Home › Pennsylvania Electric Rates › Incentives
Pennsylvania · Updated August 2026
How net metering works in Pennsylvania
How Pennsylvania net metering actually works, what your exported power is worth, and why the answer depends on which utility serves your address.
1:1Full retail rate — better than most statesRanked #1 by Solar Power World · Inc. 5000 · 20,000+ installations
The numbers
What Pennsylvania actually offers in 2026
| Measure | Current | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Credit rate | Full retail | 1:1, the strongest structure available |
| System size limit | 50 kW | Residential customer-generators |
| Who must offer it | All investor-owned utilities | PPL, Pennsylvania, Duquesne, Met-Ed, Penelec, West Penn, Penn Power, UGI |
| Duquesne Light export value | ~23.1¢/kWh | Highest in the state |
| West Penn Power export value | ~19¢/kWh | Lower rate, lower export value |
Figures as published August 2026. Utility rates change on published schedules — check your own bill for the rate that applies to your account.
Why the number is what it is
Your utility rate is your export rate
Under 1:1 net metering, a kilowatt-hour you send to the grid is worth exactly what a kilowatt-hour you buy costs. That means your utility rate is also your solar production value.
A Duquesne Light customer at 23.1¢ earns 23.1¢ per exported kilowatt-hour. A West Penn Power customer at roughly 19¢ earns 19¢ for the identical panel on the identical roof.
It is the clearest example of why the utility question comes before the equipment question.
PPL has proposed changing how exports are credited
In a base rate case filed September 30, 2025 (PUC docket R-2025-3057164), PPL Electric Utilities proposed moving customer-generators off 1:1 retail crediting and onto hourly LMP-based export credits — where exported power is valued at the wholesale market price for the hour it was produced.
On March 5, 2026 a proposed settlement was published between PPL and the Joint Solar Advocates, which include the Solar Energy Industries Association and the Coalition for Community Solar Access. Its terms include ten-year grandfathering for 140 MW of projects, credited at the GSC-1 Price to Compare rate through December 31, 2036.
Estimates of the impact vary widely, and we would rather show you the range than pick the scariest number. Power Advisory, an energy consultancy analysing the settlement, put PPL’s 2026 retail Price to Compare at about $159.59/MWh against an hourly-based figure of roughly $140.89/MWh — a 12% decline. Several installer-published analyses put the reduction at 40 to 60 percent or higher. The difference comes down to which rate components are counted and which hours are assumed.
Nothing has been filed to change net metering at PECO, Duquesne Light, Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power or West Penn Power. Those utilities maintain 1:1 retail crediting.
What net metering is not
Net metering is a billing arrangement, not a rebate. Nobody sends you a check. Your meter runs backward and your bill goes down.
It also does not eliminate your bill entirely. Fixed customer charges continue regardless of usage, and most utilities true up on an annual cycle rather than crediting cash for a surplus.
The federal residential credit ended. Here is what that actually means.
The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit under Section 25D ended for systems purchased after December 31, 2025. If you buy a system with cash or a loan in 2026, you cannot claim it. Any site still advertising "30% federal tax credit" for a homeowner purchase is running outdated information.
What remains is Section 48E, the commercial investment credit. It applies to third-party-owned systems — leases and power purchase agreements — where the system owner claims it rather than the homeowner. That is precisely what makes $0-down possible: the credit stays with whoever owns the equipment, and under a PPA that is not you.
We would rather tell you that plainly than let you find out at tax time.
Two ways to pay for solar, and they are very different
If you buy the system
You own the equipment, you keep any renewable energy credits, and you carry the maintenance responsibility. Installed pricing varies by roof, shading and system size.
If you use a PPA
$0 upfront. We install and own the system; you buy the power it produces at a rate set in your agreement, and you only pay for what it actually generates. The system owner carries maintenance for the life of the agreement.
The residential federal tax credit (25D) ended for systems purchased 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 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.
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.
Pennsylvania questions
The things people actually ask
Why is Pennsylvania's Price to Compare lower than PPL's but the all-in rate higher?
Because the two numbers measure different things. Pennsylvania's supply charge is lower; its distribution charges and riders are higher. What matters to your budget is the all-in figure — your bill divided by your kilowatt-hours.
How often does this change?
Four times a year: March, June, September and December.
Can I shop for supply?
Yes. Pennsylvania is deregulated, and switching suppliers changes only the supply portion of your bill.
See what your roof and Pennsylvania 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