Lincoln Energy Guide: Solar, Batteries, Backup Power, EV

In short: Lincoln Electric System (LES) charged homes about 10.9¢ per kWh in 2024, among the lowest prices in our data, and on ordinary days its customers lost only 19 minutes of power. Storms are the exception: the July 31, 2024 windstorm pushed the year to 187 minutes. LES also pays a one-time capacity payment for new solar.

This page covers what is specific to Lincoln: LES’s net metering tiers and capacity payment, its storm record, the city’s fast solar permit and public charging. For statewide rules (Nebraska’s net metering law, DESL loans, electrician licensing) see our Nebraska energy guide.

Lincoln at a glance

• LES, the city-owned utility, serves Lincoln. Homes paid about 10.9¢ per kWh on average in 2024 and used about 810 kWh a month (EIA-861). Its 2026 residential energy charge is 7.82¢ per kWh in summer (June to September) and 5.60¢ in winter, plus monthly customer and facilities charges (LES rate schedule).
• LES outages (2024): 187 minutes per customer including major events, 19 minutes without; 0.7 interruptions a year, 0.3 without major events (EIA-861, IEEE method).
• Edges of town: some rural Lancaster County addresses are served by Norris Public Power District (about 9.6¢ in 2024, with about 200 outage minutes with or without major events).
• Sun: about 4.31 kWh per square meter per day, from 1.9 in December to 6.6 in July (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,260 kWh a year per kW of panels.
• Top hazards: Lancaster County rates “relatively moderate” overall, but strong wind, tornado and winter weather rate “very high,” and cold wave, hail, ice storm and lightning “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
• Public charging: 111 ports at 48 locations in Lincoln (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
• Home solar: 410 LES homes had net-metered solar in 2024 (EIA-861).

Your utility and what it means

• Net metering (LES rider, 2026): for renewable systems of 25 kW AC or less. At the end of each billing period LES nets what you sent against what you used. Net use is billed at the retail rate; net surplus is bought at an energy payment rate. Credits roll over month to month, and anything left at the end of the year is paid by check.
• The payment rate depends on when you connect: Tier 1 (100% of the residential energy charge) closed at the end of 2017. New systems get Tier 2, 50% of the residential energy charge, locked for 10 years from interconnection. At 2026 rates that is about 3.9¢ per kWh in summer and 2.8¢ in winter (our arithmetic). Tier 2 ends when customer generation reaches 10 MW AC or 15 years after it began, whichever comes first; Tier 3 is “to be determined.”
• Capacity payment: LES makes a one-time payment of $375 per kW DC for south-facing fixed solar and $475 per kW DC for west-facing or tracking solar, until Tier 3 starts. For a 6 kW south-facing system that is about $2,250 (our arithmetic). Check the current LES rate schedules; amounts can change.
• Getting connected: get a building permit, file an Application for Review of Interconnection with LES, wait for its notice to proceed, sign the net metering agreement, and pass LES’s inspection before you switch on (LES customer-owned generation). Standby generators that run in parallel with the grid also need LES approval.
• Other LES programs: its Sustainable Energy Program offers efficiency incentives, such as $500 for a qualifying heat pump water heater in 2026. We found no LES rebate for batteries or home EV chargers.

Backup power in Lincoln

Lincoln’s grid is very reliable day to day: 19 minutes without major events is among the best figures in our data. The risk is the big storm. On July 31, 2024, damaging winds left more than 30,000 LES customers without power at the peak, mostly from downed lines, and LES called in mutual aid crews from Hastings and Grand Island. LES’s 2025 annual report then describes a blizzard that downed 93 poles and cut power to 12,600 customers, and 91-mph winds that caused outages for more than 38,000 customers.

So the case for backup in Lincoln is the rare, long outage. A portable power station covers phones, lights and a CPAP. For a sump pump, furnace blower and fridge, compare a natural gas standby generator with a home battery in backup power options, and size them with the generator sizing tool or the battery backup calculator.

Safety first: the CPSC says to run portable generators outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away, and never in a garage. Fit battery-backed CO alarms. A transfer switch or interlock must be installed by a licensed electrician (generator installation).

Solar in Lincoln

Lincoln gets about 1,260 kWh a year per kW of panels by our rough estimate. At LES’s 2024 average of about 10.9¢, power you use yourself is worth about $135 a year per kW. Surplus is worth far less: half the energy charge, about 3.9¢ in summer and 2.8¢ in winter. That makes system size important: aim to cover what you use, not more. The one-time capacity payment helps, and west-facing panels earn more of it because they produce in the late afternoon, when LES needs power most.

Run your roof through the solar potential tool and the solar savings calculator, and read solar installation and how net metering works. If rooftop solar does not fit, LES also sells “virtual” panels in its community solar facility.

Batteries in Lincoln

With surplus solar bought at half the energy charge, a battery that stores midday output for the evening can add some value in Lincoln, more than in places that pay full retail for exports. But at 10.9¢ power the savings are small, so the main reason to buy one is backup through the next windstorm or blizzard. We found no LES battery incentive. Compare options in home battery installation and home battery cost.

EV charging in Lincoln

Charging at home costs roughly $3.30 per 100 miles at LES’s 2024 average and about 30 kWh per 100 miles (our estimate), and less in the eight winter months, when the energy charge is 5.60¢. Lincoln has 111 public ports at 48 locations (AFDC, October 3, 2026). LES studied EV charging habits from 2019 to 2021 but offers no EV rate or charger rebate that we could find. 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 Lincoln: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Permits and inspections

• Solar: the City of Lincoln’s Building and Safety department offers a streamlined solar permit for rooftop systems of 25 kW AC or less on single-family homes and duplexes, processed in three business days or less when filed online or at the Development Services Center. The system must pass inspection before it may operate, and LES approval is also required.
• Other work: generators, batteries and chargers go through the same department’s building and electrical permits; it lists 402-441-7521 for questions and 402-441-5999 for inspections.
• Who does the wiring: use a licensed electrician (see the state page for the license lookup). If you have an HOA, get its approval in writing.

Cities we cover

• Lincoln

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Lincoln energy FAQ

How does LES pay for solar exports?

LES nets your use and production each billing period. Net surplus from a system connected now earns the Tier 2 rate, half the residential energy charge, locked for 10 years. Credits roll over and any balance is paid by check at year end. Ask LES to confirm the tier before you sign.

What is the LES solar capacity payment?

A one-time payment for new solar on the net metering rider: $375 per kW DC for south-facing fixed panels and $475 for west-facing or tracking panels. It ends when Tier 3 begins. Check the current rate schedule, because LES can adjust it.

How fast is a solar permit in Lincoln?

Rooftop systems of 25 kW AC or less on single-family homes and duplexes qualify for the city’s streamlined review, processed in three business days or less. You still need an inspection and LES’s interconnection approval before switching on.

Do I need backup power in Lincoln?

Not for everyday outages, which averaged 19 minutes in 2024. Plan for the big storm instead: the July 2024 windstorm left over 30,000 LES customers in the dark, and 2025 brought a blizzard and a 91-mph windstorm. Homes with sump pumps or medical needs should plan for a day or more.

Sources

Utilities, prices, outages and solar counts: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024. LES residential rates and Renewable Net Metering Rider (effective after December 31, 2025), customer-owned generation, Sustainable Energy Program and electric vehicle pages, August 1, 2024 storm release and 2025 annual report. City of Lincoln Building and Safety. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Charging: Alternative Fuels Data Center. Generator safety: CPSC. All checked October 3, 2026.