In short: Spartanburg has about 39,600 people and sits in Spartanburg County. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Blue Ridge Electric Coop Inc and Laurens Electric Coop, Inc serves different parts of Spartanburg County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 13.99¢ to 18.94¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Spartanburg County ice storms “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,330 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Spartanburg: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our South Carolina energy guide and the wider area is covered in the Greenville–Spartanburg guide.
Spartanburg at a glance
- Place: Spartanburg, Spartanburg County, South Carolina; about 39,606 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 13.99¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 180 minutes of power on normal days and 7,804 counting major storms, with 1.3 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Spartanburg).
- Utility: Blue Ridge Electric Coop Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 18.94¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 193 minutes of power on normal days and 5,291 counting major storms (utility-wide, not just Spartanburg).
- Utility: Laurens Electric Coop, Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 14.66¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 97 minutes of power on normal days and 8,310 counting major storms, with 1.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Spartanburg).
- Sun: 4.54 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.40 in December to 6.42 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,330 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 1,790 cooling degree-days and 3,270 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Spartanburg County: ice storms “very high”, lightning “very high” and cold waves “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively moderate”).
- Public charging: 61 ports at 18 locations in Spartanburg, 31 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is an investor-owned utility and served about 568,586 home customers in 2024; its 13.99¢ average was below the 15.47¢ statewide average for July 2026. Blue Ridge Electric Coop Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 67,553 home customers in 2024; its 18.94¢ average was above the 15.47¢ statewide average for July 2026. Laurens Electric Coop, Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 58,438 home customers in 2024; its 14.66¢ average was below the 15.47¢ 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, Blue Ridge Electric Coop Inc reported 193 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 118 (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 Carolina guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Spartanburg
- Ice storms (very 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.
- 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.
- 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 Spartanburg
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,330 kWh a year in Spartanburg (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC’s 2024 average of 13.99¢, that is about $186 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: June is the sunniest month at 6.42 and December the dimmest at 2.40, a 2.7-to-1 gap.
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. Spartanburg has 61 public charging ports in the federal station list including 31 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 Spartanburg: 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 Spartanburg building or permitting department, or from Spartanburg County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Spartanburg, 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 Carolina guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Greenville–Spartanburg energy guide, Greer, Simpsonville, Mauldin and Greenville, or the whole South Carolina energy guide.
Get help
Are you a licensed installer in Spartanburg? 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 Spartanburg area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.
Spartanburg energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Spartanburg?
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Blue Ridge Electric Coop Inc and Laurens Electric Coop, Inc all serve parts of Spartanburg County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC 13.99¢, Blue Ridge Electric Coop Inc 18.94¢, Laurens Electric Coop, Inc 14.66¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Spartanburg?
About 1,330 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,980 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 Spartanburg 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.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Spartanburg?
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.