State electricity profile · 2024
Montana Electricity
Montana residential power costs 12.66¢/kWh, 23.2% below the US average. Scroll down for commercial, industrial, and generation-mix figures, sourced from EIA filings.
- 12.66¢/kWh
- Residential rate
- -23.2%
- vs US average
- 58%
- Renewable
- 557.4K
- Customers
Verify with EIA → · Methodology
The verdict · 2024
Montana's residential electricity runs 12.66¢/kWh - 23.2% below the 16.48¢/kWh national average, cheaper than 78% of states, with 58% of its power from renewables.
Rate is the EIA state average across all 557.4K residential customers, a benchmark for comparing states, not the rate on any single bill. Source: EIA Form-861.
What Montana's Electricity Data Tells Us
In 2024, the average residential electricity bill in Montana runs 12.66¢/kWh, serving 557.4K metered households, placing the state 23.2% below the national residential average of 16.48¢/kWh. Commercial power runs 11.87¢/kWh while industrial buyers pay 7.59¢/kWh, reflecting the cost differentials that come from voltage level, load factor, and contract length across EIA Form-861 survey respondents. The residential sector sold 5.7M MWh across the year, translating to roughly $721.8M in revenue for utilities, a useful yardstick for sizing local demand against the grid mix that serves it.
The single largest fuel source in Montana is coal, responsible for 36.3% of what's generated in-state, with a secondary role played by hydro at 34.2%, plus wind at 21.6%. 57.6% of Montana's electricity output comes from renewable fuels, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass combined, a figure that matters because each renewable megawatt-hour displaces fuel costs that otherwise flow through to retail bills. A portfolio this clean typically carries lower marginal generation costs once capacity is built, though transmission upgrades can offset part of the saving.
Looking back across EIA records, residential prices in Montana moved from 10.94¢/kWh in 2016 to 12.66¢/kWh in 2024, a 15.7% shift over that window. Kentucky, Wyoming, South Dakota price out at a comparable level, a handy peer set for cross-checking. For anyone negotiating a supplier contract, weighing an energy-efficiency upgrade, or modeling a household budget, the combination of current rate, multi-year trend, and generation mix offers a sturdier footing than any single data point on its own.
-23.2%
vs the US residential average
78%
of states have higher residential rates
58%
renewable share, above the US mix
557.4K
residential customers served
How Montana compares
Cents per kWh, EIA Form 861. Pick a benchmark above to compare Montana against the US average or a peer state.
Residential Price History
| Year | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 12.66¢/kWh | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 12.54¢/kWh | +10.7% |
| 2022 | 11.33¢/kWh | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 11.22¢/kWh | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 11.24¢/kWh | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 11.13¢/kWh | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 10.96¢/kWh | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 10.95¢/kWh | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 10.94¢/kWh | - |
Energy Generation Mix
How Montana generates its electricity. Renewable sources account for 57.6% of generation.
- Coal36.3%
- Hydrorenewable34.2%
- Windrenewable21.6%
- Natural Gas3.7%
- Solarrenewable1.8%
- Petroleum1.5%
- Other0.9%
Market Overview
Residential Revenue
$721.8M
Commercial Revenue
$597.5M
Residential Sales
5.7M MWh
Residential Customers
557.4K
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does electricity cost in Montana? ▼
How much of Montana's electricity is renewable? ▼
Are electricity prices going up in Montana? ▼
What are commercial and industrial electricity rates in Montana? ▼
What is the cheapest energy source in Montana? ▼
Where does RateWatt's Montana electricity data come from? ▼
States with Similar Electricity Prices
Using Montana's numbers
This is the state average, use it as a benchmark, not a quote for your address.
- Montana sits 23.2% below the national average, see exactly where it lands among all 50 states. See the rankings
- Check the multi-year trend before you judge the rate, a low price rising fast can cost more over a decade than a steady one. Montana price trend
- Compare Montana side by side with the US average and peer states using the tool above, then estimate your own bill from your monthly kWh. Cost calculator
Figures are EIA state averages by sector. Your actual rate depends on your utility, plan, and usage, see our disclaimer.
Energy Guides
Understanding Electricity Rates
What ¢/kWh means and how your bill is calculated
Why Prices Vary by State
Generation mix, regulation, and geography
US Energy Sources Explained
How each fuel source powers the grid
Renewable vs Fossil Fuel Costs
LCOE comparison and the cost crossover
Cheapest States for Electricity
Which states pay the least and why
Primary source data for Montana
Every figure on this page traces to these official federal datasets.
- 📊 EIA State Energy Profile, Montana State energy database
- ⚡ EIA Electric Power Monthly Generation and price statistics
- 🌿 EPA eGRID Power-grid emissions database
- ☀️ NREL solar resource maps Solar potential by location
- 💨 NREL wind resource maps Wind potential by location
- ⚛️ NRC reactor data Nuclear operating status
- ⚡ FERC market data Transmission and market prices
- 🏛️ NARUC commissions State public utility commissions
- 📖 EIA energy mapping system Interactive federal energy map
Related
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on RateWatt is rendered directly from official U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, no number is typed in by an editor. State prices and generation mix are pulled directly from the EIA's published tables for this state. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15.