Northeast PA Energy Guide: Solar, Batteries, Backup Power and EV

In short: Scranton is on PPL Electric, while much of the Wilkes-Barre area is served by UGI Utilities. UGI customers averaged 182 minutes of outages in 2024 with major storms, far fewer than PPL’s 455 (EIA). The region has the weakest sun of Pennsylvania’s big metros, about 1,070 kWh a year per kW by our estimate.

This page covers what is different in Northeast Pennsylvania: a patchwork of utilities, each with its own prices and rules, the region’s shorter solar days and its winter risk. For statewide rules, see our Pennsylvania energy guide.

Northeast Pennsylvania at a glance

• PPL Electric Utilities: serves Scranton and most of Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. About 17.0¢ per kWh on average for homes on PPL supply in 2024; 455 minutes of outages per customer with major events, 90 without (EIA-861, 2024).
• UGI Utilities (electric): serves the Wilkes-Barre area; some Wilkes-Barre ZIP codes are split with PPL. About 18.9¢ per kWh in 2024; 182 minutes of outages with major events, 99 without; 1.16 interruptions a year (EIA-861, 2024).
• Local systems: the boroughs of Olyphant and Blakely run their own electric systems, and Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative (about 18.3¢ per kWh in 2024) serves rural areas (EIA-861).
• Price to compare (October 2026): PPL 13.08¢ and UGI 12.62¢ per kWh for regular home service, supply only (PAPowerSwitch).
• Sun: about 3.67 kWh per square meter per day in Scranton, with December at about a quarter of June (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,070 kWh a year per kW of panels, about 10% less than Philadelphia.
• Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Lackawanna and Luzerne counties “relatively high” for cold waves, lightning and winter weather; Luzerne also for flooding.
• Public charging: 29 public ports at 10 locations in Scranton (AFDC, October 3, 2026).

Your utility and what it means

Your bill names your utility, and in this region the answer can change from one town to the next. PPL and UGI customers can buy supply from another company and compare offers on PAPowerSwitch, the Public Utility Commission’s official site. Shopping is common on PPL, where 38% of households bought from another supplier in 2024, and rare on UGI, about 1% (EIA).

• PPL (Scranton): solar exports build a kWh bank, with year-end excess paid at the price to compare. PPL’s June 2026 rate settlement also changed net metering; an industry report says many new systems will get hourly-price export credits (see the state page). PPL pays battery owners $150 per kW supplied during peaks, up to $400 a season, and EV owners up to $120 a year for managed charging.
• UGI (Wilkes-Barre area): UGI handles its own interconnection and net metering under state rules. EIA counted only 253 home solar systems on UGI’s grid in 2024. We could not open UGI’s website to confirm any battery or EV program, so ask UGI directly.
• Olyphant, Blakely and Claverack: each sets its own rules and sells its own power; ask before you get quotes.

Backup power in Northeast Pennsylvania

Winter is the season to plan for. Both counties rate relatively high for cold waves and winter weather, and oil and gas heating systems need electricity for their burners, blowers and pumps. A PPL customer averaged about 90 minutes without power on normal days in 2024 but more than seven and a half hours with major events, so the storm outage, not the average day, should set your plan. Homes on wells lose water as well as heat.

A home battery covers the furnace or boiler, fridge, sump pump and lights through a shorter outage, and in PPL territory it can earn peak-season rewards. For multi-day winter outages or a well pump, a generator on a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician is more dependable. A portable power station handles phones and medical devices. Keep any generator outdoors, at least 20 feet from the house and clear of snow, exhaust away from windows, doors and vents, never in a garage (CPSC). Compare in backup power, size with the generator sizing tool or battery backup calculator, and read generator installation.

Solar in Northeast Pennsylvania

Solar works here, but the numbers are tighter. At about 1,070 kWh a year per kW by our rough estimate, a system makes roughly a tenth less than the same system in Philadelphia, and winter output is low, with snow cover adding to the dip. Net metering’s monthly credits carry summer surplus forward, which helps. Get a site-specific estimate rather than relying on statewide averages: try the solar potential tool and the solar savings calculator with a real quote, and read solar installation and net metering explained.

Batteries in Northeast Pennsylvania

For PPL customers in Scranton, the Optimized Battery program pays for power the battery supplies to the home on summer weekday evenings and on winter mornings and evenings in January and February; PPL’s example of 1.5 kW earns $225 a season. Elsewhere a battery is bought for backup. In a cold region, ask the installer where the battery will sit: batteries have operating temperature limits, so a basement or heated garage is often better than an outside wall. See home battery installation and battery cost.

EV charging in Northeast Pennsylvania

Public charging is thin: 29 public ports in Scranton (AFDC, October 3, 2026), against 149 in Allentown. That makes home charging more important here. A Level 2 charger needs a 240 V circuit from a licensed electrician and a permit, and a garage helps winter range. PPL customers can earn up to $120 a year with Optimized EV Charging or up to $60 with EV Off-Peak Rewards. Estimate costs with the EV charging calculator and read EV charger installation.

Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Scranton: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Permits and inspections

• Scranton: the city issues building and electrical permits; contact its permit office. Its website was down when we checked, so we cannot link a solar guide yet.
• Other towns: each borough and township enforces Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code with its own staff or a certified third-party agency (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry).
• Utility, licensing and HOAs: solar and grid-tied batteries need your utility’s approval before switch-on. Electricians are licensed locally, so ask your municipality; get HOA or lake-community approval in writing before you sign.

Cities we cover

• Scranton

Get help

Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Northeast Pennsylvania area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.

Northeast Pennsylvania energy FAQ

Who supplies electricity in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre?

Scranton is on PPL Electric Utilities. The Wilkes-Barre area is largely served by UGI Utilities, with some ZIP codes split with PPL. Olyphant and Blakely run borough systems, and Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative serves rural areas. Your bill shows which one you have.

Is solar worth it in Scranton?

It can be, but expect about a tenth less output than in Philadelphia, roughly 1,070 kWh a year per kW by our estimate, and a deep winter dip. A shade-free, south-facing roof matters more here. Compare a site-specific quote with your own bill, and ask PPL which net metering rules apply to new systems.

Can I choose my supplier on UGI?

Yes. UGI still delivers the power, but its customers can buy supply from a licensed supplier. UGI’s price to compare for regular home service was 12.62¢ per kWh in October 2026 (PAPowerSwitch). Very few UGI households had switched in 2024, about 1% (EIA).

What backup power suits a Northeast Pennsylvania winter?

For short outages, a battery that runs the furnace or boiler, sump pump and fridge. For multi-day storms or a well, a generator on a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician. Keep the generator outdoors, 20 feet from the house and clear of snow drifts.

Sources

Utilities, prices, outages, supplier customers, co-op prices and solar counts: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024. Price to compare and utility lookup: PAPowerSwitch, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (read October 3, 2026). PPL rate decision (PPL release filed with the SEC, June 4, 2026), PPL net metering, Optimized Battery and EV pages. Net metering change: industry report cited on our state page. Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Uniform Construction Code. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Charging: Alternative Fuels Data Center, October 3, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC.