Solar America › Maryland Electric Rates › Choptank Electric
Maryland · Updated September 2026
Why your Choptank Electric bill is so high
Choptank is a member-owned cooperative, incorporated in 1938, and its bill is assembled differently from an investor-owned utility's. Here is what is on it and what drives it.
Not publishedChoptank Electric does not publish a single all-in residential rateRanked #1 by Solar Power World · Inc. 5000 · 20,000+ installations
Estimate what solar does against your Choptank Electric bill
Enter your bill and we’ll size the array that would cover it, and show the gross value of that production at your rate. It does not net off the customer charge, taxes or what you would still draw at night — for that, use the bill savings calculator. Nothing is sent anywhere; this runs in your browser.
An estimate from your own numbers, not a quote, and not a savings figure. It assumes 400 W panels, an 80% system derate and no roof constraints. Your real number depends on orientation, roof area and your utility’s export credit. Savings are not guaranteed.
The numbers
Where Choptank Electric stands right now
| Measure | Current | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| All-in residential rate | Not published | Choptank publishes schedules by class, not a combined residential figure |
| Supply | Standard Offer Service | Choptank is the default supplier; generation and transmission can be shopped |
| Delivery | Distribution charge | Regulated by the Maryland Public Service Commission |
| Maryland statewide all-in | ~19.0–22.0¢ | For comparison — your own bill is the only exact figure |
| Members served | 56,000+ | All nine Eastern Shore counties |
| Incorporated | 15 September 1938 | Member-owned, not-for-profit distribution cooperative |
| Metering | AMI, 15-minute interval | Usage data available through the member portal |
| Market | Retail choice available | Supply can be shopped; delivery stays with Choptank |
Choptank publishes rate schedules by service class rather than a single all-in residential figure. The Maryland statewide all-in residential range is about 19.0–22.0¢.
Why it moved
What is actually driving this
Supply and delivery are separate
Your bill carries a supply component, which can be shopped, and a regulated distribution component, which cannot. Neither is published as a single all-in residential rate, so the only exact figure is your own bill divided by your kilowatt-hours.
Miles of line per member
The Eastern Shore is rural across all nine counties. Serving 56,000 members spread over that footprint means high fixed network cost per household, and that sits in the distribution charge whether you use much power or little.
PJM wholesale costs
Choptank buys power in the PJM market, the same one serving the rest of Maryland, Maryland and New Jersey. Capacity prices there have risen sharply and pass through to supply rates.
Interval metering shows the pattern
Choptank's AMI meters capture 15-minute interval data through the member portal. That is worth pulling before sizing solar, because it shows when you actually use power, not just how much.
What a roof does against it
Production against a 20.5¢ rate
This part of Maryland averages about 4.2 peak sun hours a day, so a kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1,197 kilowatt-hours a year. A 9 kW system makes around 10,773 kilowatt-hours annually — about $2,208 of Choptank Electric electricity a year at the current rate.
That is production value, not a savings figure. What you actually keep depends on how much of it you use directly versus export, what Choptank Electric credits exports at, and what you pay for the system. Under a power purchase agreement there is no upfront cost and you buy the production at an agreed rate instead.
The residential federal tax credit (25D) ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025.
You will still see ads promising a 30% credit that “ends December 31.” Read the date on them. If you buy a system today as a homeowner, you cannot claim that credit. What remains under 48E applies to the owner of the system — which, under a PPA, is us. SolarAmerica does not provide tax advice; talk to your tax professional about your situation.
Every figure here is an estimate built from published rates and modeled production. It is not a savings guarantee, and no solar company can honestly give you one. Your actual result depends on your roof, your usage and what your utility charges next year.
Who you would be working with
SolarAmerica
We design your system and manage the project; installation is performed by vetted licensed partners in your area. SolarAmerica is not itself the installing contractor.
Choptank Electric questions
The things people actually ask
What is Choptank Electric's rate per kWh?
Choptank Electric Cooperative publishes rate schedules by service class rather than a single all-in residential figure. Your bill carries a supply component and a regulated distribution component. To find your actual rate, divide your total bill by the kilowatt-hours shown on it. Across Maryland the all-in residential rate runs roughly 19 to 22 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Where does Choptank Electric provide service?
Choptank Electric Cooperative serves more than 56,000 members across all nine counties of Maryland's Eastern Shore: Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester. It was incorporated on 15 September 1938 and is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative.
Is Choptank Electric a cooperative or a utility company?
Both, in a sense. Choptank is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative, which means the people it serves are its members and vote for its board. It is not an investor-owned utility and does not mark up the cost of power to earn a return. It is still regulated by the Maryland Public Service Commission for its distribution rates.
Can I shop for a cheaper electricity supplier on the Eastern Shore?
Yes. Maryland offers retail electric supply choice, so Choptank members can buy the generation and transmission portion from a competitive supplier while Choptank continues to deliver the power and maintain the lines. Shopping affects the supply portion only; the regulated distribution charge stays the same.
See what your roof and Choptank Electric actually add up to
About 60 seconds. No cost, no obligation, and we will tell you if solar does not make sense for your home.
Ranked #1 by Solar Power World · 20,000+ installations · Licensed installers