Electricity in North Dakota

Electricity Rates, Plans & Statistics

Electricity Coverage & Statistics in North Dakota

  • Population
    see rank
    779,094
  • Total Production
    see rank
    42,705,232 MWh / 54.81 MWh per capita
  • Total Consumption
    see rank
    23,496,750 MWh / 30.16 MWh per capita
  • Total Production from Renewable
    see rank
    16,770,815 MWh / 21.53 MWh per capita
  • CO2 Emissions from Consumption
    see rank
    14,650,779,945 kg / 18,804.89 kg per capita
  • Total Production from Non-Renewable
    see rank
    25,934,417 MWh / 33.29 MWh per capita
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Residential Electricity Bills & Rates in North Dakota

North Dakota residential electric rates are highest in January and the highest average bill is in March.

Historical Electricity Rates:

Price Per kWhAverage Bill$0.128/kWh$0.089/kWh$158.27/mo.$86.62/mo.
4th10.79¢Average residential price per kWh in the state of North Dakota
22nd$117.47Average residential monthly electricity bill for North Dakota Residents

Energy Profile of North Dakota

MonthlyWe report production data as it is published. Due to reporting methods and timing, data from 2021 and 2020 may be incomplete. Data is released in full each fall for the previous calendar year. For clarification on any data points, please contact our team.
AnnualAnnual data for 2020 will be finalized in the fall of 2021. Until that time, some data may be incomplete. Data for 2021 is a summation of all information released to date, which may only represent a portion of the actual production that has occurred. For clarification on any data points, please contact our team.

North Dakota's Electricity Prices and Usage

The average residential electricity rate in North Dakota in 2022 is 10.79 cents per kilowatt hour, which is 22.85% lower than the national average price of 13.99 cents. North Dakota is the 4th lowest priced state in the country based on average electricity rate. The state is home to over 30 electric companies, but citizens are regularly left with only a couple supplier choices due to the fact that North Dakota has a regulated electricity market. The power grid in the state is faced with an average of 0.26 outages per customer a year, with outages lasting about 25.64 minutes. The national average for these two data points are 1.21 outages and 122.99 minutes. In the last year, North Dakota has experienced a 4.21% rise in electricity production using renewable fuel types rather than traditional non-renewable sources. The average monthly residential power bill for a customer in North Dakota is $117.47 per month, while the national average is $123.86. Electricity companies operating in the state increased their generation of megawatt hours from wind power by 6.66%.

Residential Electricity Providers in North Dakota

ProviderService TypeResidential Rate (¢)Residential Average Bill ($)Residential Sales (MWh)Residential Revenues ($)State Production (MWh)
Northern States Power CompanyBUNDLED12.0297.24793,28095,346,9502,038,252
Montana Dakota UtilitiesBUNDLED10.3785.78783,16981,234,0001,809,295.75
Cass County Electric CooperativeBUNDLED11.87130.72630,44474,844,000
Otter Tail Power CompanyBUNDLED10.28114.61610,10362,716,3811,823,044.65
Nodak ElectricBUNDLED11.84184.63376,34044,557,000
Capital Electric CooperativeBUNDLED10.53109.04230,87624,313,500
Verendrye Electric CooperativeBUNDLED10.27135.06223,63422,967,000
Northern Plains Electric CooperativeBUNDLED10.30187.91222,89622,957,000
Mountrail Williams Electric CooperativeBUNDLED7.3696.55200,00914,711,084
Roughrider Electric CooperativeBUNDLED10.14125.8164,04316,639,485
33 providers total

Power Plants in North Dakota

PlantCity/CountyPrimary Fuel TypeProduction (MWh)Emission (KG)Emissions/MWh (KG/MWh)Toxic Chemical ReleaseClosing Date
Coal CreekGreat River Energy (100.00%)
McLean County Coal 8,971,018.018,519,059,909.89949.62Yes10/2022
Antelope ValleyBasin Electric Power Cooperative (100.00%)
Mercer County Coal 5,249,5125,729,029,522.951,091.35Yes
Milton R YoungMinnkota Power Cooperative (100.00%)
Oliver County Coal 4,474,9935,058,963,457.051,130.5Yes
Leland OldsBasin Electric Power Cooperative (100.00%)
Mercer County Coal 2,592,1272,989,209,695.211,153.19Yes
CoyoteMontana Dakota Utilities (25.00%)Otter Tail Power Company (35.00%)NorthWestern Energy (10.00%)Minnkota Power Cooperative (30.00%)
Mercer County Coal 2,464,1592,807,133,176.461,139.19
Burke Wind, LLCBurke Wind LLC (100.00%)
Burke County Wind 824,403
Courtenay Wind FarmNorthern States Power Company (100.00%)
Stutsman County Wind 743,839
Emmons-Logan Wind, LLCNextEra Energy (100.00%)
Emmons County Wind 731,473
Aurora Wind ProjectAurora Wind Project, LLC (100.00%)
Williams County Wind 725,522
Brady II Wind Energy CenterNextEra Energy (100.00%)
Hettinger County Wind 632,405
22 power plants total

Quick Facts

North Dakota is ranked as the 40th largest electricity consuming state as over 23,400,000 megawatt hours are used by customers who live there.

Roughly 5.19% of the state of North Dakota's electricity comes from hydroelectric power facilities, making them 19th in the United States for total hydroelectric production.

In the past year, North Dakota saw a 2.23% growth in population.

Electricity use per person in North Dakota totals 30.16 megawatt hours per year.

The largest electricity company in North Dakota by megawatt hours sold is McKenzie Electric Cooperative.

The state of North Dakota generates 54.81 megawatt hours per capita a year, making it the 2nd highest generator per capita in the US.

CountyPopulationProvidersPlantsResidential Rate (¢)Residential Avg. Electric Bill
Adams County2,200410.98$115.21/mo
Barnes County10,853411.08$123.13/mo
Benson County5,964510.48$152.10/mo
Billings County945210.14$125.80/mo
Bottineau County6,379610.15$125.72/mo
Bowman County2,993410.98$115.21/mo
Burke County2,201519.05$106.67/mo
Burleigh County98,458510.39$103.14/mo
Cass County184,5255111.39$114.75/mo
Cavalier County3,704310.31$116.13/mo
Dickey County4,9996310.46$132.69/mo
Divide County2,19569.13$132.60/mo
Dunn County4,09559.62$108.28/mo
Eddy County2,347410.54$149.55/mo
Emmons County3,3014111.43$120.93/mo
Foster County3,397310.29$150.86/mo
Golden Valley County1,736511.60$89.95/mo
Grand Forks County73,170511.38$132.15/mo
Grant County2,301412.28$113.02/mo
Griggs County2,306411.01$147.77/mo
Hettinger County2,4894110.98$115.21/mo
Kidder County2,394610.68$124.14/mo
LaMoure County4,093610.50$131.16/mo
Logan County1,876610.77$120.60/mo
McHenry County5,3456110.77$121.55/mo
McIntosh County2,530511.01$122.08/mo
McKenzie County14,70459.07$110.73/mo
McLean County9,7716111.57$135.17/mo
Mercer County8,3505310.26$105.79/mo
Morton County33,2914512.28$113.02/mo
Mountrail County9,80979.34$99.31/mo
Nelson County3,015311.06$149.61/mo
Oliver County1,8774110.26$105.78/mo
Pembina County6,844311.05$149.42/mo
Pierce County3,990510.27$150.02/mo
Ramsey County11,605510.89$144.46/mo
Ransom County5,703410.88$131.62/mo
Renville County2,282810.13$118.49/mo
Richland County16,529511.60$133.75/mo
Rolette County12,187410.12$148.64/mo
Sargent County3,862410.50$153.06/mo
Sheridan County1,265510.29$126.38/mo
Sioux County3,898412.28$113.02/mo
Slope County706511.06$114.36/mo
Stark County33,646410.26$105.79/mo
Steele County1,798411.06$149.56/mo
Stutsman County21,5934210.32$150.60/mo
Towner County2,162310.29$150.38/mo
Traill County7,997611.39$132.11/mo
Walsh County10,563411.06$149.57/mo
Ward County69,919910.46$107.21/mo
Wells County3,982410.29$149.74/mo
Williams County40,950628.84$93.83/mo

Power Plant Fuel Types, Emissions & Pollution Factors

In North Dakota, Coal makes up 57.11% of the fuel sources utilized for electricity generation. Totaling Coal with Wind (34.05%) and Conventional Hydroelectric (5.19%), these three fuel types make up 41,149,002.42 megawatt hours (or 96.36%) state electricity production. The state has the 34th highest amount of total CO2 emissions from electricity consumption of all of the states in the United States, with the electricity usage in the state being accountable for 14,650,779,945.35 kilograms of CO2 pollution each year. More telling of the state's pollution reality is the per person CO2 releases. Currently that amount stands at 18,804.89 kilograms of CO2 emissions from electricity consumption, which results in the state ranking as the 2nd highest state in the country for CO2 emissions released per capita. North Dakota has 22 electricity generation plants within the state. This is the 38th highest number of plants within a single state and the 3rd highest number of power plants per capita in a state.

COAL
Coal
Coal
Coal
Coal
Coal
Coal
57.11%
WIND
Wind
Wind
Wind
Wind
34.05%
CONVENTIONAL HYDROELECTRIC
Conventional Hydroelectric
5.19%
NATURAL GAS
Natural Gas
3.38%
OTHER GAS
Other Gas
0.09%
OTHER
Other
0.17%

North Dakota Net Metering

Out of the 33 providers in North Dakota, 8 of them offer net metering to their customers. Regulations put in place at the state level are heavily restricted for consumers interested in installing solar or other alternative electricity generation sources.

Energy Loss

There are 14 companies in North Dakota that reported energy loss. Combined, these 14 electricity providers average a yearly energy loss of 2.13% of electricity generated. The countrywide average for energy loss is 2.76%, which earns a rank of 11th best in the country for North Dakota in this category.

Solar Taxes And Rebates

Motivating private citizens to install solar panels can sometimes be a challenge due to prohibitive installation costs. Governments can help the cause by passing legislation for tax breaks and rebates for those who purchase solar panels. North Dakota currently offers no state tax credit to consumers who install solar at their place of residence. There are currently no state sponsored rebates available to consumers who are purchasing solar. North Dakota offers residents a 100% tax exemption that lasts less than 10 years. The state does not offer a sales tax exemption for the install of private solar panels, leaving citizens left empty handed for this one.

State Level Initiatives

Statewide legislation has a big role in determining whether a state is friendly towards customers searching for renewable energy sources. States that have Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) have requirements in place for electricity suppliers who do business in the state. These standards dictate that a percentage of electricity must be generated from renewable energy. North Dakota, unfortunately, has no standards in place. Also, the state does not have any sort of low income solar programs that assist with the installation of solar panels at low income households.

FAQ: Common Questions About Energy in North Dakota

What electricity company is the largest supplier in North Dakota?

The largest electricity company in North Dakota by total customer count is Northern States Power Company.

What is the average electric bill in North Dakota?

The North Dakota average electricity bill is $117 so far in 2022.

Where does North Dakota get its electricity?

Coal is the primary fuel used for electricity generation in North Dakota, accounting for 57.11% of generation. Wind and Conventional Hydroelectric also make up 34.05% and 5.19% respectively.

What is a good electricity rate in North Dakota?

Anything below the North Dakota average of 10.79 cents per kilowatt hour is a good electricity rate. The rates in the state range from 6.32 cents to 15.03 cents per kilowatt hour, with Northwood, North Dakota Electric Utility currently having the lowest rates.

Does North Dakota have a deregulated electricity market?

No, North Dakota has a regulated electricity market where consumers often have only a single supplier choice for their electricity needs.

How many electric companies offer service in North Dakota?

There are 33 electricity providers serving consumers in North Dakota.

How many power plants are within North Dakota?

There are 22 power plants in North Dakota.

What electricity companies are in North Dakota?

What is the cheapest electricity company in North Dakota?

Last Reviewed By: Matt Hope
Published: 2021-03-16Last Updated: 2022-06-02