In short: Mount Vernon has about 72,000 people and sits in Westchester County. Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc and New York State Elec & Gas Corp serves different parts of Westchester County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 18.32¢ to 35.66¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Westchester County strong winds “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,170 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 Mount Vernon: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our New York energy guide.
Mount Vernon at a glance
- Place: Mount Vernon, Westchester County, New York; about 71,999 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 35.66¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 15 minutes of power on normal days and 28 counting major storms, with 0.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Mount Vernon).
- Utility: New York State Elec & Gas Corp (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 18.32¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 148 minutes of power on normal days and 655 counting major storms, with 1.3 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Mount Vernon).
- Sun: 4.01 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.59 in December to 6.18 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,170 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 910 cooling degree-days and 5,620 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Westchester County: strong winds “very high”, winter weather “very high” and lightning “very high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively high”).
- Public charging: 38 ports at 7 locations in Mount Vernon, none of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc is an investor-owned utility and served about 2,715,069 home customers in 2024; its 35.66¢ average was above the 29.9¢ statewide average for July 2026. New York State Elec & Gas Corp is an investor-owned utility and served about 735,192 home customers in 2024; its 18.32¢ average was below the 29.9¢ 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, New York State Elec & Gas Corp reported 148 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 72 (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 New York guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Mount Vernon
- Strong winds (very high): High winds knock out lines on ordinary days. A battery or portable power station handles the common short outages; add a generator for multi-day repairs.
- 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.
- 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 Mount Vernon
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,170 kWh a year in Mount Vernon (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc’s 2024 average of 35.66¢, that is about $417 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 6.18 and December the dimmest at 1.59, a 3.9-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. Mount Vernon has 38 public charging ports in the federal station list (none of them 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 Mount Vernon: 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 Mount Vernon building or permitting department, or from Westchester County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Mount Vernon, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the New York guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: New Rochelle, Yonkers, White Plains and Harrison, or the whole New York energy guide.
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Mount Vernon energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Mount Vernon?
Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc and New York State Elec & Gas Corp both serve parts of Westchester County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc 35.66¢, New York State Elec & Gas Corp 18.32¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Mount Vernon?
About 1,170 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,020 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 strong winds in Westchester 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 Mount Vernon?
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.