In short: Boston has about 673,500 people and sits in Suffolk County. Massachusetts Electric Co and NSTAR Electric Company serves different parts of Suffolk County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 29.91¢ to 33.6¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Suffolk County lightning “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,110 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 Boston: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Massachusetts energy guide and the wider area is covered in the Greater Boston guide.
Boston at a glance
- Place: Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts; about 673,458 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Massachusetts Electric Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 33.6¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 91 minutes of power on normal days and 134 counting major storms, with 0.8 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Boston).
- Utility: NSTAR Electric Company (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 29.91¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 66 minutes of power on normal days and 81 counting major storms, with 0.6 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Boston).
- Sun: 3.81 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.49 in December to 5.96 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,110 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 640 cooling degree-days and 6,310 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Suffolk County: lightning “very high”, heat waves “relatively high” and river and heavy-rain flooding “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively moderate”).
- Public charging: 2,071 ports at 850 locations in Boston, 83 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Massachusetts Electric Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 526,437 home customers in 2024; its 33.6¢ average was above the 30.49¢ statewide average for July 2026. NSTAR Electric Company is an investor-owned utility and served about 383,373 home customers in 2024; its 29.91¢ average was below the 30.49¢ 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, Massachusetts Electric Co reported 91 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 76 (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 Massachusetts guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Boston
- Lightning (very high): Lightning causes short outages and damages electronics. Surge protection and a battery that switches over automatically protect the things you care about.
- 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 Boston
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,110 kWh a year in Boston (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Massachusetts Electric Co’s 2024 average of 33.6¢, that is about $373 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 5.96 and December the dimmest at 1.49, a 4.0-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. Boston has 2,071 public charging ports in the federal station list including 83 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 Boston: 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 Boston building or permitting department, or from Suffolk County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Boston, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Massachusetts guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Greater Boston energy guide, Quincy, Somerville, Cambridge and Revere, or the whole Massachusetts energy guide.
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Boston energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Boston?
Massachusetts Electric Co and NSTAR Electric Company both serve parts of Suffolk County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Massachusetts Electric Co 33.6¢, NSTAR Electric Company 29.91¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Boston?
About 1,110 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 6,660 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 heat waves in Suffolk 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 Boston?
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.