In short: Lee’s Summit has about 106,400 people and sits in Jackson County. Evergy Missouri West, Evergy Metro and City of Independence serves different parts of Jackson County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 12.55¢ to 15.74¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Jackson County tornadoes “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,260 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Lee’s Summit: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Missouri energy guide and the wider area is covered in the Kansas City guide.
Lee’s Summit at a glance
- Place: Lee’s Summit, Jackson County, Missouri; about 106,419 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Evergy Missouri West (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 12.55¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 119 minutes of power on normal days and 306 counting major storms, with 1.2 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Lee’s Summit).
- Utility: Evergy Metro (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 13.72¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 104 minutes of power on normal days and 402 counting major storms, with 1.2 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Lee’s Summit).
- Utility: City of Independence (city-owned). Homes paid an average 15.74¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 35 minutes of power on normal days and 331 counting major storms, with 0.3 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Lee’s Summit).
- Sun: 4.31 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.01 in December to 6.58 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,260 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 1,410 cooling degree-days and 5,050 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Jackson County: tornadoes “very high”, hail “very high” and heat waves “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively high”).
- Public charging: 18 ports at 8 locations in Lee’s Summit, 4 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Evergy Missouri West is an investor-owned utility and served about 305,583 home customers in 2024; its 12.55¢ average was below the 16.09¢ statewide average for July 2026. Evergy Metro is an investor-owned utility and served about 273,860 home customers in 2024; its 13.72¢ average was below the 16.09¢ statewide average for July 2026. City of Independence is a city-owned utility and served about 53,832 home customers in 2024; its 15.74¢ average was close to the 16.09¢ 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 Missouri West reported 119 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 106 (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 Missouri guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Lee’s Summit
- Tornadoes (very 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.
- Hail (very high): Hail is hard on rooftop solar; ask installers about impact-rated panels and your insurer about coverage.
- 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 Lee’s Summit
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,260 kWh a year in Lee’s Summit (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Evergy Missouri West’s 2024 average of 12.55¢, that is about $158 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 6.58 and December the dimmest at 2.01, 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. 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. Lee’s Summit has 18 public charging ports in the federal station list including 4 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 Lee: 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 Lee’s Summit building or permitting department, or from Jackson County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Lee’s Summit, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Missouri guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Kansas City energy guide, Blue Springs, Independence and Liberty, or the whole Missouri energy guide.
Get help
Are you a licensed installer in Lee's Summit? Join SolutionEnergy and get requests from homeowners and businesses →
Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Lee’s Summit area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.
Lee’s Summit energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Lee’s Summit?
Evergy Missouri West, Evergy Metro and City of Independence all serve parts of Jackson County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Evergy Missouri West 12.55¢, Evergy Metro 13.72¢, City of Independence 15.74¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Lee’s Summit?
About 1,260 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,560 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 tornadoes in Jackson 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 Lee’s Summit?
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.