In short: Georgia customers lost an average of about 20 hours of power in 2024, one of the worst totals in the country, almost all of it on major storm days. Power is moderately priced, about 16.3¢ per kWh in July 2026. For most Georgia homes, reliable backup comes before solar, which now earns a reduced export credit from Georgia Power.
Georgia’s numbers point to a clear order of decisions: protect the home from long storm outages, then look at solar and batteries with realistic expectations about export credits, and charge your EV at home where it is cheap. This guide walks through each one with sourced, dated figures.
Georgia at a glance
- Home electricity price: 16.27¢/kWh in July 2026 (EIA, preliminary), up from 15.56¢ in July 2025; 15.4¢ average for January to July 2026. U.S. average: 18.31¢ (EIA, July 2026).
- Outages in 2024: 1,229 minutes per customer including major events, 212 minutes without them; 2.1 interruptions per customer, or 1.3 on normal days (EIA-861, 2024).
- Sun: about 4.5 kWh per square meter per day in Atlanta and 4.65 near the center of the state (NASA POWER, 2001–2020), roughly 1,320 kWh per kW of panels per year in Atlanta by our rough estimate.
- Net metering: Georgia Power’s monthly netting program is capped and full; new customers are on net billing with a lower export credit. EMCs set their own terms.
- Plug-in (balcony) solar law: none as of October 2026.
- Electric vehicles: 161,200 battery-electric and 32,900 plug-in hybrid cars through 2025; 7,604 public charging ports at 2,378 locations, 2,318 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 2026).
- Main utilities: Georgia Power (about 53% of customers), then electric membership corporations led by Jackson EMC (5%), Cobb EMC (4%) and Sawnee EMC (4%) (EIA-861, 2024).
- Top weather hazards: ice storm, cold wave, tornado and strong wind all rated relatively high; hurricane, winter weather and heat wave relatively moderate (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Planned wildfire shutoffs (PSPS): no program found for Georgia Power.
Backup power in Georgia
The two outage numbers tell the story. On ordinary days Georgia customers lost about 3.5 hours of power in 2024; counting major event days, the total jumps to about 20.5 hours. Nationally, EIA linked 2024’s unusually long outages mainly to hurricanes Beryl, Helene and Milton. Georgia’s risk does not end with hurricanes, though: FEMA rates four hazards as relatively high for the state, ice storms, cold waves, tornadoes and strong wind. That means outages can come in summer or winter, and some last days, not hours.
For outages that can stretch beyond a day, here is how the options compare:
- Standby generator: starts on its own and runs as long as natural gas flows or the propane tank lasts. The strongest option for multi-day outages and for running central air or a heat pump.
- Portable generator with a transfer switch: a lower-cost way to run the fridge, freezer, fans, lights and a furnace blower, if you are home to refuel it.
- Home battery: silent and automatic; with solar it can recharge each day of a long outage, without solar it covers essentials for roughly a day depending on size and load.
- Portable power station: phones, internet, lights and a CPAP, for renters or as a first step.
The CPSC warns about generator carbon monoxide poisoning after storms. It says to run generators outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from windows, doors and vents, never in a garage, basement or on a porch, and to keep battery-powered CO alarms on every level. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet; have a licensed electrician install a transfer switch or interlock, and a licensed gas contractor run any gas line. Estimate your needs with the generator sizing calculator or the battery backup calculator.
Solar in Georgia
Georgia has good sun but limited rules for selling power back. Georgia Power’s monthly net metering program is capped at 5,000 customers and has been full since 2021. New Georgia Power solar customers are on instantaneous netting: solar you use as it is produced saves the full retail price, while power sent to the grid is credited at Georgia Power’s solar avoided cost plus a Public Service Commission adder, reported at about 7.2¢ per kWh for 2026. If you are served by an EMC, such as Jackson, Cobb or Sawnee, your co-op sets its own terms, so ask for them in writing.
Rough numbers (estimates, not promises): each kW of panels in Atlanta makes about 1,320 kWh a year. Used at home at 16.27¢, that is worth about $215 a year; exported at about 7.2¢, about $95. A 6 kW system makes about 7,920 kWh a year, and the share you use in the home decides most of the savings. EIA counted 18,612 net-metered home solar systems in Georgia in 2024 (about 129 MW), a small number for a state of nearly five million electricity customers. Run the solar potential calculator, compare solar costs and read net metering vs net billing.
We found no confirmed statewide solar incentive for 2026, and Georgia has no plug-in solar law, so plug-in kits fall under your utility’s interconnection rules. The federal 25D credit ended for systems completed after December 31, 2025. See our solar guide and check incentives for utility offers.
Home batteries in Georgia
Georgia’s long storm outages are the main case for a battery, and solar makes it stronger: during a multi-day outage, panels recharge the battery every sunny day, while a grid-tied system without a battery shuts off. A battery also lets you keep midday solar for the evening instead of exporting it at the lower credit. EIA counted 395 battery-paired net-metered solar homes in Georgia in 2024. We found no confirmed state battery program. For whole-home backup through a long hurricane or ice-storm outage, a battery plus solar, or a battery paired with a generator, is more realistic than a battery alone. See our home battery guide and home battery costs.
EV charging in Georgia
Georgia had 161,200 battery-electric cars through 2025, one of the larger EV fleets in the Southeast, and 7,604 public charging ports, about 21 cars per port; 2,318 of those ports are DC fast chargers. Charging at home is cheap: using about 30 kWh per 100 miles, a typical rating of the kind fueleconomy.gov shows, 100 miles cost about $4.90 at 16.27¢, and 12,000 miles a year about $590 (estimate). Ask Georgia Power or your EMC whether a time-of-use or EV plan would lower your overnight charging cost.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Georgia: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit installed by a licensed electrician, with a permit where required. The federal 30D credit ended September 30, 2025, and the 30C charger credit ended for chargers placed in service after June 30, 2026. See our EV charging guide and the EV charging cost calculator.
Off-grid, small wind and micro-hydro
Off-grid solar with batteries and a backup generator suits hunting land, farms and mountain cabins without service; see off-grid power. Small wind is weak in Georgia: NASA POWER puts the 50-meter average at about 4.7 m/s near the center of the state and 4.5 m/s around Atlanta, and home turbines sit much lower, among trees. Only a measured, exposed site should be considered (wind energy). In the North Georgia mountains, a property with a year-round stream and real drop might support micro-hydro; we have no state data on it, so start with our hydropower page.
Licensing and permits in Georgia
Electrical contractors in Georgia are licensed by the State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors, under the Secretary of State. Search the Secretary of State’s website for its license verification service before you hire. Permits come from your city or county, and Georgia Power or your EMC must approve any grid-connected solar or battery system before it is turned on. Standby generators on natural gas or propane also need a licensed gas or plumbing contractor for the fuel line.
Local guides in Georgia
Utilities, rates, outage records, permit offices and local programs for each area:
Where we cover in Georgia
- Atlanta: Atlanta, Marietta, Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Sandy Springs, Lawrenceville, Newnan
- Savannah: Savannah, Pooler
- Augusta: Augusta, Evans
- Columbus: Columbus
- Middle Georgia: Macon, Warner Robins
Local pages for these areas will follow as we verify local information and installers.
Get quotes in Georgia
Are you a licensed installer in Georgia? 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 Georgia. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. See how it works.
Georgia energy FAQs
Does Georgia have net metering?
Only in a limited way. Georgia Power’s monthly netting program is capped at 5,000 customers and has been full since 2021. New Georgia Power solar customers get instantaneous netting, with exports credited at avoided cost plus a PSC adder, reported at about 7.2¢ per kWh in 2026. EMCs set their own rules.
How long are power outages in Georgia?
In 2024 the average customer lost 1,229 minutes, about 20.5 hours, counting major storm days, but only 212 minutes on normal days (EIA-861). Storms drive most of the lost time. FEMA rates ice storms, cold waves, tornadoes and strong wind as relatively high risks for Georgia.
Generator or battery for Georgia storm outages?
For outages lasting days, a standby generator on natural gas or propane gives the longest runtime. A battery is quieter and automatic, and with solar it recharges daily, but alone it covers essentials for about a day. A common approach combines a battery for short outages with a generator for long ones.
Are there solar incentives in Georgia in 2026?
We found no confirmed statewide solar or battery incentive for 2026, and the federal 25D credit ended for systems completed after December 31, 2025. Your utility or EMC may run its own programs, so check its website and our incentives page, and confirm any offer, because amounts change.
How much does it cost to charge an EV at home in Georgia?
About $4.90 per 100 miles at the July 2026 average of 16.27¢ per kWh, assuming roughly 30 kWh per 100 miles, or about $590 for 12,000 miles a year. Time-of-use or EV rate plans can reduce that for overnight charging. Your car and rate plan decide the real figure.
Sources
Electricity prices: EIA Electric Power Monthly, July 2026 (preliminary). Outages, utilities and net-metered solar: EIA-861, 2024; 2024 hurricane context: EIA Today in Energy. Weather hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Sun and wind: NASA POWER, 2001–2020 averages. EV registrations and charging ports: Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC), 2025 registrations and station counts read October 3, 2026. Net metering terms: Georgia Public Service Commission decisions as reported, checked October 2026. Licensing: Georgia Secretary of State, State Construction Industry Licensing Board. Generator safety: CPSC.