In short: Bismarck has about 77,800 people and sits in Burleigh County. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Otter Tail Power Co and Capital Electric Coop, Inc serves different parts of Burleigh County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 11.38¢ to 12.31¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Burleigh County winter weather “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,180 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 Bismarck: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our North Dakota energy guide and the wider area is covered in the Bismarck–Mandan guide.
Bismarck at a glance
- Place: Bismarck, Burleigh County, North Dakota; about 77,772 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 11.72¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 79 minutes of power on normal days, with 0.9 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Bismarck).
- Utility: Otter Tail Power Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 11.38¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 130 minutes of power on normal days and 171 counting major storms, with 1.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Bismarck).
- Utility: Capital Electric Coop, Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 12.31¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 37 minutes of power on normal days, with 0.4 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Bismarck).
- Sun: 4.03 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.30 in December to 6.76 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,180 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 620 cooling degree-days and 8,280 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Burleigh County: winter weather “very high”, ice storms “very high” and hail “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively moderate”).
- Public charging: 29 ports at 10 locations in Bismarck, 16 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 79,354 home customers in 2024; its 11.72¢ average was below the 13.41¢ statewide average for July 2026. Otter Tail Power Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 45,467 home customers in 2024; its 11.38¢ average was below the 13.41¢ statewide average for July 2026. Capital Electric Coop, Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 19,530 home customers in 2024; its 12.31¢ average was below the 13.41¢ 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, Otter Tail Power Co reported 130 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 84 (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 Dakota guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Bismarck
- 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.
- Ice storms (very high): Ice storms bring down lines for days. A standby generator with a transfer switch, or a battery sized for the fridge, furnace blower and well pump, matters more than a small power station.
- 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 Bismarck
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,180 kWh a year in Bismarck (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Montana-Dakota Utilities Co’s 2024 average of 11.72¢, that is about $138 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 6.76 and December the dimmest at 1.30, a 5.2-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. Bismarck has 29 public charging ports in the federal station list including 16 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 Bismarck: 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 Bismarck building or permitting department, or from Burleigh County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Bismarck, 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 Dakota guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Bismarck–Mandan energy guide and Mandan, or the whole North Dakota energy guide.
Get help
Are you a licensed installer in Bismarck? 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 Bismarck area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.
Bismarck energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Bismarck?
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Otter Tail Power Co and Capital Electric Coop, Inc all serve parts of Burleigh County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Montana-Dakota Utilities Co 11.72¢, Otter Tail Power Co 11.38¢, Capital Electric Coop, Inc 12.31¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Bismarck?
About 1,180 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,080 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 Burleigh 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 Bismarck?
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.