Alaska Electricity Rates
Rate data for Alaska is being refreshed. The regulator and market facts below are current; figures return with the next data load.
Can you choose your electricity supplier in Alaska?
No. Alaska has not opened its residential electricity market to competition, so the utility that delivers your power also sells it. Its prices are set in rate cases before the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, and the rate you pay depends on which utility serves your address, your rate schedule, and the season.
Grid operator: No RTO; Railbelt and isolated grids. Wholesale power costs flow through to retail bills on the regulator's schedule rather than month to month, which is why regulated-state rates move more slowly than the market-based states listed below.
Want to shop for a supplier? Retail choice is open on this site in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington DC.
You do not pick a power company in Alaska, you join one: outside Juneau nearly every mover becomes a fee-paying member-owner of an electric cooperative (a $5 membership fee at MEA and HEA, plus records fees and a deposit of up to two months' bills), and whether your rate is Juneau's 13 cents, Anchorage's 21–24 cents or a diesel village's 70 cents before the state's Power Cost Equalization credit depends entirely on which grid, Railbelt or isolated, your new address sits on.
Who will deliver your power in Alaska
The utility is fixed by your address. These are the largest in the state, with what each says it needs from a new customer.
Chugach Electric Associationcooperative
Anchorage and the Turnagain Arm corridor: the North District (Downtown and parts of East Anchorage, formerly Municipal Light & Power, bought by Chugach in 2020) and the South District running through South Anchorage and down the Seward Highway to Indian, Girdwood, Portage, Whittier, Hope, Moose Pass and Cooper Landing, plus Tyonek across Cook Inlet. About 97,000 residential customers in 2024 (EIA-861).
Chugach's RCA-filed tariff makes membership a condition of service: you fill out an application, present sufficient identification and pay a non-refundable membership fee, and service to an existing building is established within five working days of a completed application, with a connect fee (and an after-hours hook-up charge if you ask for same-day service outside business hours). A deposit may be required per meter but can never exceed two times the estimated average monthly bill, and it is waived or refunded within 90 days if you had a good payment record with Chugach in the last three years or bring written verification from your previous electric utility that you were not delinquent in the last 12 months.
Start service with Chugach Electric Association →Sources: chugachelectric.com, chugachelectric.com, chugachelectric.com, chugachelectric.com, chugachelectric.com, eia.gov
Matanuska Electric Associationcooperative
Alaska's oldest existing and second-largest electric cooperative, owned by 58,000+ members, with nearly 4,900 miles of power lines across Southcentral Alaska. About 64,000 residential customers in 2024 (EIA-861); the co-op reports 58,000+ members.
New movers must join the cooperative through a DocuSign Residential Application, know the meter number at the new address and supply a scanned driver's license for every applicant; a member service representative contacts you within 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays). Fees listed by MEA: a $5 refundable membership fee, a nonrefundable records fee (the page lists it as $20 in one fee list and $17 in another), a security deposit equal to double the meter's average monthly bill with a $100 residential minimum, and a trip fee of up to $200 if power at the address is currently disconnected.
Start service with Matanuska Electric Association →Golden Valley Electric Associationcooperative
Interior Alaska: nearly 100,000 residents in Fairbanks, Delta Junction, Nenana, Healy and Cantwell, out to 48-mile Steese Highway, 11-mile Elliott Highway and 26-mile Chena Hot Springs Road, over 3,491 miles of line; its system is interconnected with every utility in the Railbelt from Homer to Fairbanks. About 40,700 residential customers in 2024 (EIA-861).
Gather valid ID (driver's license, passport or military ID), your Social Security number or Tax ID, date of birth and the physical address or meter number, then complete the online Residential Application for Connect and call Member Services at (907) 452-1151; the form asks for the business-day date you want to take responsibility for the service. GVEA runs a soft credit check for any new member or anyone without GVEA service in the last two years and waives the deposit with a good-payment letter from your previous utility, a good GVEA history in the last two years, or a qualifying credit score; otherwise the refundable deposit is at least $120 (one month's average residential bill) and at most twice the average monthly bill, and the fee schedule effective November 1, 2025 lists a $20 application fee and a $15 scheduled connection fee ($35 same-day before 4:30 p.m., $55 after).
Start service with Golden Valley Electric Association →Sources: gvea.com, gvea.com, gvea.com, gvea.com, gvea.com, eia.gov
Homer Electric Associationcooperative
The southern Kenai Peninsula: a 3,166-square-mile territory with 26,181 member-owners and 37,349 meters served from offices in Homer and Kenai (as of 12/31/2025). About 29,700 residential customers in 2024 (EIA-861); the co-op reports 26,181 member-owners.
Anyone moving into an existing home or rental in HEA territory must join the cooperative: complete a membership application (members must be 18 and show photo ID), give the HEA meter number and reading, and pay a $5 membership fee, a $15 records fee and a meter deposit if applicable. HEA's FAQ says the deposit will not exceed the higher of two times the average bill at the location or two times the class average, is credited back after 12 months of continuous service with no more than two past-due payments and none late in the last six months, and that disconnecting and reconnecting the same location within 12 months costs a $107 reconnect fee plus the lapsed monthly charges.
Start service with Homer Electric Association →Sources: homerelectric.com, homerelectric.com, homerelectric.com, homerelectric.com, eia.gov
Alaska Electric Light & Power (AEL&P)investor-owned
Approximately 17,000 customers in the City and Borough of Juneau, an electrical island with no transmission ties to other communities, generating 100 percent of its base-load power from five local hydro plants; AEL&P is a wholly owned subsidiary of Avista Corp. and Alaska's oldest regulated electric utility. About 15,400 residential customers in 2024 (EIA-861); the utility reports ~17,000 total customers.
AEL&P starts, transfers and ends service by phone at 907.759.5900, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A security deposit of no more than two months' estimated average bill is required until you have a year of service with no more than two past-due payments and no more than one delinquency; it is waived if you bring a good-credit letter from the electric utility that last served you or had AEL&P service in the past two years without delinquency, and transferring service more than once in 12 months can trigger a connection fee.
Start service with Alaska Electric Light & Power →Sources: aelp.com, aelp.com, aelp.com, aelp.com, aelp.com, aelp.com, eia.gov
Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC)cooperative
Dozens of villages across western and northern Alaska, from Bethel and Hooper Bay to Kivalina, Noatak and Selawik, plus Yakutat. About 7,700 residential customers in 2024 (EIA-861), paying an average 69.95 cents/kWh before PCE credits.
Fill out AVEC's Application for Service & Membership and include the meter serial number at the home you are moving into; AVEC says the meter serial number is critical to connect service in your name. Residential bills are energy charge plus a per-village fuel charge, minus the Power Cost Equalization credit on the first 750 kWh each month, plus a $10 monthly customer charge ($15 in Bethel); PCE eligibility depends on paying on time, and late fees start at 45 days past due.
Start service with Alaska Village Electric Cooperative →Sources: avec.org, avec.org, avec.org, avec.org, avec.org, avec.org, eia.gov
Deposits, ID, and supplier choice in Alaska
Deposits. Alaska has no single statewide deposit amount; the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) says its Consumer Protection & Information Section may investigate deposit requirements (3 AAC 52.420), billing (3 AAC 52.430), disconnection (3 AAC 52.450), deferred-payment (3 AAC 52.445) and service-connection (3 AAC 52.455) disputes. In practice the tariffs of Chugach, MEA, GVEA, HEA and AEL&P all cap the deposit at two times the average monthly bill; Chugach, GVEA and AEL&P waive it with a good-payment letter from the electric utility that last served you; and Chugach, GVEA, HEA and AEL&P credit it back after 12 months of service with no more than two past-due payments. (rca.alaska.gov)
Choosing a supplier. There is no residential retail supplier choice in Alaska: every utility is certificated and regulated by the RCA, and EIA's 2024 Alaska profile shows all 6,046,503 MWh of retail sales as full-service-provider sales and zero energy-only (competitive supplier) sales. Your electric company is set by your address: a member-owned cooperative almost everywhere, the investor-owned AEL&P in Juneau, or a municipal utility in a few towns such as Ketchikan.
Alaska's utilities fall into two worlds. The Railbelt grid stretches from Homer to Fairbanks and interconnects every electric utility along it; its members' bills now carry a state-mandated Electric Reliability Organization surcharge for the Railbelt Reliability Council, and HEA describes its own fuel mix as predominantly Cook Inlet natural gas with some hydro. Everything else runs on separate local systems: Juneau is an electrical island with no transmission lines to other communities, and the 188 remote communities in the Power Cost Equalization program, largely reliant on diesel, pay rates that can be three to five times urban levels before the PCE credit. If you have a billing or deposit dispute, the RCA says to try the utility first, then file an informal complaint with its Consumer Protection & Information Section at (907) 276-6222 or 1-800-390-2782, which responds within two business days.
Sources: rca.alaska.gov, rca.alaska.gov, rca.alaska.gov, rca.alaska.gov, eia.gov, gvea.com, homerelectric.com, aelp.com, eia.gov, akrrc.org, akenergyauthority.org, akenergyauthority.org
Help paying an electric bill in Alaska
Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP and the Alaska Affordable Heating Program)
Alaska Department of Health, Division of Public Assistance
Households with at least $200 a year in out-of-pocket heating costs and income under the season's limits: federally funded LIHEAP covers income up to 150% of the federal poverty guidelines and the state-funded Alaska Affordable Heating Program (AAHP) covers 150% to 225%; 2026-2027 monthly limits are $3,739 for one person, $5,071 for two, $7,733 for four, plus $1,331 per additional person. One benefit per season, paid as a credit to your heating-fuel or electric vendor; applications open September 1, grants issue from the first working day of October, the non-crisis deadline is April 30, and the FAQ says you can direct 50% of the grant to your electric company if you ask when you apply.
Sources: health.alaska.gov, health.alaska.gov, liheapch.acf.gov
Crisis Assistance and Subsidized Rental Housing Utility Deposit (SRHUD)
Alaska Department of Health, Division of Public Assistance (same Heating Assistance application)
Crisis Assistance (applications September 1 through June 30) pays a one-time benefit to your vendor if you are out of heating fuel or within 48 hours of running out, if heat or electric service is disconnected or within 48 hours of disconnection, or if you face eviction for non-payment where heat is included in a non-subsidized rent. SRHUD, open all year, helps pay the deposit to establish electric service in subsidized rental housing where heat is included in the rent but the renter pays their own electric bill.
Sources: health.alaska.gov, health.alaska.gov
Federal LIHEAP funding and benefit levels for Alaska (FY 2026)
U.S. HHS Administration for Children and Families, via the LIHEAP Clearinghouse
The Clearinghouse profile (updated 04/20/2026) lists Alaska's FY 2026 LIHEAP funding at $12,158,876, heating benefits from a $350 minimum to a $6,125 maximum, crisis benefits up to $6,125, heating season October 1 to April 30 and winter crisis October 1 to June 30, with 5,150 households receiving heating help in FY 2024. Residents of communities served by a tribal LIHEAP grantee must apply through the tribal organization, not the state.
Sources: liheapch.acf.gov, health.alaska.gov
Weatherization Assistance Program
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), delivered by regional weatherization providers
Homeowners and renters (including condos) who meet AHFC's income limits apply through the weatherization service provider for their area and receive services at no cost; the LIHEAP Clearinghouse lists Alaska's weatherization eligibility at 200% of the federal poverty level, year-round. The state Heating Assistance FAQ names the regional providers: Alaska Community Development Corp. (Mat-Su, Kenai Peninsula, Copper River, Kodiak), Interior Weatherization (Interior), and RurAL CAP (Anchorage, Juneau, western and northern Alaska, and Southeast outside Juneau).
Sources: ahfc.us, liheapch.acf.gov, health.alaska.gov
Alaska Energy Authority with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska
Residential customers of eligible rural utilities (largely diesel-dependent systems; the Railbelt utilities, Juneau and the Four Dam Pool communities are excluded) receive a per-kWh credit on their bill for up to 750 kWh per month (the cap stated in AEA's FY2025 statistical report; the 2019 program guide still shows the earlier 500 kWh cap), bringing rates toward those paid in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau; the credit is a bill reduction applied by the utility, which the state then reimburses. In FY2025 the program served about 81,000 residents in 188 communities through 81 utilities, and AVEC warns that failing to pay bills on time can cost you PCE eligibility.
Sources: akenergyauthority.org, akenergyauthority.org, akenergyauthority.org, avec.org
GVEA Member Assistance Program (MAP)
Golden Valley Electric Association, applications processed by ADRC North in Fairbanks
GVEA members whose account is already delinquent and who either show a hardship (job loss, medical emergency, fire, death of a provider, domestic violence) or have gross household income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level ($1,976 a month for one person, $4,063 for four). Up to $750 once in a 12-month period, applied to the past-due balance and late fees but never to reconnect fees, application fees or deposits; funded by abandoned capital credits.
Source: gvea.com
Programs that change what you pay
- Rooftop solar (net metering)available
- Statewide net metering under RCA regulations 3 AAC 50.900–949 (effective 2010) lets members of the major utilities interconnect renewable systems of 25 kW or less and be credited for excess at the utility's avoided-cost rate (GVEA's is $0.13726/kWh for Sept–Nov 2026; MEA's non-firm rate resets quarterly). Application fees differ: Chugach charges a $270 non-refundable fee, GVEA $65 from November 1, 2025, and MEA none, with MEA quoting 2–4 weeks to process and HEA about one to two weeks per step.
Sources: mea.coop, gvea.com, homerelectric.com, chugachelectric.com
- Community solarlimited
- Chugach Community Solar, Alaska's first community solar program (500 kW AC, 1,560 panels, producing since August 2025), lets Anchorage members subscribe to 1–20 panels for a bill credit after a one-year commitment, but it is fully subscribed with a waitlist. GVEA has a Community Energy Program, under RCA community-energy regulations, for third-party facilities up to 5 MW, yet lists no approved facilities available for subscription.
Sources: chugachelectric.com, gvea.com
- Time-of-use rateslimited
- Chugach's voluntary Time of Use Pilot (off-peak 9 p.m.–9 a.m. about one-third below the standard rate, on-peak about one-third above) takes applications October 1–November 30 with a lottery if oversubscribed; MEA's EV Off-Peak Charging TOU program is fully subscribed and waitlisted for lack of TOU-capable meters. In Juneau, AEL&P's standard rates are seasonal rather than hourly, with a separate Rate 91 for off-peak heat storage from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Sources: chugachelectric.com, mea.coop, aelp.com
Questions people ask before moving to Alaska
How far ahead should I set up electricity before moving to Alaska?
Chugach's tariff commits to establishing service at an existing home within five working days of a completed application, MEA says a representative calls within 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) of your DocuSign application, and GVEA's online form only accepts a start date that falls on a business day, so allow at least a week and apply before the weekend you move. Rural co-ops such as AVEC cannot connect you at all without the meter serial number from the house, so get it from the landlord or seller first.
Sources: chugachelectric.com, mea.coop, gvea.com, avec.org
Can I choose my electricity supplier in Alaska?
No. Alaska has no retail electric choice; EIA's 2024 state profile records zero energy-only (competitive supplier) sales, and the RCA certificates and regulates the utilities, so your provider is whichever cooperative, investor-owned utility or municipal utility serves your address. The way to lower your bill is through programs the utility itself offers, such as Chugach's time-of-use pilot or net metering, not by switching.
Sources: eia.gov, rca.alaska.gov, chugachelectric.com
Will I have to pay a deposit, and how do I avoid it?
Chugach, MEA, GVEA, HEA and AEL&P all cap residential deposits at two times the average monthly bill (GVEA's minimum is $120, MEA's is $100), and Chugach, GVEA and AEL&P waive it if you bring a good-payment letter from your previous electric utility (Chugach specifies 12 months without delinquency), so request that letter before you leave your old state. Deposits are credited back, with interest at Chugach, GVEA and AEL&P, after 12 months of service with no more than two past-due payments, and co-ops also charge small one-time fees such as HEA's $5 membership and $15 records fee or MEA's $5 membership and $20 records fee.
Sources: gvea.com, mea.coop, homerelectric.com, aelp.com, chugachelectric.com
What will electricity cost me in Alaska?
It depends enormously on where you land: EIA's 2024 averages run from 12.93 cents/kWh in hydro-powered Juneau (AEL&P) to 21.24 cents at Chugach in Anchorage, 23.37 cents at MEA, roughly 30 cents at GVEA (Fairbanks) and HEA (Kenai Peninsula), and 69.95 cents at AVEC's diesel villages before the PCE credit. Current posted rates confirm the spread: a 581 kWh GVEA bill is $224.00 while a 623 kWh MEA bill is about $166.06, and MEA and HEA reset their Cost of Power Adjustment every quarter.
What is Power Cost Equalization and do I get it?
PCE is a state program, run by the Alaska Energy Authority with the RCA, that credits residential customers of eligible rural, mostly diesel-powered utilities on their first 750 kWh each month (the cap in AEA's FY2025 report; the 2019 guide shows 500 kWh) to bring rates closer to Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau levels; it served about 81,000 residents in 188 communities in FY2025. The utility applies the credit on your bill and the state reimburses the utility, but it does not apply on the Railbelt (Anchorage, Mat-Su, Kenai, Fairbanks), in Juneau or in the Four Dam Pool towns, and AVEC notes that late payment can cost you eligibility.
Sources: akenergyauthority.org, akenergyauthority.org, akenergyauthority.org, avec.org
Is there help paying heating and electric bills in Alaska?
The state Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP up to 150% of poverty, the state-funded AAHP up to 225%) pays a one-time credit to your fuel or electric vendor each season, with applications from September 1 and grants from October; you can send half the grant to your electric company if you ask when you apply, and SRHUD can cover an electric deposit in subsidized housing. Utilities add their own help, such as GVEA's Member Assistance Program of up to $750 for delinquent accounts, and AHFC's weatherization program is free for income-qualified owners and renters.
Sources: health.alaska.gov, health.alaska.gov, gvea.com, ahfc.us
Researched 2026-10-16 from utility, regulator, and agency pages; every statement links to where it was read. Rules change: confirm deposits and program dates with the utility or agency before you rely on them.
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