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Quick Answer
Net metering is available in all 9 NuWatt service states as of 2026, but rates and rules vary significantly. Massachusetts and Vermont offer full 1:1 retail credit. New Hampshire credits ~85% of retail. New Jersey has ADI payments alongside net metering. No state has eliminated net metering entirely.
This table covers all 9 states in NuWatt's service area. Click any state for the detailed net metering guide.
| State | Available? | Credit Rate | Cap | Program | Key Detail | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts $0.28/kWh | 1:1 retail (100%) | 10 MW system cap | Net Metering | SMART program ($0.03/kWh) layered on top for additional revenue. | Stable | |
| Connecticut $0.27/kWh | ~1:1 retail (~100%) | 25 kW residential | Net Metering | Both Eversource and UI participate. Tariff-based residential billing. | Stable | |
| Rhode Island $0.29/kWh | ~80% retail (~80%) | 125% annual usage | Net Metering | Post-April 2023 rate. REG program ($0.27/kWh, 15-20yr) is alternative. | Reduced | |
| New Hampshire $0.27/kWh | ~85% retail (~85%) | 100% of usage | NEM 2.0 | Credits = 100% supply + 100% transmission + 25% distribution. Locked through 2041. | Stable | |
| New Jersey $0.26/kWh | 1:1 retail (100%) | No cap | Net Metering + ADI | SREC-II/ADI adds $85.90/MWh (EY2025-26) on top of net metering for 15 years. | Stable | |
| Pennsylvania $0.18/kWh | 1:1 retail (100%) | 50 kW residential | Net Metering | State-mandated under AEPS Act. All PA utilities must participate. | Stable | |
| Maine $0.27/kWh | 1:1 retail (100%) | No cap | Net Energy Billing | LD 1777 only changed community solar, not rooftop. Full 1:1 retail for rooftop. | Stable | |
| Vermont $0.22/kWh | 1:1 retail (100%) | 500 kW | Net Metering | GMP battery program adds $0.01/kWh export credit. Clean energy standard target 100% by 2032. | Stable | |
| Texas $0.15/kWh | Varies by utility (Varies) | Varies | Utility-Specific | No statewide mandate. Oncor buyback, Austin Energy VOS, CPS Energy credits. | Varies |
Data reflects policies in effect as of February 2026. Credit rates are approximate and may vary by utility within each state. Click a state name for the full detailed guide.
Net metering is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid. When your solar panels produce more electricity than your home is consuming (typically during midday hours), the excess flows to the grid and your electric meter effectively runs backward.
At night or during cloudy periods when your panels produce less than you consume, you draw electricity from the grid normally. At the end of each billing period, you are charged only for the net difference between what you consumed and what you produced. If you produced more than you consumed, the excess credits typically roll forward to the next month.
Solar panels produce excess electricity during peak sun hours (10am-3pm). This surplus flows to the grid.
Your utility credits you for each kWh exported. In 1:1 states, each kWh exported equals one kWh consumed.
You only pay for net consumption. With right-sized solar, your annual electric bill can be near $0.
Massachusetts offers full 1:1 retail net metering credit for residential solar systems up to 10 MW. Excess credits roll forward monthly and are trued up annually at the average wholesale rate. The SMART program adds an additional $0.03/kWh performance-based incentive for qualified residential systems under 25 kW, making MA one of the best states for solar economics. Both Eversource ($0.2836/kWh) and National Grid ($0.32/kWh) participate. There is no aggregate cap on net metering participation, and the program is legislatively stable through at least 2030.
Read Full Massachusetts Net Metering GuideConnecticut provides approximately 1:1 retail credit net metering for residential systems up to 25 kW. Both Eversource (~$0.27/kWh) and United Illuminating (~$0.28/kWh) participate. Credits roll forward month to month and excess is trued up annually. CT has been legislatively stable on net metering, and there are no immediate proposals to reduce credit rates. The Residential Solar Investment Program (RSIP) has ended, but net metering alone provides strong solar economics at current CT electric rates.
Read Full Connecticut Net Metering GuideRhode Island modified its net metering rate in April 2023. New solar installations receive approximately 80% of the retail rate as credit, down from 1:1. Systems installed before April 2023 retain their grandfathered 1:1 rate. The system cap is 125% of annual usage. Rhode Island Energy is the sole utility (formerly National Grid RI). For new installations, the Renewable Energy Growth (REG) program may offer better economics: $0.27/kWh guaranteed for 15-20 years through a fixed-rate power purchase contract. ConnectedSolutions battery payments ($225/kW) add additional value.
Read Full Rhode Island Net Metering GuideNew Hampshire's NEM 2.0 program credits solar exports at approximately 85% of the retail rate. The credit includes 100% of the supply charge, 100% of the transmission charge, and 25% of the distribution charge. This structure was legislatively locked through 2041, providing long-term certainty. Eversource (~$0.25/kWh, ~71% of customers), Liberty ($0.24/kWh), Unitil ($0.26/kWh), and NHEC ($0.22/kWh) all participate. There is no state solar rebate (SB 303 repealed it in 2024), making net metering the primary solar incentive in NH.
Read Full New Hampshire Net Metering GuideNew Jersey maintains full 1:1 retail credit net metering with no aggregate participation cap. This is among the most generous net metering policies in the country. On top of net metering, the Administratively Determined Incentive (ADI) program pays $85.90/MWh (EY2025-26), rising to $95.23/MWh (EY2026-27), for 15 years of production-based payments. PSE&G, JCP&L, and ACE all participate. NJ does not limit system size for residential net metering. The combination of 1:1 net metering plus ADI payments makes NJ solar economics excellent even without the federal ITC.
Read Full New Jersey Net Metering GuidePennsylvania mandates full 1:1 retail credit net metering under the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) Act for residential systems up to 50 kW. All Pennsylvania utilities must participate, including PECO, PPL, Duquesne Light, and FirstEnergy companies. Credits roll forward indefinitely and excess is trued up at the end of the billing year at the price-to-compare rate. PA electric rates average $0.18/kWh, lower than other Northeast states, which extends payback periods but the 1:1 credit structure is stable and legislatively protected.
Read Full Pennsylvania Net Metering GuideMaine provides full 1:1 retail credit for rooftop solar through its Net Energy Billing (NEB) program. Despite confusion around LD 1777, that legislation only changed community solar billing, not residential rooftop net metering. CMP (~$0.27/kWh, ~70% of customers) and Versant (~$0.32/kWh, ~30%) both participate. There is no system size cap for residential. Maine has some of the highest electric rates in the country, particularly Versant territory, making net metering very valuable. Property tax exemption (100% statewide) and sales tax exemption (5.5%) further improve solar economics.
Read Full Maine Net Metering GuideVermont offers 1:1 retail credit net metering for systems up to 500 kW. Green Mountain Power (GMP), the state's largest utility serving ~75% of customers, participates fully and also offers a battery leasing program that adds $0.01/kWh export credit. Vermont electric rates average $0.22/kWh, lower than coastal New England but with strong net metering policy. Vermont's Comprehensive Energy Plan targets 100% renewable electricity by 2032, providing strong policy support for solar. The net metering program has been stable and is not expected to change significantly.
Read Full Vermont Net Metering GuideTexas has no statewide net metering mandate. Solar export compensation varies by utility and retail electricity provider (REP) in the deregulated ERCOT market. In Oncor territory (DFW), REPs like Green Mountain Energy and TXU offer buyback rates of $0.05-0.10/kWh, well below the retail rate of ~$0.15/kWh. Austin Energy (municipal) offers a Value of Solar (VOS) rate of ~$0.097/kWh. CPS Energy (San Antonio) offers credits at avoided cost. Some REPs offer 1:1 buyback plans, but these are typically promotional and may change. Texas solar economics rely more on self-consumption than export credits.
Read Full Texas Net Metering GuideSeveral states are exploring "value of solar" or "avoided cost" methodologies instead of simple 1:1 retail credit. This typically results in lower compensation for solar owners, as utilities argue retail rates overvalue distributed solar. Rhode Island has already moved in this direction.
As retail electric rates continue to rise (3-5% annually across the Northeast), the dollar value of net metering credits increases proportionally. A 1:1 credit at $0.28/kWh in 2026 could be worth $0.36/kWh by 2032. This makes locking in net metering now increasingly valuable.
Despite utility lobbying, no state in the NuWatt service area has eliminated net metering. The trend is toward modification (reduced credit rates, time-of-use adjustments) rather than elimination. New Hampshire's 2041 lock provides the strongest long-term certainty.
ConnectedSolutions and similar demand response programs ($225-275/kW/year) are creating a new revenue stream that complements net metering. Batteries let you optimize when you export, potentially earning more than simple net metering alone in time-of-use rate structures.
The Section 25D residential solar investment tax credit expired December 31, 2025. There is no federal tax credit for homeowner-purchased solar in 2026. Net metering and state-level incentives (SMART in MA, ADI in NJ, REG in RI) are now the primary financial drivers for residential solar economics. The commercial ITC (Section 48/48E) remains available for third-party-owned systems (leases/PPAs).
Yes. All 9 NuWatt service states (MA, CT, RI, NH, NJ, PA, ME, VT, TX) offer some form of net metering or solar export compensation in 2026. No state has eliminated net metering entirely, though credit rates and rules vary significantly by state.
Net metering is a billing arrangement where your utility credits you for excess solar electricity you send to the grid. When your solar panels produce more than you use (typically midday), the excess flows to the grid and your meter spins backward. At night or on cloudy days, you draw from the grid normally. Your bill reflects the net difference. In states with 1:1 retail credit, each kWh exported is worth the same as each kWh consumed.
New Jersey arguably has the best net metering in 2026: full 1:1 retail credit with no cap, plus the ADI program adding $85.90/MWh in production-based payments for 15 years. Massachusetts is a close second with 1:1 retail plus SMART program payments. Maine offers strong value due to high electric rates ($0.27-0.32/kWh) combined with 1:1 retail credit.
No state in the NuWatt service area has eliminated net metering. Rhode Island reduced its credit rate to ~80% retail for new installations in April 2023. Some states are exploring successors (NJ has ADI alongside net metering), but the trend is toward modification rather than elimination. New Hampshire locked its NEM 2.0 rates through 2041.
In most states, unused credits roll forward month to month. At the end of the annual billing cycle (usually your solar anniversary date), excess credits are typically trued up at a lower wholesale or avoided-cost rate. This is why solar systems are sized to match roughly 100% of annual usage, not significantly more -- oversizing leads to credits valued at wholesale rather than retail.
Yes. Solar + battery + net metering is the optimal combination. The battery stores excess solar during the day for use at night, reducing your grid imports. Any remaining excess still earns net metering credits. In states with ConnectedSolutions (MA, CT, RI, VT), batteries earn additional revenue ($225-275/kW/year) through demand response programs.
No. The residential solar investment tax credit (Section 25D) expired December 31, 2025. There is no federal tax credit for homeowner-purchased solar in 2026. However, the commercial ITC (Section 48/48E) is still available for third-party-owned systems (leases and PPAs) where the financing company claims the credit. State-level incentives like net metering, SMART (MA), ADI (NJ), and REG (RI) remain the primary financial drivers for solar.
Net metering savings depend on your electric rate and solar system size. In high-rate states like Massachusetts ($0.28/kWh), a typical 8 kW system with 1:1 net metering can save $1,500-2,200/year on electricity. In lower-rate states like Pennsylvania ($0.18/kWh), savings are $900-1,400/year. These savings apply year after year for the 25+ year life of the solar system.
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