In short: Augusta-Richmond County has about 201,700 people and sits in Richmond County. Georgia Power Co, Jefferson Electric Member Corp and Planters Electric Member Corp serves different parts of Richmond County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 13.27¢ to 15.49¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Richmond County strong winds “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 Augusta-Richmond County: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Georgia energy guide.
Augusta-Richmond County at a glance
- Place: Augusta-Richmond County, Richmond County, Georgia; about 201,737 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Georgia Power Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 15.49¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 128 minutes of power on normal days and 1,516 counting major storms, with 1.0 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Augusta-Richmond County).
- Utility: Jefferson Electric Member Corp (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 13.27¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 109 minutes of power on normal days and 10,318 counting major storms, with 1.4 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Augusta-Richmond County).
- Utility: Planters Electric Member Corp (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 14.53¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861) (utility-wide, not just Augusta-Richmond County).
- Sun: 4.62 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.48 in December to 6.38 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,350 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 2,350 cooling degree-days and 2,410 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Richmond County: strong winds “relatively high”, tornadoes “relatively high” and lightning “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively moderate”).
Your utility and what it means
Georgia Power Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 2,452,488 home customers in 2024; its 15.49¢ average was below the 16.27¢ statewide average for July 2026. Jefferson Electric Member Corp is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 34,490 home customers in 2024; its 13.27¢ average was below the 16.27¢ statewide average for July 2026. Planters Electric Member Corp is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 16,385 home customers in 2024; its 14.53¢ average was below the 16.27¢ 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, Georgia Power Co reported 128 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, less than the statewide figure of 212 (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 Georgia guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Augusta-Richmond County
- Strong winds (relatively high): High winds knock out lines on ordinary days. A battery or portable power station handles the common short outages; add a generator for multi-day repairs.
- Tornadoes (relatively high): Tornado-season storms cut power quickly. A battery that switches on by itself, or a portable generator ready to go, covers the first night; sirens and weather radios need power too.
- 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 Augusta-Richmond County
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,350 kWh a year in Augusta-Richmond County (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Georgia Power Co’s 2024 average of 15.49¢, that is about $209 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 6.38 and December the dimmest at 2.48, a 2.6-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. Hail and storm exposure are worth raising with installers and your insurer.
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. The federal station list shows few or no public chargers listed under Augusta-Richmond County, so a home charger matters more here: see the EV charging cost calculator and EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Augusta-Richmond County: 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 Augusta-Richmond County building or permitting department, or from Richmond County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Augusta-Richmond County, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Georgia guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: see all of Georgia, or the whole Georgia energy guide.
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Augusta-Richmond County energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Augusta-Richmond County?
Georgia Power Co, Jefferson Electric Member Corp and Planters Electric Member Corp all serve parts of Richmond County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Georgia Power Co 15.49¢, Jefferson Electric Member Corp 13.27¢, Planters Electric Member Corp 14.53¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Augusta-Richmond County?
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.
Is a generator or a battery better for strong winds in Richmond 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 Augusta-Richmond County?
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.