State electricity profile · EIA monthly through May 2026
North Dakota Electricity
As of May 2026, residential electricity in North Dakota costs 13.61¢ per kWh (+3.9% vs May 2025). EIA publishes these figures monthly and this page follows them. North Dakota's 2025 annual residential electricity rate is 11.81¢/kWh, 31.7% below the US average. Power costs less here than the US average, with renewables at 41% of generation and the balance, detailed below, coming from conventional fuels.
- 13.61¢
- May 2026 rate
- +3.9%
- year over year
- 11.81¢/kWh
- Residential rate
- -31.7%
- vs US average
- 41%
- Renewable
- 401.1K
- Customers
Verify with EIA → · Methodology
11.81¢/kWh residential, 7.40¢/kWh commercial
In the U.S. Energy Information Administration's 2025 annual-frequency retail-sales series, North Dakota's residential average revenue per kWh is 11.81¢/kWh, with a commercial average of 7.40¢/kWh and an industrial average of 7.50¢/kWh; a separate EIA generation series for 2025 reports 41% of the state's generation from renewables.
- 31.7% below the US average vs national residential average
- 41% renewable generation
The verdict · 2025
North Dakota's residential electricity runs 11.81¢/kWh - 31.7% below the 17.30¢/kWh national average, cheaper than 100% of other states, with 41% of its power from renewables.
This is EIA state average revenue per kWh across 401.1K reported residential customers, a benchmark for comparing states, not the tariff on any single bill. Source: EIA retail-sales API, annual frequency.
Annual rate change
What changed in the 2025 annual EIA period
- North Dakota's industrial average rose from 7.25¢/kWh to 7.50¢/kWh between the 2024 and 2025 annual-frequency EIA retail-sales periods, a change of +3.4%.
- North Dakota's commercial average rose from 7.19¢/kWh to 7.40¢/kWh between the 2024 and 2025 annual-frequency EIA retail-sales periods, a change of +2.9%.
- North Dakota's residential average rose from 11.51¢/kWh to 11.81¢/kWh between the 2024 and 2025 annual-frequency EIA retail-sales periods, a change of +2.6%.
Energy Generation Mix (2025)
How North Dakota generates its electricity, from the EIA generation series for 2025 (separate from the 2025 retail-sales price figures above). Renewable sources account for 41.4% of generation.
- Coal53.1%
- Windrenewable36.2%
- Natural Gas5.3%
- Hydrorenewable5.2%
- Other0.1%
- Petroleum0.1%
Who generates North Dakota's electricity
North Dakota has 99 operable generating units on EIA's inventory totalling 10,596 MW of net summer capacity. The largest single plant is Coal Creek , a conventional steam coal station operated by Rainbow Energy Center , rated 1,142 MW.
Balancing authorities keep supply and demand matched on the grid; the largest here by capacity are Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc., Southwest Power Pool and Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region.
Showing the 16 largest of 57 operable plants in North Dakota by net summer capacity.
| Plant | Operator | Technology | County | MW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal Creek | Rainbow Energy Center | Conventional Steam Coal | – | 1,142 |
| Antelope Valley | Basin Electric Power Coop | Conventional Steam Coal | – | 900 |
| Pioneer Generation Station | Basin Electric Power Coop | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | – | 763 |
| Milton R Young | Minnkota Power Coop, Inc | Conventional Steam Coal | – | 684 |
| Leland Olds | Basin Electric Power Coop | Conventional Steam Coal | – | 660 |
| Garrison | USACE-Omaha | Conventional Hydroelectric | – | 510 |
| Coyote | Otter Tail Power Co | Conventional Steam Coal | – | 426 |
| Aurora Wind Project | Aurora Wind Project, LLC | Onshore Wind Turbine | – | 299 |
| Badger Wind, LLC | Badger Wind , LLC | Onshore Wind Turbine | – | 250 |
| Lonesome Creek Station | Basin Electric Power Coop | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | – | 240 |
| Bison 4 Wind Energy Center | ALLETE, Inc. | Onshore Wind Turbine | – | 202 |
| Bowman Wind | Bowman Wind, LLC | Onshore Wind Turbine | – | 200 |
| Emmons-Logan Wind, LLC | Emmons-Logan Wind, LLC | Onshore Wind Turbine | – | 200 |
| Burke Wind, LLC | Burke Wind LLC | Onshore Wind Turbine | – | 199 |
| Oliver Wind IV | Oliver Wind IV, LLC | Onshore Wind Turbine | – | 199 |
| Courtenay Wind Farm | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Onshore Wind Turbine | – | 190 |
| Operating company | Plants | Net summer MW |
|---|---|---|
| Basin Electric Power Coop | 6 | 2,683 |
| Rainbow Energy Center | 1 | 1,142 |
| Otter Tail Power Co | 6 | 776 |
| Minnkota Power Coop, Inc | 1 | 684 |
| USACE-Omaha | 1 | 510 |
| ALLETE, Inc. | 4 | 494 |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | 4 | 357 |
| Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | 2 | 338 |
| Aurora Wind Project, LLC | 1 | 299 |
| Badger Wind , LLC | 1 | 250 |
Operable units only, from EIA's generator inventory as reported for 2026-05. Capacity is net summer rating, which is what a unit can reliably deliver in peak conditions rather than its nameplate figure. Ownership and operatorship can differ; the company shown is the one EIA records as operating the unit.
What North Dakota's Electricity Data Tells Us
Residential customers in North Dakota pay 11.81¢/kWh in 2025, across 401.1K metered households, placing the state 31.7% below the national residential average of 17.30¢/kWh. Commercial rates sit at 7.40¢/kWh while industrial buyers pay 7.50¢/kWh. These sector averages describe recorded revenue per kWh; this dataset alone does not establish why they differ. Annual residential sales total 5.1M MWh on roughly $608.3M in utility revenue. Sales and revenue are reported retail-series measures and should not be treated as a local load forecast.
The two ends of North Dakota's market are priced very differently: 51 of 51 for households against 39 for industry. A gap this wide means a single statewide "electricity price" describes almost nothing, and the sector figures above should be read separately. Coal carries the majority of North Dakota's in-state generation at 53.1%, though not the whole grid: wind supplies 36.2% and natural gas a further 5.3%. It is the leading fuel in 9 states. Renewable fuels (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass) account for 41.4% of North Dakota's electricity output. These shares describe in-state generation, not a utility-specific customer bill.
Looking back across EIA records, residential prices in North Dakota moved from 10.16¢/kWh in 2016 to 11.81¢/kWh in 2025, a 16.2% shift over that window. States charging a similar rate include Idaho, Nebraska, Louisiana, a useful peer set for a sanity check. A coal-led grid prices differently from a fuel-market-led one. North Dakota's generators buy under multi-year contracts and recover plant capital through the rate base, so the rate above tends to move in regulated steps rather than with any commodity price, and the live question is what retiring units get replaced with. Read the number as a floor rather than a promise. A statewide average this far under the national figure is usually held down by a few large low-cost generators, and a household on the wrong side of a service-territory boundary in North Dakota can pay well above it.
-31.7%
Much cheaper vs the US residential average
100%
of states have higher rates — Among the cheapest
41%
Significant renewable — above the 25% US mix
401.1K
residential customers served
Residential Price History
North Dakota residential average revenue per kWh moved from 10.16¢/kWh in 2016 to 11.81¢/kWh in 2025 (16.2% over the window).
- North Dakota residential avg
- 11.81¢/kWh 16.2% since 2016
- 2016 → 2025
- North Dakota residential: 2016, 10.2¢
- North Dakota residential: 2017, 10.3¢
- North Dakota residential: 2018, 10.3¢
- North Dakota residential: 2019, 10.3¢
- North Dakota residential: 2020, 10.4¢
- North Dakota residential: 2021, 10.9¢
- North Dakota residential: 2022, 10.9¢
- North Dakota residential: 2023, 11¢
- North Dakota residential: 2024, 11.5¢
- North Dakota residential: 2025, 11.8¢
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, retail-sales API · annual frequency. North Dakota full trend →
North Dakota Average Price by Sector and Year (¢/kWh)
The chart above tracks households only. In 2025, North Dakota households paid 11.81¢/kWh while businesses paid 7.40¢/kWh, a 59.6% residential premium, one of the widest household-versus-business gaps in the country. Every year EIA has published is below, so a single year can be read across all three sectors rather than assembled from three separate EIA queries.
| Year | Residential | Commercial | Industrial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11.81¢/kWh | 7.40¢/kWh | 7.50¢/kWh |
| 2024 | 11.51¢/kWh | 7.19¢/kWh | 7.25¢/kWh |
| 2023 | 11.01¢/kWh | 7.38¢/kWh | 7.37¢/kWh |
| 2022 | 10.92¢/kWh | 8.45¢/kWh | 7.28¢/kWh |
| 2021 | 10.85¢/kWh | 9.17¢/kWh | 7.37¢/kWh |
| 2020 | 10.44¢/kWh | 9.02¢/kWh | 7.26¢/kWh |
| 2019 | 10.30¢/kWh | 9.01¢/kWh | 7.94¢/kWh |
| 2018 | 10.25¢/kWh | 9.10¢/kWh | 7.98¢/kWh |
| 2017 | 10.29¢/kWh | 9.19¢/kWh | 7.63¢/kWh |
| 2016 | 10.16¢/kWh | 9.15¢/kWh | 7.98¢/kWh |
Average revenue per kilowatt-hour, U.S. Energy Information Administration annual-frequency retail-sales series. Revenue per kWh is what customers in each sector actually paid on average, not an advertised tariff rate. Years with no EIA figure for a sector show —.
Where North Dakota's residential rate sits nationally
2025 average revenue per kWh across every reporting state
11.81¢/kWh Most affordable More affordable than every other reporting state
all reporting states, equal-width bands
Each bar spans 5¢/kWh. Taller bars contain more states; the dashed marker locates this state. Hover, focus or tap a bar for its exact count and share.
Source U.S. Energy Information Administration, retail-sales API · 2025 annual frequency
How North Dakota compares
Average revenue per kWh, EIA retail-sales API. Pick a benchmark above to compare North Dakota against the US average or a peer state.
Market Overview
Residential Revenue
$608.3M
Commercial Revenue
$851.9M
Residential Sales
5.1M MWh
Residential Customers
401.1K
Using North Dakota's numbers
Renewables already carry a large share of generation here, so the marginal question in North Dakota has shifted from building supply to firming it. Storage and interconnection are what the next rate moves turn on.
- North Dakota sits 31.7% 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. North Dakota price trend
- Compare North Dakota 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, computed as revenue divided by sales, so delivery and taxes are inside them but not broken out. Your actual rate depends on your utility, plan, and usage, see our disclaimer.
States with Similar Electricity Prices
Other states led by coal
These grids also report coal as their largest generation share in the latest EIA mix — a different peer set from the price neighbors above.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does electricity cost in North Dakota? ▼
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Read with North Dakota: cheapest states for electricity
Where North Dakota's figures come from
Every price and generation figure on this page is drawn from the EIA series below, and from nothing else.
- 📊 EIA State Energy Profile, North Dakota State energy database
- ⚡ EIA Electric Power Monthly The monthly and annual price series behind every rate here
- 🌿 EIA generation by source The in-state generation shares quoted above
- 📖 Our methodology Source-to-figure lineage, and further federal energy references
Utilities serving North Dakota
The 17 utilities that reported bundled residential service in North Dakota to EIA Form 861 (2024), largest first. Entity prices below are Form 861 averages for that release, not the same survey as the 2025 retail-sales statewide average above, and not a household tariff. What an individual household pays depends on which of these serves its address.
| Utility | Ownership | Customers | Avg ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Investor Owned | 83.0K | 12.11¢ |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | 79.4K | 11.72¢ |
| Cass County Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | 52.0K | 12.45¢ |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | 45.5K | 11.38¢ |
| Nodak Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 20.8K | 12.08¢ |
| Capital Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 19.5K | 12.31¢ |
| Verendrye Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 14.3K | 10.70¢ |
| Mountrail-Williams Elec Coop | Cooperative | 11.4K | 7.24¢ |
| Roughrider Electric Cooperativ | Cooperative | 11.2K | 10.24¢ |
| Northern Plains Electric Coop | Cooperative | 10.4K | 10.65¢ |
| North Central Elec Coop, Inc - (ND) | Cooperative | 6.1K | 10.90¢ |
| Dakota Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | 5.7K | 12.01¢ |
| McKenzie Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 5.4K | 7.86¢ |
| McLean Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 3.7K | 14.25¢ |
| Slope Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 3.2K | 13.81¢ |
Showing the 15 largest of 17 reporting utilities. Presence in EIA Form 861 is not evidence that a utility is available at a given address or that a customer may choose it.
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. Statewide prices use the EIA retail-sales annual series (2025). Generation mix uses a separate EIA generation series (2025). Utility rows use Form EIA-861 (2024) and are not averaged into the statewide retail-sales figure. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2025.