The Great Plains electricity rates
Across the 3 jurisdictions of The Great Plains, residential electricity averages 14.03¢ per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, 23.9% below the U.S. average of 18.44¢. The regional average bill is $131 a month at 956 kWh.
What binds these states together
Three states in the SPP footprint, sitting on one of the strongest wind resources in North America and, in Oklahoma's case, on its own natural gas as well. Fuel does not travel far here, and transport cost is normally the largest component of delivered fuel price.
Nebraska is the structural outlier of the entire country. Every electric utility in the state is a public power district, a municipal system or a co-operative. There are no shareholders and therefore no allowed return on equity built into rates, and the utilities borrow at tax-exempt municipal rates rather than corporate ones. That single difference accounts for a meaningful share of the state's price advantage.
Kansas sits above its neighbours despite the same wind, carrying the cost of the Wolf Creek nuclear station across a relatively small ratepayer base and an extensive transmission programme built to move western Kansas wind east.
What is moving rates now
The defining recent event was the February 2021 winter storm, which produced extraordinary gas costs across the region. Oklahoma and Kansas both responded by securitising them, issuing bonds to spread the cost over many years rather than putting it on a single bill. That is why a very large one-off cost now appears as a small, long-lived surcharge.
Transmission is the region's structural cost. The wind is in the west and the load is in the east, and the Plains built the network to connect them earlier and more aggressively than most regions. That infrastructure is part of why SPP can move as much wind as it does, and Plains ratepayers paid for a network that benefits a wider area.
State by state
| State | May 2026 (¢/kWh) | May 2025 | Change | vs. U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 15.13 | 14.73 | +2.7% | -18.0% |
| Nebraska | 13.59 | 13.15 | +3.3% | -26.3% |
| Oklahoma | 13.38 | 12.94 | +3.4% | -27.4% |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State. Regional averages are unweighted means of the jurisdictions listed. Methodology
What it means for a household here
None of these states has residential retail choice, so shopping is not available.
Two things are specific to the region. Fixed monthly customer charges here are among the highest in the country, particularly in Kansas, which means reducing usage saves less than the headline rate implies. Check the fixed charge on your bill before modelling savings from efficiency work.
And in Nebraska, ratepayers have unusually direct access to rate-setting: OPPD and NPPD board meetings are public, budgets are published, and directors are elected. That is where rate decisions actually get made.
The Great Plains electricity: common questions
What is the average electricity rate in The Great Plains?
14.03¢ per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, an unweighted average of the 3 jurisdictions covered. That is -23.9% against the U.S. average of 18.44¢.
Which The Great Plains state has the cheapest electricity?
Oklahoma at 13.38¢/kWh, against Kansas at 15.13¢ at the other end.
Did rates rise in The Great Plains this year?
The regional average moved +3.1% from May 2025 to May 2026. Individual states varied: Oklahoma +3.4%, Nebraska +3.3%, Kansas +2.7%.
How much do households in The Great Plains spend on electricity?
The regional average bill is $131 a month at 956 kWh, measured across the twelve months to May 2026. The U.S. average is $155 at 871 kWh.