In short: Auburn has about 26,000 people and sits in Cayuga County. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. and New York State Elec & Gas Corp serves different parts of Cayuga County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 17.22¢ to 18.32¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Cayuga County ice storms “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,060 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 Auburn: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our New York energy guide and the wider area is covered in the Syracuse guide.
Auburn at a glance
- Place: Auburn, Cayuga County, New York; about 25,963 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 17.22¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 141 minutes of power on normal days and 510 counting major storms, with 1.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Auburn).
- Utility: New York State Elec & Gas Corp (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 18.32¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 148 minutes of power on normal days and 655 counting major storms, with 1.3 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Auburn).
- Sun: 3.62 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.13 in December to 5.91 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,060 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 730 cooling degree-days and 6,610 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Cayuga County: ice storms “relatively high”, river and heavy-rain flooding “relatively moderate” and winter weather “relatively moderate” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively low”).
- Public charging: 59 ports at 18 locations in Auburn, 1 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. is an investor-owned utility and served about 1,430,208 home customers in 2024; its 17.22¢ average was below the 29.9¢ statewide average for July 2026. New York State Elec & Gas Corp is an investor-owned utility and served about 735,192 home customers in 2024; its 18.32¢ average was below the 29.9¢ 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, New York State Elec & Gas Corp reported 148 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 72 (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 York guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Auburn
- 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.
- River and heavy-rain flooding (relatively moderate): Heavy rain can flood basements and take out power. Put sump pumps on backup power and keep equipment above the flood line.
- 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 Auburn
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,060 kWh a year in Auburn (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.’s 2024 average of 17.22¢, that is about $183 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 5.91 and December the dimmest at 1.13, a 5.2-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. Auburn has 59 public charging ports in the federal station list including 1 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 Auburn: 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 Auburn building or permitting department, or from Cayuga County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Auburn, 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 York guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Syracuse energy guide and Ithaca, or the whole New York energy guide.
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Auburn energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Auburn?
Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. and New York State Elec & Gas Corp both serve parts of Cayuga County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. 17.22¢, New York State Elec & Gas Corp 18.32¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Auburn?
About 1,060 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 6,360 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 ice storms in Cayuga 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 Auburn?
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.