In short: Billings has some of Montana’s best sun, about 1,200 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate. Homes are on NorthWestern Energy (about 14.2¢ per kWh in 2024) or Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op (about 13.4¢). FEMA rates winter weather “very high” for Yellowstone County, so cold-weather backup comes first.
Below: how your utility credits solar (the two have different limits and reset dates), backup for winter storms, and where Billings and Laurel permits come from. For statewide rules (the 50 kW net metering law, the DEQ solar loan, the property tax exemption), see our Montana energy guide.
Billings at a glance
- Utilities: in Yellowstone County, EIA lists NorthWestern Energy, Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op (YVEC), Mid-Yellowstone Electric and Fergus Electric. Your bill tells you which serves you.
- Price, 2024 average: NorthWestern about 14.2¢ per kWh; YVEC about 13.4¢ (EIA-861, revenue divided by sales).
- Outages, 2024: NorthWestern in Montana 233 minutes per customer with major events, 118 without (EIA-861, statewide, not split by city). YVEC isn’t in EIA’s reliability file.
- Sun: 4.12 kWh per square meter per day in Billings (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,200 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Yellowstone County “very high” for winter weather, “relatively high” for lightning and cold waves, and “relatively moderate” for wildfire, strong wind and hail.
- Public charging: 46 public ports at 13 locations in Billings and few in Laurel (AFDC, October 2026).
Your utility and what it means
NorthWestern Energy net meters home systems under Montana law: surplus energy is credited to future bills until your annual settle-up month, which you choose on the application from January, April, July or October. At settle-up, NorthWestern says Montana law resets any leftover credit to zero, and you still pay the monthly service fee. Pick the month after your low-production season so summer credits can cover winter. Don’t switch on until NorthWestern has installed the net meter and sent its welcome letter. See NorthWestern net metering.
NorthWestern says it doesn’t pay residential solar incentives and has no solar contractors, and it warns about ads that claim otherwise. Its E+ home rebates for August 2026 to June 2027 include $450 for a qualifying heat pump, $100 for an air purifier, $70 for a smart or programmable thermostat and $150 for engine block heater controls. We found no NorthWestern rebate for EV chargers or batteries.
Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op has its own net metering rules (from its page as archived in December 2025):
- Up to a 10 kW solar system per meter, offsetting only that meter.
- kWh-for-kWh credit; surplus is banked monthly.
- The solar bank resets on April 1 each year, with no payment for unused kWh.
- Net-metered members still pay a base fee and a kW demand charge each month.
Because of that demand charge, a YVEC member’s savings depend on peak use as well as kWh. Ask YVEC for current terms and the processing fee before you sign.
Backup power in Billings
Winter weather tops Yellowstone County’s hazard list, and cold waves follow. A gas furnace or boiler stops without power for its blower and controls, so the first goal is heat. Summer brings lightning and hail. NorthWestern can also use Public Safety Power Shutoffs in extreme fire weather and runs its lines on more sensitive settings in fire season; see the state page.
- Standby or portable generator on a transfer switch: best for multi-day winter outages. See generators and generator installation.
- Home battery: quiet cover for shorter outages, kept in a space above freezing. See home batteries.
- Portable power station: phones, CPAP, lights. See portable power stations.
Size it with the generator sizing tool or battery backup calculator, and read our backup power guide. Run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with the exhaust pointed away, and keep carbon monoxide alarms inside (CPSC).
Solar in Billings
By our rough estimate, a 6 kW system in Billings makes about 7,200 kWh a year, worth about $1,030 at NorthWestern’s 2024 average price or $965 at YVEC’s, as long as the credits are used before they reset. NASA’s averages run from about 1.4 kWh per square meter a day in December to 7.1 in July, so most surplus comes in summer. That’s why the settle-up month (NorthWestern) or the April 1 reset (YVEC) matters. YVEC’s 10 kW cap is enough for most homes. These are estimates, not quotes.
Model your roof with the solar potential tool and solar savings calculator; read solar installation, solar costs and how net metering works.
Home batteries
With kWh-for-kWh credit, a battery rarely lowers a NorthWestern bill; only 174 of its 8,159 Montana home solar systems had one in 2024 (EIA). For YVEC members, a battery that covers evening peaks might trim the demand charge; ask YVEC how demand is measured before counting on it. For most Billings homes, the reason to buy one is winter backup. See battery costs and battery installation.
EV charging
At 30 kWh per 100 miles and 2024 average prices, home charging costs about $4.25 per 100 miles on NorthWestern and $4.00 on YVEC (our estimates). Billings winters raise consumption, and a heated or attached garage helps. A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit and an electrical permit. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Billings: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Billings: the city is certified by the state to issue building and electrical permits inside city limits. Its applications and forms page includes Solar Photovoltaic System Plan Requirements.
- Laurel: the city is certified for building permits but not electrical, so electrical permits come from the state Building Codes Bureau.
- Outside city limits: the state Building Codes Bureau handles electrical permits (see its certified local governments list).
- Utility approval: NorthWestern or YVEC must approve a grid-tied system before you switch on.
Hire a licensed electrical contractor (license lookup on the state page), and check HOA rules on panels and generators.
Cities we cover
- Billings
- Laurel
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Billings energy questions
What is NorthWestern’s annual settle-up month?
It’s the month when your banked solar credit resets to zero, which NorthWestern says Montana law requires. You choose January, April, July or October when you apply. Choosing a month just after your weakest solar season lets summer surplus cover winter bills first.
How big a solar system can a Yellowstone Valley Electric member install?
YVEC allows up to 10 kW of solar per meter, and it offsets only that meter’s use. Banked solar kWh reset on April 1, and net-metered members still pay the base fee and demand charge.
Who issues electrical permits in Billings and Laurel?
Inside Billings city limits, the city does. Laurel is certified for building permits only, so electrical permits there, and outside city limits, come from the state Building Codes Bureau.
Does NorthWestern Energy pay people to install solar?
No. NorthWestern says it doesn’t offer residential solar incentives and calls ads claiming it does misleading. Montana’s help comes from the state: a DEQ low-interest loan and a property tax exemption, covered on our state page.
Sources
EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; outages; service territory; net-metered systems); NorthWestern Energy net metering, home solar information, wildfire safety and E+ existing-home rebate form (August 2026 to June 2027); Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op net metering page (archived December 2025); Montana Building Codes Bureau certified local governments list; City of Billings applications and forms (archived January 2026); NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC station data; CPSC. Read October 2026 unless noted. Estimates are ours and labelled.