Tired of Statesville Electric bills? Here are your solar and backup options
Statesville has run its own electric system since 1889 and now serves more than 14,000 customers. Here is what that means for solar, batteries and backup power.
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Who runs Statesville's electric system
The City of Statesville turned on its first electric lights downtown in 1889. Today the city utility serves more than 14,000 customers through six delivery points, five substations and over 270 miles of distribution lines. City Council sets the rates. Homes outside the city system in Iredell County are served by other utilities, so check your bill.
Statesville stopped making its own power in 1908 and started buying it wholesale. Today it is one of 19 members of North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1, which owns 75 percent of Unit 2 at the Catawba Nuclear Station.
Solar on the Statesville system
Statesville's solar terms were not posted where we could verify them, so call the electric department early. Across ElectriCities towns the usual pattern is an interconnection application, a signed interconnection agreement, often a power purchase agreement, a second meter and a final inspection. Most nearby towns credit solar output at the utility's avoided cost rather than the full retail rate. That changes the payback math a lot, so get the exact rule in writing from Statesville before you compare quotes.
Outages and backup
ElectriCities reports that public power customers in North Carolina average fewer outages per year and fewer minutes without power than co-op and investor-owned customers. That is a statewide average, though. A tree on a line, a car into a pole or a problem on the transmission side can still leave your street dark, and an average does not keep a freezer cold.
If backup power is the goal, plan for a battery or a standby generator. Grid-tied solar stops producing during an outage unless it is paired with equipment built to island safely. Ask the contractor to size backup around the loads you cannot do without, such as heat, the fridge, a sump or well pump, and to confirm the layout with Statesville Electric before anything is installed.
Start with a $349 home energy evaluation
Getting a solar contractor out to Statesville can take a while. Booking a paid evaluation on HomeBackupPros changes that. For $349 a contractor does an electric audit, reviews your energy use and writes up a quote for a system that fits Statesville Electric's rules. If you buy from that same contractor, the $349 is credited toward the system.
Have your kWh by month handy from your Statesville Electric bills, and note what runs on electric versus gas or propane. Every contractor on HomeBackupPros is reviewed and approved by our team, and we check their NC electrical contractor license. Contractors are independent businesses and HomeBackupPros does not install anything. Some contractors also offer a free site visit or an estimate, and the choice is yours.
Where Statesville Electric serves in our area
- Statesville
- Iredell County
Questions
How big is Statesville's electric system?
The city says it serves more than 14,000 customers through six delivery points and five substations, with over 270 miles of distribution lines.
Does Statesville offer net metering?
We could not confirm Statesville's current solar crediting terms online. Ask the city electric department for its rider and interconnection steps in writing.
Where does Statesville get its power?
Statesville is a member of North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1, which owns 75 percent of Catawba Nuclear Station Unit 2 and supplies member cities.
What backup do Iredell County homes use?
Many rural homes rely on wells, so backup often starts with the well pump. A propane generator covers long outages, and a battery covers short ones quietly.