In short: Wilson has about 48,600 people and sits in Wilson County. Duke Energy Progress, City of Wilson and Tri-County Elec Member Corp (NC) serves different parts of Wilson County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 12.13¢ to 15.54¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Wilson County winter weather “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,300 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Wilson: 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 and the wider area is covered in the Raleigh-Durham guide.
Wilson at a glance
- Place: Wilson, Wilson County, North Carolina; about 48,579 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 Wilson).
- Utility: City of Wilson (city-owned). Homes paid an average 12.13¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 56 minutes of power on normal days and 123 counting major storms, with 0.8 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Wilson).
- Utility: Tri-County Elec Member Corp (NC) (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 12.76¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 112 minutes of power on normal days, with 1.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Wilson).
- Sun: 4.47 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.31 in December to 6.38 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,300 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 1,860 cooling degree-days and 3,190 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Wilson County: winter weather “relatively high”, hurricanes “relatively moderate” and drought “relatively moderate” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively low”).
- Public charging: 53 ports at 16 locations in Wilson, 32 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. City of Wilson is a city-owned utility and served about 32,078 home customers in 2024; its 12.13¢ average was below the 15.16¢ statewide average for July 2026. Tri-County Elec Member Corp (NC) is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 22,523 home customers in 2024; its 12.76¢ 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 Wilson
- 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.
- Hurricanes (relatively moderate): 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.
- 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 Wilson
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,300 kWh a year in Wilson (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 $202 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 6.38 and December the dimmest at 2.31, a 2.8-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.
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. Wilson has 53 public charging ports in the federal station list including 32 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 Wilson: 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 Wilson building or permitting department, or from Wilson County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Wilson, 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: Raleigh-Durham energy guide, Rocky Mount, Greenville and Wake Forest, or the whole North Carolina energy guide.
Get help
Are you a licensed installer in Wilson? Join SolutionEnergy and get requests from homeowners and businesses →
Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Wilson area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.
Wilson energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Wilson?
Duke Energy Progress, City of Wilson and Tri-County Elec Member Corp (NC) all serve parts of Wilson 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¢, City of Wilson 12.13¢, Tri-County Elec Member Corp (NC) 12.76¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Wilson?
About 1,300 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,800 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 winter weather in Wilson 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.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Wilson?
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.