Electric Consumer

Editor: Katerine G., Editor & Data Researcher · Research & publishing: Electric Consumer Editorial Team · Data retrieved · Sources named on this page: EIA-861, EIA retail sales, EIA-860/923, NREL PVWatts · How we got these numbers · Report an error

Solar in Alaska: payback, sun by city and utility-scale capacity

7%of a year's solar output in Alaska falls in December to February, rank 1 of 51 (1 = least winter)

Across 5 Alaska cities, yearly output runs from 675 kWh per kW in Juneau to 951 in Anchorage. May is the best month at 153 kWh per kW and Dec the worst at 13. Alaska pays back in 11.3 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 15 of 51), 2.2 years shorter than the middle state. 1,017 kWh per kW (rank 51) at 26.09 ¢ (rank 8 from the top): price of power drives it. Utility-scale solar in Alaska: 8 MW in 2 plants, 0.1% of 2025 generation; 0 MW more under construction or planned.

Best and worst month in Alaska: May 153, Dec 13 kWh per kW

Alaska output and value by month
Alaska monthkWh per kWPrice ¢Value per kWkWh per kW per sun unit
Jan20.424.73$5.040.79
Feb42.424.76$10.500.84
Mar98.225.79$25.330.85
Apr138.825.96$36.030.82
May153.226.08$39.950.79
Jun145.926.87$39.200.78
Jul141.227.30$38.550.77
Aug112.527.71$31.170.78
Sep67.827.16$18.410.80
Oct52.626.46$13.920.82
Nov31.526.18$8.250.80
Dec12.625.54$3.220.71

Alaska: December to February give 7% of a year (rank 1 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 12.2 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Mar (0.85) and lowest in Dec (0.71); PVWatts lowers cell output when the panel is hot, and the sun angle changes with the season. Our runs use one fixed 14% loss figure for every place, so snow or soiling in Alaska is not modelled separately.

Sun inside Alaska: 5 cities, 34% apart

Solar output in 5 cities of Alaska
Alaska citykWh per kW a yearAgainst state pointSun, kWh/m2 a dayPayback at $3.00Residents
Anchorage951-6.5%3.1512.1289,069
Fairbanks933-8.3%3.2112.332,242
Juneau675-33.6%2.3317.031,969
Sitka703-30.9%2.4116.48,393
Ketchikan818-19.6%2.8814.18,151

Alaska state point 61.44, -148.94; city points Anchorage 61.17, -149.28; Fairbanks 64.84, -147.65; Juneau 58.37, -134.18; Sitka 57.19, -135.37; Ketchikan 55.36, -131.68. Panel and method: solar method.

Output by month in Alaska cities: 12 rows
Alaska monthAnchorageFairbanksJuneauSitkaKetchikan
Jan21.312.115.421.928.5
Feb36.635.124.143.136.8
Mar95.387.745.861.677.9
Apr128.9138.587.688.9107.7
May153.7154.0102.4105.8121.6
Jun149.9148.7112.793.4111.6
Jul127.8125.295.483.7102.0
Aug89.4105.280.181.885.8
Sep67.674.743.755.262.2
Oct44.737.433.636.443.0
Nov26.711.120.919.825.3
Dec8.83.013.211.415.1

Alaska: 5 cities, best month 154 and worst 3 kWh per kW across them.

CSV

Alaska: payback 11.3 years, rank 15 of 51

Solar measures for Alaska
MeasureValueRank of 51Median state
Output of 1 kW a year, kWh1,017511,372
Home price, ¢ per kWh26.09815.37
Value of 1 kW a year$26515$222
Payback at $3.00 a watt11.3 years1513.5 years

EIA-861 (2024): 2,771 home net-metered systems in Alaska, 9.3 per 1,000 accounts (rank 34), average 5.4 kW.

Sizes and prices per watt in Alaska

Systems of 4 to 12 kW in Alaska
Alaska kWkWh a yearValue a yearCost at $2.50At $3.00At $3.50t CO2
44,068$1,061$10,000$12,000$14,0001.5
66,103$1,592$15,000$18,000$21,0002.2
88,137$2,123$20,000$24,000$28,0003.0
1010,171$2,654$25,000$30,000$35,0003.7
1212,205$3,184$30,000$36,000$42,0004.5
Payback in Alaska by price and retail share
Alaska $ per watt100% retail75%50%25%
$2.007.510.015.130.1
$2.509.412.618.837.7
$3.0011.315.122.645.2
$3.5013.217.626.452.8
$4.0015.120.130.160.3

Alaska: 1,017 kWh/kW × 26.09 ¢ = 265 a year per kW; the 30% column (7.9 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.

CSV

Utility-scale solar in Alaska: 8 MW

Alaska: 8 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 2 plants across 2 counties (EIA-860, 2025), rank 49 of 51; 10 W per resident, rank 49. Solar made 0.1% of Alaska's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 49, -6.7 points against the national share. Biggest plants: Houston Solar in Matanuska Susitna County, 6 MW (2023); Kotzebue Hybrid in NORTHWEST ARCTIC County, 2 MW (2023). By county: Matanuska Susitna 6 MW, NORTHWEST ARCTIC 2 MW. Proposed: 0 MW under construction (0 plants) and 0 MW planned (0 plants); batteries 132 MW running and 0 MW proposed.

Utility-scale solar added in Alaska by year
Alaska yearMW addedCumulative share of today's MW
201900%
2020110%
2021010%
2022010%
20237100%
20240100%
20250100%

Net metering and CO2 in Alaska

EIA-861 (2024): 2,771 home net-metered systems in Alaska, 9.3 per 1,000 accounts (rank 34), average 5.4 kW.

6 kW in Alaska: 6,103 kWh a year displaces 2.2 t CO2 at 0.367 kg per kWh, -0.8 t against the average state.

Alaska utilities and solar payback

Solar payback by utility in Alaska
Alaska utilityHomesPrice ¢Value of 1 kWPayback at $3.00
Chugach Electric Assn Inc97,04821.24$21613.9 yr
Matanuska Electric Assn Inc64,20523.37$23812.6 yr
Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc40,67530.32$3089.7 yr
Homer Electric Assn Inc29,72129.79$3039.9 yr
Alaska Electric Light & Power Co.15,40712.93$13222.8 yr
Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc7,68969.95$7114.2 yr
Ketchikan Public Utilities6,56112.48$12723.6 yr
Alaska Power and Telephone Co5,73737.18$3787.9 yr
Kodiak Electric Assn Inc4,77218.83$19215.7 yr

Alaska among its neighbours

Closest states to Alaska
Closest to AlaskaPayback, yearskWh per kWPrice, ¢Utility-scale solar, points of generationMiles away
Alaska (this page)11.31,01726.090.1-
Washington+10.2+45-12.98+0.51,447
Oregon+6.0+113-10.72+4.11,562
Montana+6.3+298-13.11+1.21,796
Idaho+7.2+354-14.27+7.91,807
Simple solar payback by state at $3.00 a wattNew Mexico: 11.2 yrTexas: 12.9 yrKentucky: 16.9 yrOhio: 14.2 yrGeorgia: 14.4 yrArkansas: 17.0 yrOregon: 17.3 yrPennsylvania: 12.5 yrMissouri: 16.0 yrNorth Carolina: 15.2 yrUtah: 14.9 yrVirginia: 14.6 yrWyoming: 14.5 yrWest Virginia: 16.2 yrNew York: 8.9 yrIndiana: 13.5 yrKansas: 13.9 yrIdaho: 18.5 yrNevada: 12.6 yrIllinois: 13.0 yrVermont: 10.7 yrNew Jersey: 10.0 yrMinnesota: 14.0 yrMaryland: 11.1 yrIowa: 15.9 yrHawaii: 4.3 yrNew Hampshire: 9.7 yrRhode Island: 7.9 yrConnecticut: 8.0 yrMontana: 17.6 yrArizona: 11.2 yrNebraska: 16.9 yrWashington: 21.6 yrSouth Dakota: 16.0 yrCalifornia: 5.5 yrAlabama: 13.5 yrWisconsin: 12.5 yrMississippi: 15.6 yrColorado: 12.3 yrOklahoma: 15.3 yrTennessee: 16.4 yrLouisiana: 16.1 yrMichigan: 11.7 yrMassachusetts: 7.7 yrFlorida: 12.7 yrAlaska: 11.3 yrNorth Dakota: 19.2 yrSouth Carolina: 13.7 yrMaine: 8.5 yrDelaware: 12.7 yrDistrict of Columbia: 9.8 yr

Alaska against its neighbours in the payback ranking

  • -1 places, New Mexico -0.2 years against Alaska
  • +0 places, Arizona -0.1 years against Alaska
  • Alaska, rank 15: 11.3 years
  • +2 places, Michigan +0.4 years against Alaska
  • +3 places, Colorado +1.0 years against Alaska

Your numbers for Alaska

    Limits in Alaska

    Alaska: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 7.9 years instead of 11.3, so the calculator starts at 0%. No Alaska export rates in our data: output counts at 26.09 ¢. All limits.

    Sources for Alaska

    More about Alaska

    Alaska electricity hub, Alaska EV charging: 70 stations, where Alaska ranks for rooftop solar, 11.3 years against 51 states, Alaska calculators.

    Questions

    Alaska sunshine for solar panels?

    1,017 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 51 of 51; from 675 in Juneau to 951 in Anchorage.

    Winter cut in Alaska solar output?

    December to February give 7% of the year; May makes 153 kWh per kW and Dec 13.

    Where in Alaska is solar best?

    Yes: 34% between Juneau and Anchorage in yearly output.

    Alaska utility-scale solar capacity?

    8 MW in 2 plants (EIA-860), 10 W per resident, rank 49; 0 MW proposed.

    Alaska electricity from solar, what share?

    0.1% of 2025 net generation, rank 49 of 51, -6.7 points against the nation.

    Solar payback in Alaska?

    11.3 years at $3.00 a watt; 9.4 at $2.50; 13.2 at $3.50; 1,017 kWh per kW at 26.09 ¢.

    Net metering in Alaska?

    2,771 systems, 9.3 per 1,000 accounts, rank 34.

    Alaska pays half price for exports?

    Payback 22.6 years at a 50% retail share.

    CO2 displaced in Alaska?

    2.2 t a year on 6 kW at 0.367 kg per kWh.

    Federal solar credit in Alaska: still available?

    Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it Alaska payback would be 7.9 years, not 11.3.

    Share this page

    7% of a year's solar output in Alaska falls in December to February, rank 1 of 51 (1 = least winter)