In short: South Bend is on Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), at about 16.3¢ per kWh in 2024 with a strong outage record (EIA). Part of Mishawaka is on the city’s own utility, at about 10.3¢, but its meters give no credit for solar sent back to the grid. Small rooftop solar permits in South Bend usually take under three days.
This page covers backup power, solar, batteries and EV charging in South Bend and Mishawaka. Indiana’s export rules, the solar property tax deduction and state prices are in our Indiana energy guide.
South Bend at a glance
- Indiana Michigan Power (South Bend, much of Mishawaka): about 16.31¢ per kWh for homes on average in 2024; 157 minutes of outages per customer counting major storms, 98 without (EIA-861, 2024).
- Mishawaka Utilities (city-owned): about 10.32¢ per kWh in 2024 across about 25,000 home customers, the lowest price of any utility on our Indiana pages (EIA-861). It doesn’t report outage figures to EIA.
- Elsewhere in St. Joseph County: NIPSCO, Marshall County REMC, Kankakee Valley REMC and the towns of New Carlisle and Walkerton also serve customers (EIA).
- Sun: about 3.8 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,110 kWh a year per kW of panels, a little less than central Indiana.
- Top hazards: St. Joseph County is “relatively high” for cold waves and strong wind, with tornadoes, ice storms, winter weather, hail and flooding “relatively moderate” (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 71 ports at 24 locations in South Bend and 44 at 16 in Mishawaka (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Your address sets your utility; Indiana homes don’t choose a supplier. In Mishawaka the city utility and I&M both serve parts of town, so check your bill before you plan solar. It makes a big difference.
- I&M solar exports: under I&M’s excess distributed generation tariff (approved January 26, 2022, Cause No. 45506), power you send to the grid earns 1.25 times I&M’s average wholesale energy cost from the year before, reset yearly and well under retail. Ask I&M for this year’s rate.
- Mishawaka Utilities solar: since June 2021 the city allows “behind the meter” solar for homes and businesses. It installs a new meter at no cost, but the meter only turns forward: anything you send to the grid gets no credit. You file an Application for Interconnection with Mishawaka Utilities, and a licensed electrical contractor does the work.
- I&M EV charging: in 2021 I&M announced IM Plugged In, with a $500 incentive toward the wiring for a home EV meter and an overnight rate 33% below standard from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Ask I&M whether it’s still open.
- Grid work: I&M planned to rebuild about 12 miles of the South Bend to Niles transmission line and upgrade University Park Substation, with construction set for spring 2025 to early 2026.
Backup power in South Bend
I&M’s 2024 numbers are among Indiana’s best: fewer than one interruption per customer and about 2.6 hours out including storms. The local risk is the cold. St. Joseph County’s top ratings are cold waves and strong wind, so an outage can come when the furnace matters most.
- Essentials for a few hours: a portable power station or a sump pump battery.
- Furnace through a winter outage: a portable generator on a transfer switch; size it with the generator sizing tool.
- Automatic: a natural gas standby generator or a whole-home battery; check runtime with the battery backup calculator.
Compare options in backup power options. Safety: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says to run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from doors, windows and vents, never in a garage, with battery-backed carbon monoxide alarms. Keep the exhaust clear of drifted snow. A transfer switch needs a registered contractor and a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in South Bend
By our rough estimate, a 6 kW system in South Bend makes about 6,700 kWh a year on a flat surface; a south-facing, unshaded roof usually does better. On I&M, power used at home as it’s made would be worth up to about $1,090 a year at the 2024 average of 16.3¢, and exports earn the lower excess generation credit. These are estimates, not promises.
On Mishawaka Utilities the math is tighter. Power is cheap at about 10.3¢, and anything you export is worth nothing, so a system there should be sized to cover only what the home uses while the sun is up. A battery can help capture the rest. Model your roof with the solar potential tool, test quotes in the solar savings calculator, and read solar installation and how export credits work.
Batteries in South Bend
For Mishawaka Utilities customers with solar, a battery is the only way to use extra midday power, since exports earn nothing. On I&M, a battery stores solar for the evening rather than exporting it for the low credit, and adds winter backup. I&M customers pair batteries with solar more than any other Indiana utility’s (332 home systems in 2024, EIA). We found no confirmed utility or state battery rebate. See home battery installation and home battery cost.
EV charging in South Bend
South Bend has 71 public ports and Mishawaka 44. At home, using about 30 kWh per 100 miles, charging costs roughly $4.90 per 100 miles at I&M’s 2024 average and about $3.10 at Mishawaka Utilities’ average, by our estimate. South Bend and St. Joseph County have their own EV charger permit application for homes and businesses. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in South Bend: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- South Bend and St. Joseph County: one joint Building Department handles both, with separate online applications for solar, EV chargers and electrical work.
- Simplified solar review: per the solar permit guidelines, a home rooftop system under 11 kW DC on an existing roof qualifies. A grid-tied system then needs only an electrical permit, a basic roof layout and spec sheets. Typical turnaround for small rooftop systems is under three days. Larger or ground-mounted systems get standard review.
- Before you apply: the guidelines ask you to check zoning, design review and historic districts, your utility and your HOA first. The permit is picked up in person at 125 S. Lafayette Blvd.
- Contractors: every contractor and subcontractor must be registered or licensed with the Building Department; a homeowner living in the house may do their own work. Mishawaka residents should ask the City of Mishawaka about permits.
Cities we cover
- South Bend
- Mishawaka
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South Bend energy FAQ
Does Mishawaka Utilities pay for solar I send to the grid?
No. Mishawaka Utilities allows behind-the-meter solar, but its meters only turn forward, so exported power earns no credit. The city says the goal is to offset your own use. Size a system to your daytime load, or add a battery, and file the utility’s interconnection application first.
How fast is a solar permit in South Bend?
The Building Department says typical turnaround is under three days for small rooftop systems. Home rooftop systems under 11 kW DC qualify for simplified review, which for a grid-tied system needs only an electrical permit, a roof layout and equipment spec sheets. Bigger or ground-mounted systems take standard review.
Do I need a permit for a home EV charger in South Bend?
Yes. South Bend and St. Joseph County have a separate EV charger permit application that covers homes and businesses. The contractor must be registered with the Building Department, unless you’re an owner-occupant doing your own work.
Am I on I&M or Mishawaka Utilities?
South Bend is I&M territory. In Mishawaka, both the city utility and I&M serve parts of town, and federal maps don’t draw the line precisely. The name on your electric bill settles it, and it decides whether exports earn a credit.
Sources
Utilities, prices, outages and solar and battery counts: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024; HIFLD service territory map. City of Mishawaka notice on behind-the-meter generation (June 21, 2024); I&M news release (September 30, 2021); AEP release on the South Bend-Niles line (November 28, 2022); Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor page on I&M’s tariff. South Bend Building Department permits page and solar permit guidelines. All read October 3, 2026. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Charging: Alternative Fuels Data Center, October 3, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC.