In short: Greenbelt has about 24,800 people and sits in Prince George’s County. Baltimore Gas & Electric Co, Potomac Electric Power Co and Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc serves different parts of Prince George’s County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 14.84¢ to 20.08¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Prince George’s County winter weather “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,240 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is about average for the U.S..
This page covers what is local to Greenbelt: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Maryland energy guide and the wider area is covered in the Baltimore guide.
Greenbelt at a glance
- Place: Greenbelt, Prince George’s County, Maryland; about 24,843 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Baltimore Gas & Electric Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 17.91¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 67 minutes of power on normal days and 133 counting major storms, with 0.6 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Greenbelt).
- Utility: Potomac Electric Power Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 20.08¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 46 minutes of power on normal days and 65 counting major storms, with 0.5 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Greenbelt).
- Utility: Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 14.84¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 114 minutes of power on normal days and 146 counting major storms, with 1.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Greenbelt).
- Sun: 4.24 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.92 in December to 6.44 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,240 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 1,350 cooling degree-days and 4,650 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Prince George’s County: winter weather “very high”, lightning “very high” and heat waves “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively moderate”).
- Public charging: 33 ports at 8 locations in Greenbelt, 14 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Baltimore Gas & Electric Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 1,025,745 home customers in 2024; its 17.91¢ average was below the 21.41¢ statewide average for July 2026. Potomac Electric Power Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 485,483 home customers in 2024; its 20.08¢ average was below the 21.41¢ statewide average for July 2026. Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 158,375 home customers in 2024; its 14.84¢ average was below the 21.41¢ 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, Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc reported 114 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 75 (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 Maryland guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Greenbelt
- Winter weather (very 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.
- Lightning (very high): Lightning causes short outages and damages electronics. Surge protection and a battery that switches over automatically protect the things you care about.
- 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 Greenbelt
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,240 kWh a year in Greenbelt (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Baltimore Gas & Electric Co’s 2024 average of 17.91¢, that is about $222 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 6.44 and December the dimmest at 1.92, a 3.4-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. Greenbelt has 33 public charging ports in the federal station list including 14 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 Greenbelt: 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 Greenbelt building or permitting department, or from Prince George’s County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Greenbelt, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Maryland guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Baltimore energy guide, College Park, Hyattsville, Takoma Park and Laurel, or the whole Maryland energy guide.
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Greenbelt energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Greenbelt?
Baltimore Gas & Electric Co, Potomac Electric Power Co and Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc all serve parts of Prince George’s County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Baltimore Gas & Electric Co 17.91¢, Potomac Electric Power Co 20.08¢, Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc 14.84¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Greenbelt?
About 1,240 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,440 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 Prince George’s 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 Greenbelt?
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.