In short: Florence has about 40,900 people and sits in Florence County. Duke Energy Progress, Santee Electric Coop, Inc and MPD Electric Cooperative serves different parts of Florence County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 10.94¢ to 14.88¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Florence County hurricanes “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,330 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Florence: 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.
Florence at a glance
- Place: Florence, Florence County, South Carolina; about 40,923 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Duke Energy Progress (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 14.88¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 126 minutes of power on normal days and 263 counting major storms, with 1.2 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Florence).
- Utility: Santee Electric Coop, Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 14.74¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 147 minutes of power on normal days and 442 counting major storms (utility-wide, not just Florence).
- Utility: MPD Electric Cooperative (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 10.94¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 90 minutes of power on normal days and 213 counting major storms, with 1.0 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Florence).
- Sun: 4.55 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.42 in December to 6.38 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,330 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 2,280 cooling degree-days and 2,520 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Florence County: hurricanes “relatively high”, tornadoes “relatively high” and ice storms “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively moderate”).
- Public charging: 57 ports at 12 locations in Florence, 51 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 143,713 home customers in 2024; its 14.88¢ average was below the 15.47¢ statewide average for July 2026. Santee Electric Coop, Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 35,235 home customers in 2024; its 14.74¢ average was below the 15.47¢ statewide average for July 2026. MPD Electric Cooperative is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 31,874 home customers in 2024; its 10.94¢ average was below 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, Santee Electric Coop, Inc reported 147 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more 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 Florence
- Hurricanes (relatively 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.
- Tornadoes (relatively high): Tornado-season storms cut power quickly. A battery that switches on by itself, or a portable generator ready to go, covers the first night; sirens and weather radios need power too.
- 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 Florence
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,330 kWh a year in Florence (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Duke Energy Progress’s 2024 average of 14.88¢, that is about $198 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 2.42, a 2.6-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. Florence has 57 public charging ports in the federal station list including 51 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 Florence: 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 Florence building or permitting department, or from Florence County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Florence, 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: Sumter, or the whole South Carolina energy guide.
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Florence energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Florence?
Duke Energy Progress, Santee Electric Coop, Inc and MPD Electric Cooperative all serve parts of Florence 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 14.88¢, Santee Electric Coop, Inc 14.74¢, MPD Electric Cooperative 10.94¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Florence?
About 1,330 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,980 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 Florence 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 Florence?
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.