of South Dakota, or the whole South Dakota energy guide.
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Pierre energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Pierre?
NorthWestern Energy and City of Pierre both serve parts of Hughes County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (NorthWestern Energy 12.56¢, City of Pierre 10.65¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Pierre?
About 1,220 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,320 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
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 Pierre?
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.