In short: Jacksonville has about 70,800 people and sits in Onslow County. Duke Energy Progress, Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp and Carteret-Craven El Member Corp serves different parts of Onslow County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 12.15¢ to 15.54¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Onslow County hurricanes “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,340 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Jacksonville: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our North Carolina energy guide.
Jacksonville at a glance
- Place: Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina; about 70,840 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Duke Energy Progress (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 15.54¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 141 minutes of power on normal days and 1,803 counting major storms, with 1.2 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Jacksonville).
- Utility: Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 13.09¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 45 minutes of power on normal days and 125 counting major storms, with 0.7 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Jacksonville).
- Utility: Carteret-Craven El Member Corp (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 12.15¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 70 minutes of power on normal days and 104 counting major storms, with 0.8 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Jacksonville).
- Sun: 4.60 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.38 in December to 6.46 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,340 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 2,170 cooling degree-days and 2,050 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so air conditioning is the big load.
- Top hazards in Onslow County: hurricanes “very high”, winter weather “very high” and lightning “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively high”).
- Public charging: 35 ports at 12 locations in Jacksonville, 19 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Duke Energy Progress is an investor-owned utility and served about 1,356,079 home customers in 2024; its 15.54¢ average was close to the 15.16¢ statewide average for July 2026. Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 79,690 home customers in 2024; its 13.09¢ average was below the 15.16¢ statewide average for July 2026. Carteret-Craven El Member Corp is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 38,858 home customers in 2024; its 12.15¢ average was below the 15.16¢ 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, Duke Energy Progress reported 141 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, less than the statewide figure of 141 (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 North Carolina guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Jacksonville
- Hurricanes (very high): Hurricanes can mean a week without power. A standby generator on natural gas or propane, or a battery with solar, beats a stack of gas cans; check flood height before you site equipment.
- 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.
- Cooling load: an outage in Jacksonville summer means no air conditioning. A central unit is a big load; a large battery system or standby generator can run it, while a smaller setup keeps fans, a window unit or a mini-split going.
- 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 Jacksonville
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,340 kWh a year in Jacksonville (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Duke Energy Progress’s 2024 average of 15.54¢, that is about $208 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: June is the sunniest month at 6.46 and December the dimmest at 2.38, a 2.7-to-1 gap.
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. Jacksonville has 35 public charging ports in the federal station list including 19 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 Jacksonville: 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 Jacksonville building or permitting department, or from Onslow County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Jacksonville, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the North Carolina guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: see all of North Carolina, or the whole North Carolina energy guide.
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Jacksonville energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Jacksonville?
Duke Energy Progress, Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp and Carteret-Craven El Member Corp all serve parts of Onslow County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Duke Energy Progress 15.54¢, Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp 13.09¢, Carteret-Craven El Member Corp 12.15¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Jacksonville?
About 1,340 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 8,040 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 hurricanes in Onslow 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.
Can solar and a battery run my air conditioner during an outage?
Yes if the system is sized for it. A central air conditioner needs a large battery or generator, so many people back up one room or a mini-split instead. Use the battery backup calculator to see the runtime for your appliances.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Jacksonville?
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.