Energy
What is the cost of charging your Tesla using rooftop solar?
Following the announcement that Tesla has begun selling its Solar Roof tile, Model S and Model X owners, as well as Model 3 reservation holders, might be wondering how much of an investment would be required if one were to charge their Tesla through solar.
After all, Elon Musk’s grand vision for Tesla is to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy which he breaks down into a 3-pronged approach.
- First – convert all power generation to solar power. The company’s acquisition of SolarCity last year brings this into the fold and Tesla has already started to reshape the solar strategy since then.
- Second – store the energy. Tesla’s fundamental product is the battery pack which it has developed for vehicular, residential and commercial use. Battery storage units like the Powerwall and Powerpack store excess power generated through solar which can be used at a later time when sunlight isn’t available.
- Third – convert all transportation to electric (with the exception of rockets). Though Tesla is arguably best known for its fleet of electric cars, Must has said in the past that vehicles will represent a small portion of the overall business in the long run.
To determine the cost of solar for his home, Ben Sullins of Teslanomics uses his 5.12kW solar system that is comprised of 16 solar panels as a benchmark. It’s worth nothing that the solar system being referred to isn’t Tesla’s Solar Roof tile which isn’t available until later this year, but a traditional rooftop solar system using solar panels.
Because of the abundance of sunshine where Sullins lives, the system was designed to offset his total annual consumption of electricity. Looking at it from an month-to-month perspective, the system over produces electricity in the summer and under produces in the winter.
Those living in an area where their utility has a less than favorable net-metering agreement in place like Nevada, residential energy storage systems like the Powerall can store the power generated during the day for use at night.
The solar system Sullins mapped out in his video costs roughly $20,000 before factoring in a $6,000 federal tax credit. This takes the total out-of-pocket cost down to $14,000 for a system that will offset all of his electricity usage. Spreading this cost over the estimated 25-year life of the solar system and he’s paying approximately $47 a month for the system over its entire life.
Sullins notes that his annual cost of electricity was $2,300 before the solar installation which dropped to $10 a month which is a mandated connection fee for staying connected to the grid.
To better understand the portion of his utility bill that reflects energy used by his Tesla Model S, Sullins isolated the “super off-peak” usage (late night to early morning hours) as a percentage of the total cost which came out to 45%.
The total cost of his solar system is $10 for the monthly utility connection charge and $47 for the solar system, totaling $57 a month. Taking the percentage of the bill that represents the Tesla’s usage (45%) and he has a monthly cost of $26 for charging his Model S through solar.
There you have it. Installing a residential rooftop solar system can save Tesla owners a grip of cash by generating their own power. This effectively lets them drive on sunshine, leading to a truly zero-emissions driving experience.
Energy
Tesla meets Giga New York’s Buffalo job target amid political pressures
Giga New York reported more than 3,460 statewide jobs at the end of 2025, meeting the benchmark tied to its dollar-a-year lease.
Tesla has surpassed its job commitments at Giga New York in Buffalo, easing pressure from lawmakers who threatened the company with fines, subsidy clawbacks, and dealership license revocations last year.
The company reported more than 3,460 statewide jobs at the end of 2025, meeting the benchmark tied to its dollar-a-year lease at the state-built facility.
As per an employment report reviewed by local media, Tesla employed 2,399 full-time workers at Gigafactory New York and 1,060 additional employees across the state at the end of 2025. Part-time roles pushed the total headcount of Tesla’s New York staff above the 3,460-job target.
The gains stemmed in part from a new Long Island service center, a Buffalo warehouse, and additional showrooms in White Plains and Staten Island. Tesla also said it has invested $350 million in supercomputing infrastructure at the site and has begun manufacturing solar panels.
Empire State Development CEO Hope Knight said the agency was “very happy” with Giga New York’s progress, as noted in a WXXI report. The current lease runs through 2029, and negotiations over updated terms have included potential adjustments to job requirements and future rent payments.
Some lawmakers remain skeptical, however. Assemblymember Pat Burke questioned whether the reported job figures have been fully verified. State Sen. Patricia Fahy has also continued to sponsor legislation that would revoke Tesla’s company-owned dealership licenses in New York. John Kaehny of Reinvent Albany has argued that the project has not delivered the manufacturing impact originally promised as well.
Knight, for her part, maintained that Empire State Development has been making the best of a difficult situation.
“(Empire State Development) has tried to make the best of a very difficult situation. There hasn’t been another use that has come forward that would replace this one, and so to the extent that we’re in this place, the fact that 2,000 families at (Giga New York) are being supported through the activity of this employer. It’s the best that we can have happen,” the CEO noted.
Energy
Tesla launches Cybertruck vehicle-to-grid program in Texas
The initiative was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Tesla has launched a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program in Texas, allowing eligible Cybertruck owners to send energy back to the grid during high-demand events and receive compensation on their utility bills.
The initiative, dubbed Powershare Grid Support, was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Texas’ Cybertruck V2G program
In its post on X, Tesla Energy confirmed that vehicle-to-grid functionality is “coming soon,” starting with select Texas markets. Under the new Powershare Grid Support program, owners of the Cybertruck equipped with Powershare home backup hardware can opt in through the Tesla app and participate in short-notice grid stress events.
During these events, the Cybertruck automatically discharges excess energy back to the grid, supporting local utilities such as CenterPoint Energy and Oncor. In return, participants receive compensation in the form of bill credits. Tesla noted that the program is currently invitation-only as part of an early adopter rollout.
The launch builds on the Cybertruck’s existing Powershare capability, which allows the vehicle to provide up to 11.5 kW of power for home backup. Tesla added that the program is expected to expand to California next, with eligibility tied to utilities such as PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E.
Powershare Grid Support
To participate in Texas, Cybertruck owners must live in areas served by CenterPoint Energy or Oncor, have Powershare equipment installed, enroll in the Tesla Electric Drive plan, and opt in through the Tesla app. Once enrolled, vehicles would be able to contribute power during high-demand events, helping stabilize the grid.
Tesla noted that events may occur with little notice, so participants are encouraged to keep their Cybertrucks plugged in when at home and to manage their discharge limits based on personal needs. Compensation varies depending on the electricity plan, similar to how Powerwall owners in some regions have earned substantial credits by participating in Virtual Power Plant (VPP) programs.
Tesla is updating Cybertruck owners on its timeline of a massive feature that has yet to ship: Powershare with Powerwall.
Powershare is a bidirectional charging feature exclusive to Cybertruck, which allows the vehicle’s battery to act as a portable power source for homes, appliances, tools, other EVs, and more. It was announced in late 2023 as part of Tesla’s push into vehicle-to-everything energy sharing, and acting as a giant portable charger is the main advantage, as it can provide backup power during outages.
Cybertruck’s Powershare system supports both vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-home (V2H), making it flexible and well-rounded for a variety of applications.
However, even though the feature was promised with Cybertruck, it has yet to be shipped to vehicles. Tesla communicated with owners through email recently regarding Powershare with Powerwall, which essentially has the pickup act as an extended battery.
Powerwall discharge would be prioritized before tapping into the truck’s larger pack.
However, Tesla is still working on getting the feature out to owners, an email said:
“We’re writing to let you know that the Powershare with Powerwall feature is still in development and is now scheduled for release in mid-2026.
This new release date gives us additional time to design and test this feature, ensuring its ability to communicate and optimize energy sharing between your vehicle and many configurations and generations of Powerwall. We are also using this time to develop additional Powershare features that will help us continue to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
Owners have expressed some real disappointment in Tesla’s continuous delays in releasing the feature, as it was expected to be released by late 2024, but now has been pushed back several times to mid-2026, according to the email.
Foundation Series Cybertruck buyers paid extra, expecting the feature to be rolled out with their vehicle upon pickup.
Cybertruck’s Lead Engineer, Wes Morrill, even commented on the holdup:
As a Cybertruck owner who also has Powerwall, I empathize with the disappointed comments.
To their credit, the team has delivered powershare functionality to Cybertruck customers who otherwise have no backup with development of the powershare gateway. As well as those with solar…
— Wes (@wmorrill3) December 12, 2025
He said that “it turned out to be much harder than anticipated to make powershare work seamlessly with existing Powerwalls through existing wall connectors. Two grid-forming devices need to negotiate who will form and who will follow, depending on the state of charge of each, and they need to do this without a network and through multiple generations of hardware, and test and validate this process through rigorous certifications to ensure grid safety.”
It’s nice to see the transparency, but it is justified for some Cybertruck owners to feel like they’ve been bait-and-switched.
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