In short: Gillette has about 33,800 people and sits in Campbell County. Powder River Energy Corp, City of Gillette and Black Hills Power, Inc. serves different parts of Campbell County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 11.73¢ to 13.13¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Campbell County hail “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,250 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Gillette: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Wyoming energy guide.
Gillette at a glance
- Place: Gillette, Campbell County, Wyoming; about 33,846 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Powder River Energy Corp (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 11.73¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 295 minutes of power on normal days and 496 counting major storms, with 2.2 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Gillette).
- Utility: City of Gillette (city-owned). Homes paid an average 12.62¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861) (utility-wide, not just Gillette).
- Utility: Black Hills Power, Inc. (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 13.13¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 2 minutes of power on normal days, with 0.0 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Gillette).
- Sun: 4.29 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.50 in December to 7.24 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,250 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 780 cooling degree-days and 6,890 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Campbell County: hail “relatively high”, winter weather “relatively high” and wildfires “relatively moderate” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively low”).
- Public charging: 22 ports at 5 locations in Gillette, 20 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Powder River Energy Corp is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 15,406 home customers in 2024; its 11.73¢ average was below the 14.36¢ statewide average for July 2026. City of Gillette is a city-owned utility and served about 13,990 home customers in 2024; its 12.62¢ average was below the 14.36¢ statewide average for July 2026. Black Hills Power, Inc. is an investor-owned utility and served about 2,018 home customers in 2024; its 13.13¢ average was below the 14.36¢ 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, Powder River Energy Corp reported 295 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 109 (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 Wyoming guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Gillette
- Hail (relatively high): Hail is hard on rooftop solar; ask installers about impact-rated panels and your insurer about coverage.
- Winter weather (relatively 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.
- 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 Gillette
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,250 kWh a year in Gillette (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Powder River Energy Corp’s 2024 average of 11.73¢, that is about $147 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 7.24 and December the dimmest at 1.50, a 4.8-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. Gillette has 22 public charging ports in the federal station list including 20 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 Gillette: 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 Gillette building or permitting department, or from Campbell County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Gillette, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Wyoming guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: see all of Wyoming, or the whole Wyoming energy guide.
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Gillette energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Gillette?
Powder River Energy Corp, City of Gillette and Black Hills Power, Inc. all serve parts of Campbell County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Powder River Energy Corp 11.73¢, City of Gillette 12.62¢, Black Hills Power, Inc. 13.13¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Gillette?
About 1,250 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,500 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 Campbell 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 Gillette?
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.