In short: South Dakota homes paid about 15.4 cents per kWh in July 2026, roughly 16% under the U.S. average, and lost only about 85 minutes of power per customer in 2024. The state has no net metering, so solar pays mainly on power you use yourself, while winter storms and ice drive backup decisions.
So the questions here are narrower than in storm-battered states: how to ride out a multi-day blizzard or ice storm, whether a battery pays when exports earn little, and how to charge an EV across long rural distances. Here is each one, with the state’s own numbers.
South Dakota at a glance
- Residential electricity price: 15.37 cents per kWh in July 2026, against a U.S. average of 18.31 cents (EIA, preliminary). The January to July 2026 average was 14.50 cents; July 2025 was 14.52 cents.
- Outages, 2024: about 85 minutes per customer including major events and 62 minutes without them; about 0.8 interruptions per customer either way (EIA-861).
- Solar resource: 4.11 kWh per square meter per day at Sioux Falls (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020 average), which we estimate at roughly 1,200 kWh a year per kW of panels. Estimate only; a site study will differ.
- Net metering: none. The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) says utilities pay a commission-approved avoided-cost rate for excess power from systems under 100 kW; some co-ops and utilities set their own terms.
- Plug-in (balcony) solar law: none found as of October 2026; utility interconnection rules apply.
- Electric vehicles: about 3,000 battery-electric and 2,400 plug-in hybrid vehicles registered through 2025; 333 public charging ports at 116 locations, 160 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 2026).
- Largest utilities (2024): Xcel Energy’s Northern States Power (about a quarter of customers), Black Hills Power, NorthWestern Energy and Sioux Valley Southwestern Electric Co-op.
- Top weather hazards: winter weather, ice storms and cold waves are all rated relatively high for expected annual loss; wildfire, tornado and strong wind relatively moderate (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public safety power shutoffs: yes, in the Black Hills. Black Hills Energy ran events there in February and March 2026, and some co-ops, such as Black Hills Electric Co-op, have shutoff plans too.
Backup power in South Dakota
Eighty-five minutes a year is among the lowest outage totals EIA recorded for any state in 2024, and the gap between the “with” and “without major events” figures is small (85 against 62 minutes). In plain terms, South Dakota did not have a single huge storm that year that blacked out a large share of homes. But it is an average: a farmhouse at the end of a long co-op line in an ice storm lives a different reality.
FEMA rates three cold-season hazards here as relatively high: winter weather, ice storms and cold waves. Those are the outages that hurt, because they arrive when you need heat. Think about what must keep running in a January outage: the furnace blower and controls, a well pump if you have one, a sump pump in spring thaw, heat tape on pipes, the fridge and freezer. A gas furnace’s fan and controls need far less power than electric heat, so know how your home is heated before choosing equipment.
- Portable or dual-fuel generator: the most power per dollar for long, cold outages, and propane stores well through winter. It must run outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with exhaust pointed away from doors and windows, never in a garage (CPSC). Snow can block exhaust and air intakes, so keep the area clear. Size yours with our generator sizing tool.
- Standby generator: starts by itself on natural gas or propane, which suits rural homes and people who travel in winter. A licensed electrician installs the transfer switch, with a permit where required.
- Home battery: silent and automatic, ideal for the short outages that make up most of South Dakota’s total, and for Black Hills homes facing planned shutoffs. A battery alone may not carry electric heat through a multi-day cold snap; check with our battery backup calculator.
- Portable power station: no fuel and no fumes, enough for phones, a CPAP, lights and a fridge for a while, and easy to recharge from the car or a small panel. See portable power.
Compare options in our generators and home batteries guides. Never connect a generator to the house through a wall outlet; only through a transfer switch or interlock installed by a licensed electrician.
Solar in South Dakota
The sun is not the problem. At about 1,200 kWh per kW per year (our rough estimate from NASA data), a 6 kW array could make around 7,200 kWh a year. If every one of those kWh replaced power you would otherwise buy at 15.37 cents, that output would be worth about $1,100 a year. That is a ceiling, not a promise.
The catch is the export rule. Because South Dakota has no net metering, power you send to the grid is credited at the utility’s avoided cost, which the PUC approves and which is well below the retail price. So the value of solar here depends on how much of its output you use at the moment it is made. Daytime loads such as air conditioning, a well pump, a shop, or an EV charging at midday push that share up. A household that is empty all day and exports most of its power will see much less than the ceiling. Ask your utility or co-op for its current buyback rate, then read our net metering guide to see how export rules change the math.
One confirmed state benefit helps: under SDCL 10-4-44, the PUC explains, the greater of the first $50,000 or 70% of the assessed value of a qualifying solar system (under 5 MW) is exempt from real property tax, so panels should not raise your property tax bill much. Check the PUC’s solar page for current rules; amounts and terms can change. There is no federal tax credit for home solar finished after December 31, 2025.
South Dakota has no plug-in solar law, so a small balcony or plug-in kit still falls under your utility’s interconnection rules; ask before plugging one in. For costs, see solar panel cost; for your roof, try the solar potential tool; and start from our solar guide.
Home batteries in South Dakota
With no net metering, a battery has a clearer job here than in many states: it stores midday solar for the evening instead of exporting it at the low avoided-cost rate. That raises the share of your own power you use, which is exactly what drives solar value in South Dakota. The second job is backup, mainly for the Black Hills shutoff areas and rural lines exposed to ice.
We found no state battery rebate or utility battery program to confirm for South Dakota. Compare installed cost with the kWh it would actually shift each day. Our home battery cost guide lays out prices, and the batteries hub covers sizing and brands.
EV charging in South Dakota
South Dakota had about 3,000 battery-electric vehicles at the end of 2025, roughly nine for every public charging port, one of the lower ratios in the country. What stands out is the mix: nearly half of the 333 public ports (160) are DC fast chargers, built for long highway trips.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in South Dakota: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
At home, an EV that uses about 30 kWh per 100 miles (a typical figure on fueleconomy.gov labels) would cost about $4.60 per 100 miles at the July 2026 state price, or roughly $550 for 12,000 miles a year. That is our estimate; your rate plan, winter efficiency losses and charging losses will move it. Cold weather cuts range, so a Level 2 charger in an attached garage is worth considering. The federal charger credit ended for equipment placed in service after June 30, 2026, so check your utility for any current EV rate or rebate. Start with home EV charging and run your numbers in the EV charging cost calculator.
Off-grid, small wind and micro-hydro
South Dakota is one of the windier states in our data. NASA’s long-term average at 50 meters is about 7.1 meters per second near the state’s center and about 7.2 near Sioux Falls, and roughly 5 meters per second at 10 meters. The Department of Energy’s small wind guidebook treats about 4.5 m/s at hub height as the practical floor for grid-tied small wind, so open rural sites here look promising (our estimate). Terrain and trees matter more than any map, so measure first. The property tax exemption above also covers small wind. For cabins, ranches and outbuildings, see off-grid power and wind energy; for streams, hydroelectric power explains the basics (we have no state micro-hydro data).
Licensing and permits
Electricians and electrical contractors are licensed statewide by the South Dakota Electrical Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation); use its public register to check a license before you hire. Building and electrical permits come from your city or county, and any grid-tied solar or battery system needs your utility’s or co-op’s interconnection approval before it is switched on. Wiring a generator, battery or charger into your panel is a job for a licensed electrician.
Local guides in South Dakota
Utilities, rates, outage records, permit offices and local programs for each area:
Where we cover in South Dakota
- Sioux Falls: Sioux Falls, Brandon, Harrisburg, Tea
- Rapid City: Rapid City, Box Elder, Spearfish
- Aberdeen: Aberdeen
- Brookings and the east: Brookings, Watertown
Local pages will follow as we verify local information and installers.
Get quotes in South Dakota
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Frequently asked questions
Does South Dakota have net metering?
No. According to the South Dakota PUC, the state does not credit solar exports at a net-metered rate. Utilities pay a PUC-approved avoided-cost rate for excess power from systems under 100 kW, and some co-ops and utilities set their own terms. Ask your provider for its current rate, because it decides how much exported power is worth.
Is solar worth it in South Dakota without net metering?
It can be, if you use most of the power yourself. A 6 kW system might make about 7,200 kWh a year (our estimate), worth up to roughly $1,100 at 15.37 cents per kWh if none is exported. Homes with daytime loads or a battery get closer to that figure; homes that export most of their output get far less.
Do South Dakota utilities shut off power for wildfire risk?
In parts of the state, yes. Black Hills Energy runs public safety power shutoffs in the Black Hills of South Dakota and held events in February and March 2026. Some co-ops, such as Black Hills Electric Co-op, have shutoff plans too. If you live in that area, sign up for your utility’s alerts and plan backup power ahead.
Does solar raise property taxes in South Dakota?
Mostly not. The PUC explains that under SDCL 10-4-44, the greater of the first $50,000 or 70% of the assessed value of a solar system under 5 MW is exempt from real property tax. Small wind is covered too. Confirm the current rules with the PUC and your county assessor before you install, because terms can change.
What backup power suits a South Dakota winter?
For long ice-storm outages, a propane or dual-fuel generator connected by a licensed electrician through a transfer switch gives the most hours per dollar. A battery covers the short outages that make up most of the state’s 85 minutes a year. Keep any generator outdoors, at least 20 feet from the house, with snow cleared from its exhaust.
Sources
Prices: EIA Electric Power Monthly, July 2026 (preliminary). Outages, utilities: EIA-861, 2024. Solar and wind resource: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020 averages; kWh-per-kW figures are our estimates. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. EVs and charging: AFDC, 2025 registrations and station counts read October 3, 2026. Net metering and property tax: South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. Shutoffs: Black Hills Energy. Licensing: South Dakota Electrical Commission. Small wind thresholds: U.S. Department of Energy. All checked October 2026.