In short: Anchorage homes on Chugach Electric pay about 21¢ to 24¢ per kWh from October 2026, depending on the district, and Mat-Su and Eagle River homes on Matanuska Electric pay a little more. In 2024, MEA members lost about 4.3 hours of power and Chugach members about 3.5. Winter sun is close to zero, so backup comes first.
Below: what each co-op’s rules mean for backup power, solar, batteries and EV charging, and where permits come from in Anchorage, Palmer and Wasilla. For statewide rules (the monthly net metering rule, contractor licensing), see our Alaska energy guide.
Anchorage–Mat-Su at a glance
- Chugach Electric (Anchorage): 21.0¢ per kWh in the North District, the former ML&P area of downtown and parts of East Anchorage, and 24.2¢ in the South District, plus $12.79 a month (posted rates from October 1, 2026). Outages in 2024: 209 minutes per customer with major events, 125 without, and about two interruptions (EIA-861).
- Matanuska Electric (MEA) (Wasilla, Palmer, Eagle River, Chugiak): a typical 623 kWh monthly bill is about $166 from October 1, 2026, roughly 26.7¢ per kWh all in. Outages in 2024: 258 minutes and 2.3 interruptions per customer, with no major event days excluded.
- Sun: 2.54 kWh per square meter per day in Anchorage, from 0.14 in December to 5.3 in June (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). Our rough estimate: about 740 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Anchorage “very high” for winter weather and avalanche and “relatively high” for earthquake and landslide. Mat-Su: avalanche “very high,” earthquake and winter weather “relatively high.”
- Public charging: 29 ports at 12 locations in Anchorage, 12 in Wasilla and 4 in Palmer; few are listed under Eagle River (AFDC, October 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Both co-ops generate power with Cook Inlet natural gas, and both have been locking in supply. In January 2026, Chugach signed five years of gas storage with Hilcorp, growing to 5 billion cubic feet by 2028, ahead of its main gas contract ending in early 2028. MEA extended firm gas through March 2029 and says it expects rates to rise about 5% a year as a result. Plan your numbers with prices that keep rising.
- Chugach solar: systems up to 25 kW can net meter; surplus in a month is credited at the lower non-firm rate. The application fee is $270. Inside the Anchorage Bowl the Municipality inspects the system; elsewhere Chugach does, then you sign an interconnection agreement. See Chugach’s renewable generation page.
- Chugach community solar: a 500 kW array at the Retherford Substation in South Anchorage, running since March 2025 as a three-year pilot. Members could subscribe to up to 20 panels per meter; check with Chugach whether subscriptions are open.
- Chugach EV credit: a $200 bill credit per Level 2 home charger, up to two per account.
- MEA solar: up to 25 kW, no application fee, and interconnection costs only if your line needs upgrades. Monthly surplus is credited at MEA’s Small Facility Power Purchase Rate, set each quarter. MEA says applications usually take two to four weeks. See MEA’s net metering page.
- MEA EV: MEA lists an EV time-of-use rate; its free-charger data pilot is full. Ask MEA for the current EV rate terms.
Backup power in Anchorage–Mat-Su
MEA says trees on lines, snow unloading and wind cause most outages, and that a routine after-hours outage takes three to four hours on average to fix. That matches the 2024 numbers: Mat-Su members averaged more than two interruptions, none of them counted as major events. Chugach members had fewer, but big events added about 85 minutes to the average. In a January outage, the boiler, furnace blower and heat tape stop with the lights.
- Short, frequent outages: a home battery switches over silently. Install it in a heated space; lithium batteries lose capacity and may not charge in deep cold.
- Long winter outages: a standby or portable generator with a transfer switch keeps heat running. MEA warns never to wire a generator into a building without proper switching, because back-feed endangers line crews. See generator installation.
- Essentials only: a portable power station for a furnace blower, Wi-Fi, lights or a CPAP.
Earthquake risk is a reason to strap fuel tanks and batteries and keep a few days of essentials ready. If someone at home relies on powered medical equipment, Chugach’s Med-Electric Alert program gives notice of planned outages, though it does not mean faster restoration. Run any generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, and never in a garage or arctic entry (CPSC). Size your setup with the generator sizing calculator or the battery backup calculator, and compare options in our backup power guide.
Solar in Anchorage–Mat-Su
A kW of panels in Anchorage makes about 740 kWh a year by our estimate. Used at home, that saves roughly $180 a year at Chugach’s South District rate and about $156 in the North District (estimates, not quotes). The catch is the season: June sun is nearly 40 times December’s. Because both co-ops net month by month, summer surplus earns only the lower avoided-cost rate. Size panels to your summer use, angle them steeply to shed snow, and expect almost nothing from November to January.
EIA counted 922 home solar systems on Chugach and 453 on MEA in 2024. Check your roof with the solar potential tool and the solar savings calculator, then read how solar installation works and how net metering works.
Home batteries in Anchorage–Mat-Su
Neither co-op reported a single battery paired with home solar in 2024, and we found no battery incentive from either. Here a battery is a backup choice, not a bill-saving one: it covers the short, frequent outages, and a generator covers the long winter ones. Pick a model rated for the temperature where it will sit, and ask for seismic anchoring. See battery costs and battery installation.
EV charging in Anchorage–Mat-Su
At about 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs roughly $7.30 per 100 miles at Chugach’s South District rate and $6.30 in the North District, or $760 to $870 for 12,000 miles (estimates; winter driving uses more). Chugach’s $200 credit helps with a Level 2 charger, which needs a 240-volt circuit and a permit, installed by a licensed electrician. A heated garage helps the car and the charger in winter. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Anchorage: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Municipality of Anchorage (Anchorage, Eagle River): Development Services issues residential permits, including electrical work, inside the Building Safety Service Area; outside it, a land use permit applies. Its solar PV handout says home PV permit fees are generally under $400, and it aims to review one- and two-family solar applications within four business days.
- Palmer: the City of Palmer Building Department reviews and inspects work inside city limits; ask it which permits your project needs.
- Wasilla: the City’s Planning office handles land use permits; ask it what applies to your project.
- Rest of the Mat-Su: ask the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Permit Center in Palmer.
Chugach or MEA must approve any grid-tied solar or battery before it switches on. Wiring should be done by a licensed electrical contractor (see the state page for licensing). If you have an HOA, get its written approval first.
Cities we cover
- Anchorage
- Eagle River
- Wasilla
- Palmer
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Anchorage–Mat-Su energy questions
Am I on Chugach or MEA?
Most of Anchorage is on Chugach Electric; its North District is the old ML&P area of downtown and parts of East Anchorage. Eagle River, Chugiak, Wasilla, Palmer and the rest of the Mat-Su are on Matanuska Electric. Your bill shows which co-op and, for Chugach, which district.
Why do Chugach North and South District rates differ?
Chugach still bills the former ML&P area as a separate district. The energy, fuel and purchased-power charges are the same, but smaller items differ, mainly a gas-field capital rebate in the North and a surcharge in the South. From October 2026 that makes about 21.0¢ versus 24.2¢ per kWh.
Will Cook Inlet gas shortages raise my bill?
Both co-ops have secured gas into 2028 and 2029 with contracts and storage, and MEA says it expects about 5% a year in rate increases from its extension. We can’t forecast prices; just don’t count on today’s rate when you work out solar or EV savings.
Is solar worth it in Anchorage?
It can pay modestly: about $156 to $180 a year per kW used at home on Chugach, by our estimate. Size it to summer use, since monthly surplus earns a lower rate, and remember that November to January output is close to zero. A battery or generator still handles winter outages.
Sources
EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; reliability; net metering); Chugach Electric rate, renewable generation, community solar, EV, Med-Electric Alert pages and January 8, 2026 release; Matanuska Electric net metering, rates, outage and member program pages and January and October 2026 releases; Municipality of Anchorage Development Services and solar PV handout; City of Palmer; NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC; CPSC. Read October 2026. Estimates are ours and labelled.