In short: Laurel has about 7,300 people and sits in Yellowstone County. NorthWestern Energy LLC, Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op and Fergus Electric Coop, Inc serves different parts of Yellowstone County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 13.35¢ to 15.52¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Yellowstone County winter weather “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,200 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 Laurel: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Montana energy guide and the wider area is covered in the Billings guide.
Laurel at a glance
- Place: Laurel, Yellowstone County, Montana; about 7,251 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: NorthWestern Energy LLC (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 14.23¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 118 minutes of power on normal days and 233 counting major storms, with 1.0 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Laurel).
- Utility: Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 13.35¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861) (utility-wide, not just Laurel).
- Utility: Fergus Electric Coop, Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 15.52¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 444 minutes of power on normal days and 1,239 counting major storms (utility-wide, not just Laurel).
- Sun: 4.12 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.39 in December to 7.09 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,200 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 660 cooling degree-days and 6,950 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Yellowstone County: winter weather “very high”, cold waves “relatively high” and lightning “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively moderate”).
- Public charging: 8 ports at 1 locations in Laurel, 8 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
NorthWestern Energy LLC is an investor-owned utility and served about 328,125 home customers in 2024; its 14.23¢ average was below the 14.99¢ statewide average for July 2026. Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 21,182 home customers in 2024; its 13.35¢ average was below the 14.99¢ statewide average for July 2026. Fergus Electric Coop, Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 6,682 home customers in 2024; its 15.52¢ average was above the 14.99¢ 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, Fergus Electric Coop, Inc reported 444 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 157 (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 Montana guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Laurel
- 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.
- Cold waves (relatively high): Cold waves raise demand and can cause both outages and frozen pipes. Keep at least one room warm with a battery-run heater circuit or a generator.
- Heating load: a winter outage can stop a furnace blower, boiler pump or heat pump. List what your heat needs to run before choosing a generator or battery.
- 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 Laurel
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,200 kWh a year in Laurel (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at NorthWestern Energy LLC’s 2024 average of 14.23¢, that is about $171 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: July is the sunniest month at 7.09 and December the dimmest at 1.39, a 5.1-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. Laurel has 8 public charging ports in the federal station list including 8 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 Laurel: 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 Laurel building or permitting department, or from Yellowstone County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Laurel, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Montana guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Billings energy guide, or the whole Montana energy guide.
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Laurel energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Laurel?
NorthWestern Energy LLC, Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op and Fergus Electric Coop, Inc all serve parts of Yellowstone County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (NorthWestern Energy LLC 14.23¢, Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op 13.35¢, Fergus Electric Coop, Inc 15.52¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Laurel?
About 1,200 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,200 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 Yellowstone 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.
Will a home battery keep my heat on in an outage?
It can keep a furnace blower, boiler pump or a heat pump running for a while, but long cold outages drain a battery fast without solar to recharge it. Pair it with a generator or wood or propane heat if outages here run for days.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Laurel?
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.