In short: Anchorage has about 289,600 people and sits in Anchorage County. Chugach Electric Assn Inc and Matanuska Electric Assn Inc serves different parts of Anchorage County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 21.24¢ to 23.37¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Anchorage County winter weather “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 740 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 Anchorage: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Alaska energy guide and the wider area is covered in the Anchorage–Mat-Su guide.
Anchorage at a glance
- Place: Anchorage, Anchorage County, Alaska; about 289,600 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Chugach Electric Assn Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 21.24¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 125 minutes of power on normal days and 209 counting major storms, with 1.4 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Anchorage).
- Utility: Matanuska Electric Assn Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 23.37¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 258 minutes of power on normal days, with 2.3 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Anchorage).
- Sun: 2.54 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 0.14 in December to 5.32 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 740 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 0 cooling degree-days and 12,220 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Anchorage County: winter weather “very high”, avalanches “very high” and earthquakes “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively high”).
- Public charging: 29 ports at 12 locations in Anchorage, 9 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Chugach Electric Assn Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 97,048 home customers in 2024; its 21.24¢ average was below the 28.83¢ statewide average for July 2026. Matanuska Electric Assn Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 64,205 home customers in 2024; its 23.37¢ average was below the 28.83¢ 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, Matanuska Electric Assn Inc reported 258 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 192 (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 Alaska guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Anchorage
- Winter weather (very high): Winter storms and cold snaps combine outages with heating demand. Plan for the furnace blower or heat pump, not just lights, and keep a fuel supply you can reach in snow.
- 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 Anchorage
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 740 kWh a year in Anchorage (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Chugach Electric Assn Inc’s 2024 average of 21.24¢, that is about $157 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 5.32 and December the dimmest at 0.14, a 38.5-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. Anchorage has 29 public charging ports in the federal station list including 9 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 Anchorage: 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 Anchorage building or permitting department, or from Anchorage County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Anchorage, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Alaska guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Anchorage–Mat-Su energy guide, Wasilla and Palmer, or the whole Alaska energy guide.
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Anchorage energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Anchorage?
Chugach Electric Assn Inc and Matanuska Electric Assn Inc both serve parts of Anchorage County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Chugach Electric Assn Inc 21.24¢, Matanuska Electric Assn Inc 23.37¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Anchorage?
About 740 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 4,440 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 winter weather in Anchorage 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 Anchorage?
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.