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

In short: Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) charged homes about 12.4¢ per kWh in 2024, well below the national average, but storms cost its customers 1,186 outage minutes that year, almost 20 hours, against 86 minutes on ordinary days (EIA). In the Omaha area, backup power is the first question; bill savings come second.

This page covers what is specific to Omaha, Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista and Fremont: OPPD’s net metering and $2,000 solar rebate, the storms behind those outage numbers, permits and public charging. For statewide rules (Nebraska’s net metering law, DESL loans, electrician licensing) see our Nebraska energy guide.

Omaha at a glance

• OPPD serves Omaha, Bellevue, Papillion and La Vista. Homes paid about 12.4¢ per kWh on average in 2024 and used about 885 kWh a month (EIA-861).
• OPPD outages (2024): 1,186 minutes per customer including major events, 86 minutes without; 1.68 interruptions a year, 0.66 without major events (EIA-861, IEEE method).
• Fremont runs its own city utility: about 12.0¢ per kWh in 2024 and just 18 outage minutes per customer (EIA-861).
• Sun: about 4.16 kWh per square meter per day, from 1.7 in December to 6.5 in July (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,220 kWh a year per kW of panels.
• Top hazards: Douglas County’s overall risk is “relatively high.” Cold wave, hail, ice storm, strong wind, tornado and winter weather all rate “very high.” Sarpy County (Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista) rates “relatively moderate” overall, with most of the same hazards “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
• Public charging: 239 ports at 91 locations in Omaha, plus 10 in Papillion, 10 in Fremont, 8 in La Vista and a few in Bellevue (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
• Home solar: 1,655 OPPD homes had net-metered solar in 2024, about 1 in 220 residential customers (EIA-861).

Your utility and what it means

• Net metering (OPPD): OPPD installs a free bidirectional meter. At the end of each billing cycle it nets what you imported against what you exported. If you used more, you pay for the difference; if you exported more, the surplus is paid at the rate in its Rate 483 net metering rider. OPPD says that surplus is paid at its avoided cost, as Nebraska law requires, which is less than the retail rate. Note that net metering customers cannot use OPPD’s Level Payment Plan.
• Solar rebate: OPPD customers who install a qualifying system through one of its Solar Trade Allies may be eligible for a $2,000 rebate; the Trade Ally applies for you, and the budget runs by year. Check the terms on OPPD’s customer-owned generation FAQ, because amounts and rules change.
• Getting connected: OPPD says approval to build a system of 25 kW or less typically takes about four weeks. After the system passes electrical inspection, the witness test and net meter are usually scheduled within one to two weeks.
• Batteries: OPPD allows batteries with solar or on their own, under its Customer-Owned Generation Manual. Without a battery, solar shuts off during an outage.
• EV: OPPD’s earlier EV and charger rebate was sold out by 2021, and we found no current OPPD EV or charger rebate.
• Fremont: the city utility sets its own solar terms. Ask it before you sign.

Backup power in Omaha

The gap between 86 and 1,186 minutes is one storm. On July 31, 2024, a windstorm with hurricane-force gusts caused what OPPD calls “the largest customer damage” in its history, with many outages caused by fallen trees. Then on March 19, 2025, a blizzard coated lines with ice and brought them down. OPPD called it the most destructive weather event in its history: the fifth largest by customers out, but by far the worst for damage to its equipment, with nearly 1,200 poles expected to be replaced. Rural customers in Saunders, Dodge and Washington counties were hit hardest. In August 2025, windstorms with gusts up to 80 mph cut power to nearly 40,000 OPPD customers at the peak (American Public Power Association).

So plan for a multi-day outage in summer heat or winter cold, not a short blink. A portable power station handles phones, Wi-Fi, lights and a CPAP. For a sump pump, furnace blower and fridge over several days, look at a natural gas standby generator, or a larger home battery paired with solar. Compare them 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 Omaha

Omaha gets about 1,220 kWh a year per kW of panels by our rough estimate. At OPPD’s 2024 average of about 12.4¢, the power you use yourself is worth about $150 a year per kW. Monthly surplus earns OPPD’s lower avoided-cost rate, so size the system to your use; OPPD says its average home system is 7 kW. The $2,000 rebate, if you qualify, shortens the payback. With cheap power, payback is still slow, so ask each installer for the math in writing.

Run your roof through the solar potential tool and the solar savings calculator, and read solar installation and how net metering works. Nebraska’s 1% net metering cap and DESL loans are explained on the state page.

Batteries in Omaha

A battery adds little to solar savings with OPPD, because there is no time-of-use rate to play and surplus is netted monthly. Its value here is backup: keeping the sump pump, furnace fan and fridge running through the next windstorm or ice storm, quietly and automatically. A battery sized for a few essential circuits can bridge a day, and with solar it can recharge between storms. Work out what must run and for how long, then compare in home battery installation and home battery cost.

EV charging in Omaha

At OPPD’s 2024 average, charging at home costs roughly $3.70 per 100 miles at about 30 kWh per 100 miles (our estimate). Omaha has the largest public network in the state, 239 ports at 91 locations (AFDC, October 3, 2026). 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 Omaha: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Permits and inspections

• Omaha: the City of Omaha Planning Department’s Permits and Inspections office issues building and electrical permits, mostly online, and publishes a residential solar plan submittal checklist. Ask it which permits your solar, battery, generator or charger needs.
• Suburbs: Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista and Fremont issue their own permits; unincorporated areas go through the county.
• Utility: OPPD (or Fremont’s utility) must approve the interconnection and do its witness test before solar or a battery runs.
• Who does the wiring: use a licensed electrician (see the state page for the license lookup). If you have an HOA, OPPD itself advises checking your covenants first.

Cities we cover

• Omaha
• Bellevue
• Papillion
• La Vista
• Fremont

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Omaha energy FAQ

Does OPPD have net metering?

Yes. OPPD nets your imports and exports at the end of each billing cycle. Any surplus is paid at its Rate 483 rider, which OPPD says reflects its avoided cost, below the retail rate. So solar pays best when you use most of what it makes.

Is there a solar rebate in Omaha?

OPPD offers up to $2,000 to customers who install a qualifying system through one of its Solar Trade Allies, who apply for you. Funds run by budget year and the rules can change, so confirm eligibility on OPPD’s pages before you sign.

Why were OPPD outages so high in 2024?

Mostly one storm. The July 31, 2024 windstorm caused the largest customer damage in OPPD’s history, which pushed the yearly average to 1,186 minutes. Without major events, customers lost only 86 minutes. The March 2025 blizzard then caused OPPD’s worst equipment damage on record.

Will solar keep my power on in an Omaha outage?

Not by itself. OPPD notes that grid-tied solar shuts off during outages to protect line crews. To keep power, you need a battery with the solar, or a generator connected through a transfer switch by a licensed electrician.

Sources

Utilities, prices, outages and solar counts: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024. OPPD net metering, customer-owned generation and FAQ pages, 2025 operating plan and March 23, 2025 storm releases; American Public Power Association, August 2025. 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.