In short: Newburgh has about 28,200 people and sits in Orange County. New York State Elec & Gas Corp, Central Hudson Gas & Elec Corp and Orange & Rockland Utils Inc serves different parts of Orange County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 18.32¢ to 25.14¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Orange County strong winds “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,100 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is on the modest side, so price and incentives matter more.
This page covers what is local to Newburgh: 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.
Newburgh at a glance
- Place: Newburgh, Orange County, New York; about 28,181 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- 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 Newburgh).
- Utility: Central Hudson Gas & Elec Corp (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 25.14¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 167 minutes of power on normal days and 350 counting major storms, with 1.2 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Newburgh).
- Utility: Orange & Rockland Utils Inc (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 23.31¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 107 minutes of power on normal days and 231 counting major storms, with 1.0 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Newburgh).
- Sun: 3.77 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.43 in December to 5.92 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,100 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 760 cooling degree-days and 6,200 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Orange County: strong winds “relatively high”, winter weather “relatively high” and river and heavy-rain flooding “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively moderate”).
- Public charging: 75 ports at 12 locations in Newburgh, 34 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
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. Central Hudson Gas & Elec Corp is an investor-owned utility and served about 229,592 home customers in 2024; its 25.14¢ average was below the 29.9¢ statewide average for July 2026. Orange & Rockland Utils Inc is an investor-owned utility and served about 170,465 home customers in 2024; its 23.31¢ 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, Central Hudson Gas & Elec Corp reported 167 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 Newburgh
- Strong winds (relatively 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 (relatively 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 Newburgh
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,100 kWh a year in Newburgh (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at New York State Elec & Gas Corp’s 2024 average of 18.32¢, that is about $202 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 5.92 and December the dimmest at 1.43, a 4.1-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. 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. Newburgh has 75 public charging ports in the federal station list including 34 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 Newburgh: 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 Newburgh building or permitting department, or from Orange County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Newburgh, 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: Kiryas Joel, Poughkeepsie, Middletown and Ossining, or the whole New York energy guide.
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Newburgh energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Newburgh?
New York State Elec & Gas Corp, Central Hudson Gas & Elec Corp and Orange & Rockland Utils Inc all serve parts of Orange County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (New York State Elec & Gas Corp 18.32¢, Central Hudson Gas & Elec Corp 25.14¢, Orange & Rockland Utils Inc 23.31¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Newburgh?
About 1,100 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 6,600 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 Orange 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 Newburgh?
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.