Net Metering by State

What your electric utility actually pays for exported solar power.

Ohio solar export compensation

What Ohio pays for exported rooftop solar power, with the source and the date each figure was checked.

Record verified 2026-09-16 · 17 of 17 fields sourced

What does your utility pay?

No single rate — formula based

Energy component of the applicable standard service offer; no single statewide dollar rate.

AEP Ohio · Ohio

Effective Applicable standard-service-offer tariff in effect for the billing period

Schedule NEMS converts monthly net excess energy to a monetary credit; AEP says it does not buy the electricity and credits are carried forward.

Source: aepohio.com

Full AEP Ohio detail →

Ohio has not replaced net metering with a statewide power-purchase rate: current Ohio Administrative Code requires each electric utility to offer a standard net-metering tariff. For standard utility service, monthly excess generation becomes a monetary credit at the utility's standard-service-offer energy component and carries forward, but the utility need not cash it out. AEP Ohio, Duke Energy Ohio, FirstEnergy's Ohio Edison/Toledo Edison/CEI utilities, and AES Ohio operate utility-specific tariffs under the statewide rule; competitive suppliers may contract at other rates.

Program details

Compensation mechanismUtility net metering, not a statewide fixed power-purchase rate: monthly excess electricity is converted to a monetary bill credit at the electric utility's standard-service-offer energy component. A competitive retail electric service (CRES) provider may instead offer a contract at any price, rate, credit, or refund for excess generation.
Export rateNo single statewide dollar rate. Under the standard utility tariff, excess electricity is credited at the energy component of the applicable electric utility's standard service offer; distribution and transmission components are not credited. CRES contract rates may differ.
Rate effectiveThe export-credit rate is the energy component of the customer's utility standard service offer in effect for the applicable billing period; the statewide rule does not publish one fixed statewide number.
Credit rolloverYes. Monetary credits continuously carry forward on the customer-generator's future bills.
Credit expirationNo fixed statewide expiration period is stated. The monetary credit may be lost if the customer-generator does not use it or stops taking service from the electric utility; credits may also be lost when the customer relocates because they are associated with the current premise.
Annual true-upNo mandatory statewide annual cash true-up is specified for standard utility net metering. A customer may request a refund only where the utility tariff permits it; Duke Energy Ohio's filed Rider NM permits a written refund no greater than an annual true-up of accumulated credits over twelve months.
Residential system capA customer-generator must size its facility so it does not exceed 120% of its electricity requirements at the time of interconnection. The rule does not create a separate residential nameplate-kW cap.
Commercial system capThe same statewide 120%-of-requirements limit applies to customer-generators regardless of whether they use a utility tariff or a CRES contract; the rule does not state a separate commercial nameplate-kW cap.
Aggregate program capNo statewide aggregate enrollment or program-capacity cap is stated in the current net-metering rule. The rule instead directs each electric utility to develop a standard net-metering tariff.
Program statusOpen under the current statewide rule and utility tariffs, subject to eligibility, interconnection approval, and the 120%-of-requirements sizing limit; no statewide aggregate cap is stated.
RegulatorPublic Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Ohio's electric distribution utilities file commission-approved net-metering and interconnection tariffs.
DocketThere is no single statewide net-metering docket identified in the current rule. Utility-specific tariffs cite their own approval proceedings; for example, AEP Ohio's Schedule NEMS was filed pursuant to the November 17, 2021 order in Case No. 20-585-EL-AIR.
Governing ruleOhio Administrative Code Rule 4901:1-10-28 (Net metering), with interconnection standards in OAC Chapter 4901:1-22 and utility tariffs filed under those rules.
GrandfatheringNo statewide grandfathering promise is stated in the current rule. AEP Ohio's tariff materials expressly say current tariff terms do not convey a right to those terms in the future and provide no grandfathered rights if the Commission changes the applicable rules or tariffs.
Interconnection applicationContact the local electric utility and request an interconnection-service application for the proposed generating equipment. After interconnection, request the utility's net-metering tariff; the utility must provide eligibility, tariff, agreement, and cost information.
Interconnection timelineOhio utilities must acknowledge receipt and completeness of an interconnection application within 10 business days. Review targets vary by level; AES Ohio publishes Level 1 approval notice within 10 days, Level 2 within 20 days, and Level 3 study/agreement milestones, with Level 3 commonly taking six months to a year.
Pending changeNo statewide pending net-metering rate change or replacement mechanism was verified in the primary sources reviewed. The current rule remains effective April 8, 2024 and was last updated March 10, 2026.

Rates by utility

State rules set the framework. Individual utilities often pay something different, and where they do the utility tariff governs.

AEP OhioEnergy component of the applicable standard service offer; no single statewide dollar rate.
Applicable standard-service-offer tariff in effect for the billing period
Schedule NEMS converts monthly net excess energy to a monetary credit; AEP says it does not buy the electricity and credits are carried forward.
Duke Energy OhioRider RE retail-energy kWh charge; no single statewide dollar rate.
Rider NM filed tariff effective January 2, 2019; rate component changes under the applicable tariff
Rider NM credits excess generation at the Rider RE kWh charge and permits a written annual true-up refund request.
FirstEnergy Ohio Edison / Toledo Edison / Cleveland Electric IlluminatingEnergy component of the applicable standard service offer; no single statewide dollar rate verified.
Applicable utility tariff in effect for the billing period
The statewide rule requires each electric utility to offer a standard net-metering tariff; the three FirstEnergy Ohio utilities are separate tariffed EDUs.
AES OhioStandard Offer Rate energy component unless the customer has a net-meter contract with an alternate generation supplier; no single statewide dollar rate.
Applicable AES Ohio Standard Offer Rate in effect for the billing period
AES Ohio says excess generation receives a generation credit and remaining credit offsets future bills; interconnection approval is required.

Sources read for this record

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