In short: Aiken has about 32,700 people and sits in Aiken County. Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, Mid-Carolina Electric Coop Inc and Aiken Electric Coop Inc serves different parts of Aiken County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 14.59¢ to 15.53¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Aiken County ice storms “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,350 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Aiken: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our South Carolina energy guide.
Aiken at a glance
- Place: Aiken, Aiken County, South Carolina; about 32,694 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 14.59¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 81 minutes of power on normal days and 1,908 counting major storms, with 1.2 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Aiken).
- Utility: Mid-Carolina Electric Coop Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 14.88¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 117 minutes of power on normal days and 3,915 counting major storms, with 1.6 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Aiken).
- Utility: Aiken Electric Coop Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 15.53¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 94 minutes of power on normal days and 7,941 counting major storms (utility-wide, not just Aiken).
- Sun: 4.63 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.52 in December to 6.39 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,350 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 2,350 cooling degree-days and 2,410 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Aiken County: ice storms “relatively high”, lightning “relatively high” and hurricanes “relatively moderate” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively moderate”).
- Public charging: 20 ports at 18 locations in Aiken, none of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc is an investor-owned utility and served about 696,385 home customers in 2024; its 14.59¢ average was below the 15.47¢ statewide average for July 2026. Mid-Carolina Electric Coop Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 56,463 home customers in 2024; its 14.88¢ average was below the 15.47¢ statewide average for July 2026. Aiken Electric Coop Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 49,460 home customers in 2024; its 15.53¢ average was close to the 15.47¢ 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, Mid-Carolina Electric Coop Inc reported 117 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, less than the statewide figure of 118 (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 South Carolina guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Aiken
- Ice storms (relatively 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.
- Lightning (relatively high): Lightning causes short outages and damages electronics. Surge protection and a battery that switches over automatically protect the things you care about.
- 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 Aiken
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,350 kWh a year in Aiken (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc’s 2024 average of 14.59¢, that is about $197 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 6.39 and December the dimmest at 2.52, a 2.5-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. Aiken has 20 public charging ports in the federal station list (none of them 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 Aiken: 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 Aiken building or permitting department, or from Aiken County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Aiken, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the South Carolina guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: see all of South Carolina, or the whole South Carolina energy guide.
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Aiken energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Aiken?
Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, Mid-Carolina Electric Coop Inc and Aiken Electric Coop Inc all serve parts of Aiken County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc 14.59¢, Mid-Carolina Electric Coop Inc 14.88¢, Aiken Electric Coop Inc 15.53¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Aiken?
About 1,350 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 8,100 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 ice storms in Aiken 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 Aiken?
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.