In short: Opelika has about 35,000 people and sits in Lee County. Alabama Power Co, Tallapoosa River Elec Coop Inc and Dixie Electric Coop serves different parts of Lee County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 14.39¢ to 16.77¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Lee County lightning “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,350 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Opelika: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Alabama energy guide.
Opelika at a glance
- Place: Opelika, Lee County, Alabama; about 35,005 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Alabama Power Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 16.77¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 117 minutes of power on normal days and 334 counting major storms, with 0.9 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Opelika).
- Utility: Tallapoosa River Elec Coop Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 14.39¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 245 minutes of power on normal days and 378 counting major storms, with 1.9 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Opelika).
- Utility: Dixie Electric Coop (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 15.05¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 198 minutes of power on normal days and 332 counting major storms, with 1.4 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Opelika).
- Sun: 4.61 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.48 in December to 6.30 in May (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,350 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 2,340 cooling degree-days and 2,360 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Lee County: lightning “relatively high”, heat waves “relatively moderate” and river and heavy-rain flooding “relatively moderate” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively low”).
- Public charging: 29 ports at 17 locations in Opelika, 6 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Alabama Power Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 1,332,911 home customers in 2024; its 16.77¢ average was close to the 16.4¢ statewide average for July 2026. Tallapoosa River Elec Coop Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 29,578 home customers in 2024; its 14.39¢ average was below the 16.4¢ statewide average for July 2026. Dixie Electric Coop is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 22,054 home customers in 2024; its 15.05¢ average was below the 16.4¢ 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, Tallapoosa River Elec Coop Inc reported 245 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 Alabama guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Opelika
- Lightning (relatively 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 moderate): 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.
- 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 Opelika
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,350 kWh a year in Opelika (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Alabama Power Co’s 2024 average of 16.77¢, that is about $226 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: May is the sunniest month at 6.30 and December the dimmest at 2.48, a 2.5-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. Opelika has 29 public charging ports in the federal station list including 6 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 Opelika: 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 Opelika building or permitting department, or from Lee County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Opelika, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Alabama guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Auburn and Phenix City, or the whole Alabama energy guide.
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Opelika energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Opelika?
Alabama Power Co, Tallapoosa River Elec Coop Inc and Dixie Electric Coop all serve parts of Lee County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Alabama Power Co 16.77¢, Tallapoosa River Elec Coop Inc 14.39¢, Dixie Electric Coop 15.05¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Opelika?
About 1,350 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 8,100 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Opelika?
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.