Georgia solar incentives are a short list. The state has no rebate and no tax credit for home solar, and the federal tax credit has ended. What is left is a credit on your electric bill for the solar power you send to the grid. Your utility sets that credit. At every utility we checked, it is lower than the price homes pay for power. Find your utility below to see its rate and its rules.
Recently changed: Sawnee EMC raised its credit from 3.48 cents to 3.79 cents per kWh on May 1, 2026. Georgia Power and Walton EMC reset their credits each January.
Georgia Power or an EMC: who sends your electric bill?
In Georgia one company both delivers and sells your power. Its name is at the top of your bill. Open its panel to see only what applies to your home.
Georgia PowerThe state’s largest utility. Serves about half of Georgia homes.7.22 cents per kWh for extra power. No rebate.
What you can get with Georgia Power
- Credit for extra power7.22 cents per kWh
Two parts. The first is 3.2188 cents for 2026. Georgia Power calls it the solar avoided cost: what it saves by not getting that power elsewhere. The second is 4 cents that the Public Service Commission (PSC), the state utility regulator, added. Example: 100 extra kWh earn $7.22.
- Size limit10 kW AC
Measured at the inverter, the box that turns solar power into household (AC) power. Above the limit, Georgia Power’s other option pays nothing for extra power.
- One-time connection fee$100
Added to your bill after Georgia Power has tested your system and reset your meter.
- RebateNone
Georgia Power says that neither it nor the State of Georgia offers rebates for home solar.
Your bill credits
Georgia Power does not use net metering, where each kWh you send out cancels one kWh you buy. It uses what it calls instantaneous netting. Solar power your home uses right away never reaches the meter, so you do not buy that power. Every kWh that leaves your home counts as extra, even if you buy the same amount back that evening.
Extra power earns 7.22 cents per kWh. The credits are added up each month and taken off your bill. On the bill, the extra power is the line “kWh Rec”. For comparison, Georgia Power homes paid about 15.5 cents per kWh on average in 2024, with all charges included.
The tariff (the utility’s official rate sheet) does not say what happens when your credits are larger than your bill. Ask Georgia Power.
Watch out: The older deal is closed. It let a month of extra power cancel a month of use, and it was a pilot for 5,000 customers. The current program is first come, first served. It stays open until solar and other renewable systems reach 0.2% of Georgia Power’s peak demand, its highest power use, in the year before. Georgia Power does not publish how full it is.
Also for every Georgia home: the credits side by side, what is not an incentive and the paperwork.
Jackson EMCA member-owned co-op. Serves about 5% of Georgia homes.Credit rate not published. $10 a month charge.
What you can get with Jackson EMC
- Credit for extra powerNot published
Jackson credits extra power at its avoided energy cost: what it would pay to get that power elsewhere. Its rider (the rate sheet for solar homes) gives a formula, not a cents figure. Ask Jackson for the current rate in writing.
- Monthly charge for solar homes$10 a month
Every home on the rider pays it on top of the normal bill. That is $120 a year.
- Size limit10 kW
For a home. The rider covers systems that you own.
Your bill credits
The credit shows on your bill for the month. A credit balance moves to the next bill. Each December, Jackson clears any balance that is left and sends you a check.
Watch out: The $10 a month charge comes first. A system that sends out little power can earn less in credits than it pays in charges. Older guides quote a cents figure for Jackson. We could not confirm one on a Jackson document.
Also for every Georgia home: the credits side by side, what is not an incentive and the paperwork.
Cobb EMCA member-owned co-op. Serves about 4% of Georgia homes.5.121 cents per kWh for extra power.
What you can get with Cobb EMC
- Credit for extra power5.121 cents per kWh
For systems connected on or after July 1, 2015. The rate is in Schedule DG-1, in effect since February 1, 2026. Example: 100 extra kWh earn $5.12.
- Size limit10 kW
For rooftop solar at a home.
- One-time connection fee$100
Billed to your Cobb EMC account after the co-op swaps your meter. If your solar company also charged you this fee, Cobb says to ask the company for it back.
Your bill credits
Cobb EMC sets a meter that measures power in both directions. It pays you for the power you send back, and bills the power you take in on your normal rate.
Cobb’s documents do not say if extra power is counted moment by moment or over the whole month. Ask before you choose a system size.
Watch out: The board can change the rate each year. You must start Cobb’s online interconnect agreement, the contract to connect your system to the grid, at least 45 days before you connect. A home with rooftop solar cannot join SolarShare, Cobb’s community solar program.
Also for every Georgia home: the credits side by side, what is not an incentive and the paperwork.
Sawnee EMCA member-owned co-op. Serves about 4% of Georgia homes.3.79 cents per kWh for extra power.
What you can get with Sawnee EMC
- Credit for extra power3.79 cents per kWh
The same rate in every month, since May 1, 2026. Before that it was 3.48 cents. Example: 100 extra kWh earn $3.79.
- Size limit10 kW AC
In general, for a home. Owned and leased systems can both take part.
Your bill credits
For systems connected on or after January 2, 2024, Sawnee counts extra power at the moment it leaves your home. Every kWh you send out earns the credit. Every kWh you take in is billed at your normal rate.
Watch out: Sawnee can change the rate at any time. It also keeps the renewable energy credits, the proof that the power was solar, for the power it buys. Sawnee’s website blocked our last check, so confirm the rate with the co-op before you sign.
Also for every Georgia home: the credits side by side, what is not an incentive and the paperwork.
Walton EMCA member-owned co-op. Serves about 3% of Georgia homes.2.6 cents per kWh for extra power. $800 meter cost.
What you can get with Walton EMC
- Credit for extra power2.6 cents per kWh
Walton’s avoided energy cost for 2026: what it would pay to get that power elsewhere. The rate runs through December 31, 2026. Example: 100 extra kWh earn $2.60.
- One-time metering cost$800
You pay for the extra metering equipment and its installation. Walton calls this the current amount.
- Size limit50 kW
For a home. You must own and run the system yourself.
Your bill credits
Power you take from the grid is billed at your normal rate plus the service charge. All the kWh you send to the grid in the billing period are credited at the rate above. A credit balance moves to the next month’s bill.
Watch out: The rate is set for one year at a time, so ask for the 2027 rate before you sign. Walton only has to buy power until member systems reach 0.50% of its peak demand in the year before.
Also for every Georgia home: the credits side by side, what is not an incentive and the paperwork.
another EMC or a city utilityGeorgia’s co-ops together serve about 4 in 10 homes. Each sets its own solar rules.Rate set by your utility. Ask in writing.
What you can get with another EMC or a city utility
- Credit for extra powerSet by your utility
State law makes every Georgia utility credit the extra power from a home system of up to 10 kW. The law does not set the rate. It also does not make a utility pay more than its avoided energy cost: what it would pay to get that power elsewhere.
Your bill credits
An EMC is an electric membership corporation: a co-op owned by its members. Its board sets the credit. A city utility’s governing body does the same. Among the large co-ops that publish a rate, credits run from 2.6 cents per kWh to 5.121 cents per kWh.
Watch out: Under state law, a utility only has to accept new solar homes until such systems reach 0.2% of its peak demand in the year before. Before you sign, ask your utility three things in writing: the credit per kWh, any monthly charge for solar homes, and the connection fee.
Also for every Georgia home: the credits side by side, what is not an incentive and the paperwork.
Everything below applies across Georgia.
What Georgia Power and the large EMCs pay for extra solar power
Georgia has no rule that makes a utility pay the full price for your extra power. The Georgia Cogeneration and Distributed Generation Act of 2001 only says that a utility must credit it at a rate the utility files. So the credit differs by utility. At each utility below, it is well under the average price homes paid.
The table shows Georgia Power and four large EMCs, sorted by credit.
Utility | Credit per kWh | 100 extra kWh earn | Average price homes paid in 2024 | Extra cost for solar homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
7.22 cents per kWh | $7.22 | about 15.5 cents per kWh | $100 once | |
5.121 cents per kWh | $5.12 | about 11.4 cents | $100 once | |
3.79 cents per kWh | $3.79 | about 11.5 cents | Ask Sawnee | |
2.6 cents per kWh | $2.60 | about 13.0 cents | $800 once | |
Not published | Ask Jackson | about 11.4 cents | $10 a month |
The average price is what homes paid in total in 2024, divided by the kWh they bought. It includes fixed monthly charges. Your own bill shows your price per kWh.
Georgia Power’s credit changes every January
Only the 4 cents part is fixed. The avoided cost part is set again each year. On June 26, 2026, Georgia Power filed a 2027 figure of 3.93 cents with the PSC. With the adder, that would make about 7.93 cents per kWh.
Georgia Power had not posted a 2027 rate on October 1, 2026. A savings figure in a quote should say which year’s rate it uses.
Leasing the panels instead of buying them
Georgia law allows it. The Solar Power Free-Market Financing Act of 2015 lets you get a home system of up to 10 kW AC through a lease or a PPA (power purchase agreement: a company owns the panels and sells you their power). Your utility may not block it. You or the solar company must tell the utility at least 30 days before the system starts.
The law does not override homeowners association rules. And the Jackson EMC and Walton EMC credit rules cover systems that the member owns, so ask those co-ops first.
Source: Georgia Public Service Commission, Consumer Solar Information Portal
Get quotes sized for what your home uses
Your ZIP code starts a quote request with installers who serve your utility. Ask each one how much of the power the system sends out, and at what credit.
- Your utility sets the creditGeorgia Power, Cobb EMC, Sawnee EMC and Walton EMC each pay a different rate for extra power.
- No cost, no pressureRequesting quotes is free, and you never have to sign.
- Shared only with matched installersYour details go to the installers you are matched with.
What gets called a Georgia solar incentive, but is not one
These show up in searches and sales pitches. None of them lowers what a Georgia home pays for solar today.
- A federal tax credit: it ended for systems switched on after December 31, 2025. Georgia Power’s solar pages still mention one. The IRS page is the one that counts.
- A Georgia tax credit: the state’s old credit for clean energy property, O.C.G.A. 48-7-29.14, only covered systems switched on by December 31, 2014. The Department of Revenue’s list of Georgia tax credits has no solar or clean energy credit.
- A property tax exemption: do not count on one. Property tax is set by your county. Ask your county tax assessor, in writing, whether panels change your home’s assessed value.
- A sales tax exemption: do not count on one. The state sales tax rate is 4%, and counties and cities add their own. Ask your installer whether the quote includes sales tax on the equipment.
- Georgia Solar for All (Georgia BRIGHT): paused since August 7, 2025. There is nothing to apply for now.
- A Georgia Power battery payment: the PSC approved a pilot for homes with solar and a battery on July 31, 2025. Georgia Power has not opened it and has not published any amounts.
- Community solar: a subscription, not a saving. Georgia Power charges $24 a month for a block that makes 165 kWh a month on average, and says the program is not meant to save you money. Cobb EMC charges $19 a month for a block credited at 150 kWh, and says the same.
- A co-op solar loan: Central Georgia EMC and Cobb EMC offer loans of up to $25,000 at 9.90% APR that can pay for solar panels. It is a loan at a normal interest rate, not a discount.
Watch out: Georgia’s Attorney General warned on August 18, 2022 about solar ads that promise free solar, no more power bills, or a partnership with Georgia Power or an EMC. Georgia Power says it has no exclusive partnership with any solar company.
You are unlikely to get the credit in your quote if
- The quote assumes the old Georgia Power deal. Month-for-month netting is closed to new homes. A quote that values every kWh you send out at the full price of power overstates your credit. The 2026 rate is 7.22 cents per kWh.
- Your Georgia Power system is over 10 kW AC. Larger home systems cannot use the credit program. The other option pays nothing for extra power.
- You are with an EMC and the quote uses Georgia Power’s rate. Walton EMC pays 2.6 cents per kWh and Sawnee EMC pays 3.79 cents per kWh. Jackson EMC also charges $10 a month.
- You lease the system at Jackson EMC or Walton EMC. Their rules cover systems that the member owns. Ask the co-op before you sign a lease or a PPA.
- Your utility has reached its limit. A utility only has to take new solar homes up to 0.2% of its peak demand. Georgia Power does not publish how close it is. Ask your utility if the program is still open to new systems.
- You connect before the agreement is signed. Every Georgia utility needs a signed agreement before your system runs. Cobb EMC wants the process started 45 days ahead.
From quote to first bill: the Georgia paperwork
- Get your utility’s credit rate in writing. Ask for the credit per kWh, any monthly charge for solar homes and the connection fee. Compare them with the numbers in your quote.You.
- Check the installer’s license. The Attorney General’s office says a solar installer should work with a Georgia licensed electrical contractor. You can look the license up on the Secretary of State’s website.You.
- Check your homeowners association rules. Georgia’s solar laws do not override association rules. Get approval in writing if your home is in one.You.
- Apply to the utility before anything is connected. Georgia Power: you or your installer apply in PowerClerk, its online application tool. The agreement is between you and Georgia Power, and you sign it. Cobb EMC: you start the online interconnect agreement, then your contractor adds the system details. Other EMCs: ask the co-op for its interconnection forms. For a leased system, the utility must be told at least 30 days before it starts.You or your installer. You sign.
- Pass inspection and get the meter set. After the local inspection, the utility tests the system and sets or resets the meter. Georgia Power then bills $100. Cobb EMC bills $100. Walton EMC charges $800 for metering.Your installer and your utility.
- Read your first bill. On a Georgia Power bill, the extra power is the line “kWh Rec”. It is less than the total on your solar app, because the app also counts the power your home used itself.You.
Compare Georgia quotes that use your utility’s real credit
Enter your ZIP code to request quotes from installers in your area. Ask each one which utility rate its savings figure uses, and check it against this page.
The form asks about your home first, then your contact details. EcoGen or its installer partners may contact you.
- A quote request, nothing moreThe form asks installers near you for quotes. It does not apply for a rebate, because Georgia has none.
- Home questions firstYou answer a few questions about your home. Your name, email and phone come last.
- Free, and your choiceComparing quotes costs nothing. You decide if you go ahead.
More Georgia solar guides
Georgia solar incentive questions
Does Georgia Have a Solar Tax Credit?
No. Georgia’s old income tax credit for clean energy property only covered systems switched on by December 31, 2014. The Department of Revenue’s list of Georgia tax credits has no solar credit. The federal credit ended for systems switched on after December 31, 2025.
Does Georgia Power Offer a Solar Rebate?
No. Georgia Power says that neither it nor the State of Georgia offers incentives or rebates for home solar. It pays a bill credit of 7.22 cents per kWh for extra power in 2026, and charges a one-time $100 connection fee.
Does Georgia Have Net Metering?
Not at the full retail price. State law makes each utility credit your extra solar power, but the utility sets the rate. Georgia Power pays 7.22 cents per kWh in 2026 for every kWh that leaves your home. The large EMCs that publish a rate pay 2.6 cents per kWh to 5.121 cents per kWh.
How Much Does Georgia Power Pay for Solar Power Sent to the Grid?
7.22 cents per kWh in 2026. That is 3.2188 cents for the power plus a fixed 4 cents. The first part is set again each January. Example: 100 extra kWh earn $7.22.
Do Solar Panels Raise Property Taxes in Georgia?
Property tax is set by your county, and this page makes no promise of an exemption. Ask your county tax assessor, in writing, whether panels change your home’s assessed value before you sign.
Is There a Free Solar Program in Georgia?
Not one you can apply for today. Georgia Solar for All, planned for lower-income homes, has been paused since August 7, 2025. The Attorney General has warned about ads that promise free solar.
Sources (21)
- Georgia Power, Residential Rooftop Solar FAQ (checked September 30, 2026): georgiapower.com
- Georgia Power, tariff RNR-11, Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources (checked September 30, 2026): georgiapower.com
- Georgia Power, Rooftop solar: How it works, schedule of fees (checked September 30, 2026): georgiapower.com
- Georgia Power, Community Solar (checked September 30, 2026): georgiapower.com
- Cobb EMC, Schedule DG-1, Distributed Generation Service, effective February 1, 2026 (checked September 30, 2026): cobbemc.com
- Cobb EMC, I’m ready to install rooftop solar (checked September 30, 2026): cobbemc.com
- Cobb EMC, SolarShare (checked September 30, 2026): cobbemc.com
- Walton EMC, Selling Your Solar Power (checked September 30, 2026): waltonemc.com
- Jackson EMC, Net Metering Rider, in the rate book filed with the Georgia Public Service Commission, Docket 31536 (read September 30, 2026 for the incentives database): services.psc.ga.gov
- Sawnee EMC, Net Metering Rider NEM-18 (read September 29, 2026 for the incentives database): file.sawnee.coop
- Central Georgia EMC, PowerUp Lending Program (checked September 30, 2026): cgemc.com
- Official Code of Georgia, release 73: Title 46 (46-3-50 to 46-3-66) and Title 48 (48-5-41, 48-7-29.14): law.resource.org
- Georgia Department of Revenue, Tax Credits (checked October 1, 2026): dor.georgia.gov
- Georgia Department of Revenue, Sales Tax Rates, General (checked October 1, 2026): dor.georgia.gov
- Georgia Attorney General, Carr Warns of Misleading Solar Power Offers, August 18, 2022: law.georgia.gov
- Georgia Public Service Commission, Consumer Solar Information Portal: psc.ga.gov
- Georgia Public Service Commission, 2025 Integrated Resource Plan stipulation, Dockets 56002 and 56003: psc.ga.gov
- Capital Good Fund, Solar for All: Georgia BRIGHT Communities Initiative (checked September 30, 2026): capitalgoodfund.org
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit (checked September 30, 2026): irs.gov
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861, 2024 data, Sales to Ultimate Customers: eia.gov
- EcoGen Solar Cost Index, Georgia: ecogenamerica.com
