In short: Manhattan has about 54,700 people and sits in Riley County. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc serves the county, averaging 14.29¢ per kWh for homes in 2024 (EIA). FEMA rates Riley County winter weather “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,270 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Manhattan: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Kansas energy guide.
Manhattan at a glance
- Place: Manhattan, Riley County, Kansas; about 54,700 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 14.29¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 102 minutes of power on normal days and 318 counting major storms, with 1.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Manhattan).
- Sun: 4.36 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.00 in December to 6.67 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,270 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 1,610 cooling degree-days and 4,970 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Riley County: winter weather “relatively high”, ice storms “relatively high” and wildfires “relatively moderate” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively low”).
- Public charging: 29 ports at 13 locations in Manhattan, 12 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is an investor-owned utility and served about 341,806 home customers in 2024; its 14.29¢ average was below the 15.27¢ 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, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc reported 102 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, less than the statewide figure of 104 (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 Kansas guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Manhattan
- Winter weather (relatively 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.
- Ice storms (relatively high): Ice storms bring down lines for days. A standby generator with a transfer switch, or a battery sized for the fridge, furnace blower and well pump, matters more than a small power station.
- 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 Manhattan
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,270 kWh a year in Manhattan (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Evergy Kansas Central, Inc’s 2024 average of 14.29¢, that is about $181 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 6.67 and December the dimmest at 2.00, a 3.3-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. Manhattan has 29 public charging ports in the federal station list including 12 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 Manhattan: 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 Manhattan building or permitting department, or from Riley County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Manhattan, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Kansas guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: see all of Kansas, or the whole Kansas energy guide.
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Manhattan energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Manhattan?
Federal data lists Evergy Kansas Central, Inc as the main utility serving Riley County. Small areas can be served by a different company or a co-op, so confirm on your bill.
How much power will solar make in Manhattan?
About 1,270 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,620 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 Riley 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 Manhattan?
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.