Indianapolis Energy Guide: Solar, Batteries, Backup Power and EV

In short: Most of Indianapolis is on AES Indiana and the northern suburbs are on Duke Energy Indiana. Both were cheap by Indiana standards in 2024, at about 13.8¢ and 12.8¢ per kWh. AES customers averaged about 4 hours without power, Duke’s about 5 (EIA). Solar exports on AES now earn 5.4325¢ per kWh, well under retail.

This page covers backup power, solar, batteries and EV charging in Indianapolis and the suburbs around it. Indiana’s export rules, the solar property tax deduction and state prices are in our Indiana energy guide.

Indianapolis at a glance

• AES Indiana (most of Indianapolis): about 13.75¢ per kWh for homes on average in 2024; 247 minutes of outages per customer counting major storms, 87 without them, and about 1.25 interruptions a year (EIA-861, 2024).
• Duke Energy Indiana (Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, most of Greenwood): about 12.75¢ per kWh; 296 minutes with major storms, 113 without (EIA-861, 2024). Edges of Greenwood are on Johnson County REMC, and NineStar Connect serves parts of Hamilton County.
• Sun: about 4.0 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,170 kWh a year per kW of panels.
• Top hazards: Marion County is “very high” for cold waves and strong wind and “relatively high” for tornadoes, ice storms, winter weather, heat waves, lightning and flooding. Hamilton County adds hail (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
• Public charging: 273 ports at 77 locations in Indianapolis, 73 in Carmel, 55 in Fishers, 32 in Greenwood and 18 in Westfield (AFDC, October 3, 2026).

Your utility and what it means

Indianapolis homes don’t choose a supplier: your utility is set by your address. Look at the name on your bill, because the line between AES Indiana and Duke Energy Indiana runs through the metro.

• AES Indiana solar exports: under its Rider 16 (Excess Distributed Generation), the meter records what you take from the grid and what you send back on separate channels. What you take is billed at your normal rate. What you send back is credited at 5.4325¢ per kWh (tariff effective July 27, 2026). AES updates the rate every year. Credits carry forward while you stay on the rider, but you lose any unused balance when you close the account.
• AES Indiana system size: no larger than your average yearly use (and never over 1 MW). You need an interconnection agreement and liability insurance, and a licensed electrician’s certification counts as proof of a proper install.
• AES Indiana EV programs: Managed EV Charging Rewards pays a one-time $150 bonus plus up to $50 a year. Off-Peak EV Charging Rewards pays $150 to sign up plus up to $100 a year. Its old EV rate (EVX) is closed to new customers. Amounts are from AES’s EV rates page in October 2026; check the program page before you enroll.
• Duke Energy Indiana: also uses Indiana’s excess distributed generation credit, set each year at 1.25 times its average wholesale energy cost. We couldn’t load Duke’s tariff pages, so check the current rate and any EV program with Duke before you sign.
• Rates are changing: the state utility commission issued an order in AES Indiana’s rate case on June 17, 2026 (Cause No. 46258), so 2024 averages may understate your bill today.

Backup power in Indianapolis

AES Indiana’s own account of the last two years shows how storms drive outages here. The remains of Hurricane Helene, with gusts up to 70 mph, affected more than 77,700 AES customers in September 2024. A tornado on April 2, 2025 cut power to 70,700, and two storms on June 18, 2025 left 104,000 without power. On normal days AES customers lose under 1.5 hours a year, so planning is about the bad days.

Marion County’s “very high” cold wave rating matters most. In a January outage, a gas furnace still needs power for its blower and controls, and finished basements need the sump pump. A portable power station covers a fridge, Wi-Fi and phones for a few hours. A portable generator on a transfer switch can carry the furnace through a day or more. A natural gas standby generator or a whole-home battery switches over on its own. Compare them in backup power options and size them with the generator sizing tool and battery backup calculator.

Safety: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says to run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, with exhaust away from doors, windows and vents, and never in a garage. Put battery-backed carbon monoxide alarms on every level. A transfer switch or interlock should be installed by a licensed electrician under a permit; see generator installation.

Solar in Indianapolis

By our rough estimate, a 6 kW system in Indianapolis makes about 7,000 kWh a year on a flat surface; a south-facing, unshaded roof usually does better. Power you use as it’s made saves the full rate, worth up to about $960 a year at AES’s 2024 average. Power you export earns 5.4325¢, about $380 if every kWh went to the grid. Real homes land in between, so the more you use at midday, the faster solar pays off. These are estimates, not promises.

Low local prices cut both ways: they keep bills down, and they stretch solar payback compared with northern Indiana. Size the system to your daytime use, run laundry and EV charging in sunny hours, and test quotes in the solar savings calculator. Model your roof with the solar potential tool, and read solar installation and how net metering and export credits work.

Batteries in Indianapolis

An export credit at about 40% of the retail price is the main money case for a battery here: store midday solar and use it in the evening instead of selling it cheap. The other case is winter backup for the furnace blower, sump pump and fridge. We found no AES Indiana or Duke battery rebate to confirm. See home battery installation and home battery cost.

EV charging in Indianapolis

Indianapolis has 273 public charging ports, and the northern suburbs add well over 100 more. At home, using about 30 kWh per 100 miles, charging costs roughly $4.10 per 100 miles at AES’s 2024 average and $3.80 at Duke’s, by our estimate. AES’s off-peak rewards can lower that further. A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit from a licensed electrician and an electrical permit; see EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.

Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Indianapolis: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Permits and inspections

• Indianapolis and Marion County: the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issues permits. Its solar permitting checklist lists electrical, structural and improvement location permits for homes, plans sealed by an Indiana engineer where needed, a zoning and historic district check, and a signed AES Indiana interconnection agreement.
• Carmel: the Department of Community Services has a solar panels page (it didn’t load for us in October 2026).
• Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville and Greenwood: ask your city’s building department which permits a solar, generator or EV charger job needs.
• HOAs and licensing: the Indianapolis checklist says deed restrictions and HOA covenants are yours to follow, so get written HOA approval before you sign. Electricians are licensed locally in Indiana; check your installer’s license with the city.

Cities we cover

• Indianapolis
• Carmel
• Fishers
• Westfield
• Greenwood
• Noblesville

Get help

Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Indianapolis area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.

Indianapolis energy FAQ

How much does AES Indiana pay for solar I send to the grid?

Under its Rider 16 tariff effective July 27, 2026, AES Indiana credits exported power at 5.4325¢ per kWh. That’s 1.25 times its average wholesale energy cost from the year before, and it changes every year. Power you take from the grid is still billed at your normal rate, so using solar at home is worth more than exporting it.

Is Carmel or Fishers on AES Indiana or Duke Energy?

Federal service territory maps place Carmel, Fishers, Westfield and Noblesville on Duke Energy Indiana, and Indianapolis itself on AES Indiana. Boundaries don’t follow city lines exactly, and co-ops like NineStar Connect serve parts of Hamilton County, so check the name on your bill.

What permits does solar need in Indianapolis?

The city’s solar checklist lists electrical, structural and improvement location permits from the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services for a home system, plus a signed interconnection agreement with AES Indiana. Historic and conservation districts get extra review. Your installer normally files these; ask for the permit numbers.

How bad were recent Indianapolis outages?

AES Indiana reports that Helene’s remains affected more than 77,700 of its customers in September 2024, a tornado on April 2, 2025 hit 70,700, and two storms on June 18, 2025 left 104,000 without power. Outages are rare on calm days, so backup is about storms and winter cold.

Does AES Indiana pay me to charge my EV off-peak?

AES’s EV page lists two reward programs: Managed EV Charging Rewards ($150 to enroll, up to $50 a year) and Off-Peak EV Charging Rewards ($150 to sign up, up to $100 a year). Both are run for AES by CLEAResult. Check the program page for current terms before you enroll.

Sources

Utilities, prices, outages and solar counts: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024; HIFLD service territory map. AES Indiana Rider 16 EDG tariff (effective July 27, 2026), solar FAQs, EV rates page and EEI award release (September 16, 2025), read October 3, 2026. Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission order in Cause No. 46258 (June 17, 2026). City of Indianapolis solar permitting checklist. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Charging: Alternative Fuels Data Center, October 3, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC.