Louisiana solar incentives are few, and they are simple. There is no state rebate for panels. Most utilities pay only a few cents for the extra solar power you send to the grid, so the savings come from the power you use at home. New Orleans is the exception. Entergy New Orleans still trades extra power one for one. Two Entergy utilities also pay for home batteries.
Recently changed: export credit rates reset earlier this year. Entergy Louisiana’s went from 2.59 cents per kWh to 3.86 cents per kWh on April 1, 2026. Its own net metering web page still showed the old rate when we checked. Its tariff and the PSC table show the new one. Entergy Louisiana’s home battery rewards are also new.
What can a Louisiana home get for going solar?
Five things are real and open to new home systems. None of them is a rebate for the panels.
Program | What you get | How it reaches you | Where | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3.58 to 3.99 cents per kWh for extra solar power. Example: 100 kWh earn $3.86 with Entergy Louisiana | A credit on your electric bill each month | Entergy Louisiana, Cleco, SWEPCO and the electric co-ops | Open. The rate resets each year. | |
Extra kWh cancel kWh you buy, one for one | Fewer kWh billed. Spare kWh roll to later bills | Entergy New Orleans only | Open. No end date. | |
Solar equipment on your home is not taxed | It stays out of your parish (county) assessment | Statewide | In force. No end date. | |
$75 per kWh once, up to $1,000, plus up to $600 a year | Prepaid card, sent by email | Entergy Louisiana only | Open for enrollment. | |
$125 per kW of average battery output, up to $600 a year | A check after the year ends | Entergy New Orleans only | Open for enrollment. |
Your utility’s name is at the top of your electric bill. The federal tax credit is not in this table. It ended for systems finished after December 31, 2025.
What do Entergy Louisiana, Cleco and the co-ops pay for extra solar power?
The Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC) is the state’s utility regulator. Its order of September 19, 2019 set one rule for every utility it regulates. The rule covers any home that asked to connect a system, or installed one, after December 31, 2019.
The rule has three parts. You pay the normal price for power you buy. You pay nothing for solar power you use as your panels make it. Power you send to the grid earns a credit at avoided cost. That is the average wholesale price of power in your utility’s area over the last calendar year. It is far below the price you pay.
Example with Entergy Louisiana: 100 kWh sent to the grid earn $3.86. The same 100 kWh used at home save about $13.07 at the statewide average price of 13.07 cents per kWh. So the savings come from the power you use yourself.
| Utility | Credit per kWh | In effect since |
|---|---|---|
| Entergy Louisiana | 3.86 cents per kWh | April 1, 2026 |
| Cleco Power | 3.85 cents | March 1, 2026 |
| Southwestern Electric Power (SWEPCO) | 3.66 cents | April 1, 2026 |
| DEMCO | 3.85 cents | March 1, 2026 |
| SLEMCO | 3.93 cents | February 1, 2026 |
| Pointe Coupee Electric (the highest) | 3.99 cents | January 1, 2026 |
| Northeast Louisiana Power (the lowest) | 3.58 cents | January 1, 2026 |
The PSC table lists 15 utilities. The other co-ops fall inside the same range. City-owned utilities, such as Lafayette Utilities System, are not under this rule. Ask a city utility for its solar rate in writing.
Watch out: The rate is not fixed. Each utility resets it once a year. Entergy Louisiana paid 2.59 cents per kWh last year and pays 3.86 cents per kWh now. That is $2.59 against $3.86 for the same 100 kWh. It can fall again. A quote that uses this year’s rate for every future year is a guess.
How the credit shows up on an Entergy Louisiana bill
Entergy Louisiana bills solar homes under Rider Schedule DG, its official rule sheet for home solar. The meter counts power in and power out separately. The two are not netted against each other.
Your credit lowers the bill, but not below the minimum bill and a few fixed charges. Credit you cannot use rolls to the next month. If you close the account, Entergy pays what is left by check at the same low rate. There is a one-time meter charge of $100. Home systems can be up to 25 kW and should cover no more than your own yearly use.
Buying a home that already has older panels
Systems installed by December 31, 2019 are on older, better terms. Their extra kWh cancel kWh bought from the utility, one for one. That lasts until December 31, 2034, and it stays with the home when it is sold.
Ask the seller for the interconnection agreement, the utility’s written permission to connect. It shows the install date. Be careful with upgrades. Entergy Louisiana says a material change to an old system needs a new application and ends the old terms.
Source: Entergy Louisiana, Net metering
Why do Entergy New Orleans customers get a better deal?
Entergy New Orleans is regulated by the New Orleans City Council, not by the PSC. The state rule does not apply to it. Entergy Louisiana’s own page says so: “These rules do not impact customers of Entergy New Orleans.”
New Orleans still has net metering. The kWh you send to the grid cancel the kWh you buy in the same month, one for one. If you send out more than you buy, you pay the minimum bill and the spare kWh move to the next month. They keep rolling forward until you use them.
Only a balance left when you close the account is paid out, and that payment is at a low wholesale-based rate. Home systems up to 25 kW qualify. There is a one-time meter charge of $50.
Watch out: Part of the city is shut out. Entergy New Orleans does not allow solar connections in its Downtown Network Area. That is roughly the area between the Expressway to the West Bank, Claiborne Avenue, Esplanade Avenue and the river, including the French Quarter. Ask Entergy New Orleans about your address before you pay for a design.
What this means for a quote
A quote built on one statewide script can get New Orleans wrong. If your bill comes from Entergy New Orleans, the quote should show one-for-one net metering, not a credit of a few cents. If your home is outside Orleans Parish and your bill comes from Entergy Louisiana, the low state rate applies.
Source: Entergy New Orleans, Net metering and distributed generation
See what installers quote for your utility
Your ZIP code starts a quote request with installers who serve your area. Tell them if your bill comes from Entergy New Orleans or from another utility. The rules are not the same.
- Two sets of rulesNew Orleans has one-for-one net metering. The rest of the state has a low export credit.
- No cost to compareRequesting quotes is free, and you never have to sign.
- Shared with matched installers onlyYour details go to the installers you are matched with.
Do Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans pay for home batteries?
Yes, both do. Each pays you to let the utility draw on your battery when demand for power is high. Neither pays for the solar panels. For a battery, kW is how much power it can give at one moment, and kWh is how much it holds.
- Entergy Louisiana, new battery reward: $75 per kWh of battery size, up to $1,000. You must apply within one year of installation. Example: a 10 kWh battery gets $750.
- Entergy Louisiana, yearly reward: $125 per kW of average output during events, up to $600 a year. Example: an average of 4 kW earns $500. It is paid by January 31 as a prepaid card sent by email.
- Entergy New Orleans, yearly payment: $125 per kW of average output during events, up to $600 a year for a home. It is paid by check by the end of March of the next year. There is no upfront payment yet.
- Which batteries: both programs list Tesla Powerwall, Enphase IQ Battery and FranklinWH models. The battery needs an internet connection and an approved connection to the grid. A battery without solar panels can join.
- What the utility does: it runs your battery during peak events. Entergy Louisiana says an event lasts no more than 3 hours. Both utilities say they do not call events when a severe storm is forecast, so the battery is full when you may need backup.
Watch out: A bigger New Orleans battery payment is planned but not open. On December 18, 2025 the City Council ordered an upfront payment for Entergy New Orleans customers. A Council committee took up new terms for it on September 23, 2026. The final amounts and a start date were not posted when we checked, and there is no application. Do not plan on any amount until Energy Smart, the Entergy New Orleans program that will run it, opens sign-up.
Two limits to know first
The yearly reward depends on what your battery really delivers. If you hold a large share back for outages, you earn less. The Entergy Louisiana terms also describe the one-time reward as being for the purchase of a new battery. If you lease one, ask the program if you qualify.
Do solar panels raise your parish property tax in Louisiana?
They should not. Under La. R.S. 47:1706, equipment attached to an owner-occupied home as part of a solar energy system is exempt from property tax. The assessor may not count its value when setting the value of the home. The law has no end date.
There is no state form. Parish assessors apply the exemption. Tell your assessor that the equipment is on the home you live in, and ask that it be left out of your assessment.
Watch out: The law is old. It describes a solar energy system as one that uses the sun’s heat, though its list of equipment includes solar cells. It does not mention batteries. It covers owner-occupied homes only, so a rental house is outside it. Ask your parish assessor to confirm in writing that your panels qualify before you rely on it.
What if you rent, have a lower income, or live in an association?
Louisiana has little here that you can sign up for today.
- Community solar: this means a share in a larger solar array somewhere else, with a credit on your bill. The PSC rules and the New Orleans City Council rules both allow it. When we checked, we found no project open to new members in Entergy Louisiana, Cleco or SWEPCO territory. Entergy New Orleans’ project list showed projects in construction or study and none running yet.
- New Orleans low-income subsidy: the City plans a $5,000 subsidy toward a home solar system for low-to-moderate income residents. It is not open. The City says it will post how to apply on its Solar for All page.
- Association and subdivision rules: La. R.S. 9:1255 says no one may unreasonably restrict a property owner from installing solar panels. But zoning rules and subdivision restrictions that require approval first still apply. Homes in historic districts are not covered. Get the approval in writing before you sign.
Where Louisiana buyers end up with less than the quote says
- The quote counts exported power at the price you pay. Outside New Orleans, extra power earns 3.58 to 3.99 cents per kWh. A system sized to send a lot of power out will save less than the quote shows.
- The quote holds this year’s export rate for the life of the system. Entergy Louisiana’s rate was 2.59 cents per kWh last year and is 3.86 cents per kWh now. It resets every year.
- You are in New Orleans and the quote uses state numbers, or the other way round. Entergy New Orleans has one-for-one net metering. The utilities under the state rule do not.
- Your home is in the New Orleans Downtown Network Area. Entergy New Orleans does not connect solar there.
- You expect a state or federal tax credit. Louisiana’s 2025 Form IT-540 instructions list no solar credit. The federal credit ended for systems finished after December 31, 2025.
- You add a battery and enroll late. Entergy Louisiana’s one-time reward needs an application within one year of installation.
Who files what for a Louisiana solar home
- Before you sign: find your utility and its rule. Check the name on your bill. Ask the installer to write the export rate it used, and how much of your solar power the quote assumes you use at home.You, with your installer.
- Before installation: the interconnection application. This is the request to connect your system to the grid. Entergy Louisiana, Cleco, SWEPCO and the co-ops each take their own application. Entergy New Orleans has an online portal and its own agreement for net metering.Your installer files it. You sign the agreement.
- At switch-on: the meter charge. Entergy Louisiana charges $100 once for the meter work. Entergy New Orleans charges $50.You pay it on your bill.
- After switch-on: tell your parish assessor. Ask that the solar equipment be left out of your assessment under La. R.S. 47:1706. There is no state form.You.
- With a battery: enroll it. Entergy Louisiana customers enroll on the Entergy Solutions site within one year of installation. Entergy New Orleans customers enroll through Energy Smart or the battery maker’s app.You or your installer.
Compare Louisiana quotes that name your export rate
Enter your ZIP code to request quotes from installers in your area. Ask each one to write down the export rate it used and the share of solar power it expects you to use at home.
The form asks about your home first, then your contact details. EcoGen or its installer partners may contact you.
- Free, with no duty to buyYour ZIP code starts a request for quotes from local installers. You decide what happens next.
- Home questions come firstYou answer a few questions about your home. Name, email and phone come at the end.
- Test each quoteUse the list of quote problems on this page before you sign anything.
More Louisiana solar guides
Louisiana solar incentive questions
Does Louisiana Have a Solar Tax Credit?
No. The Department of Revenue’s instructions for the 2025 Form IT-540 list every state income tax credit, and none is for solar. The federal credit ended for systems finished after December 31, 2025. What remains is a property tax exemption under La. R.S. 47:1706.
Does Louisiana Have Net Metering?
Only in New Orleans, for new systems. Entergy New Orleans customers get one-for-one net metering. Everywhere the Public Service Commission regulates, homes that connected after December 31, 2019 get an export credit of 3.58 to 3.99 cents per kWh instead.
How Much Does Entergy Louisiana Pay for Solar Power?
3.86 cents per kWh for each kWh you send to the grid, since April 1, 2026. So 100 kWh earn $3.86. The rate resets every April. It was 2.59 cents per kWh the year before.
Why Are New Orleans Solar Rules Different?
The New Orleans City Council regulates Entergy New Orleans, not the state Public Service Commission. The Council kept net metering. Home systems up to 25 kW qualify, except in the Downtown Network Area.
Do Solar Panels Increase Property Taxes in Louisiana?
Not on a home you own and live in. La. R.S. 47:1706 exempts solar equipment attached to an owner-occupied home, and the assessor may not count its value. There is no state form. Tell your parish assessor.
Is There a Battery Incentive in Louisiana?
Yes, from two utilities. Entergy Louisiana pays $75 per kWh for a new battery, up to $1,000, plus $125 per kW of average output in events, up to $600 a year. Entergy New Orleans pays $125 per kW, up to $600 a year.
Sources (18)
- Louisiana Public Service Commission, Electric Net Metering page (checked September 30, 2026): lpsc.louisiana.gov
- Louisiana Public Service Commission, 2026 Avoided Cost Rate by Electric Utility (checked September 30, 2026): lpsc.louisiana.gov
- Louisiana Public Service Commission, 2025 Avoided Cost Rate by Electric Utility (checked September 30, 2026): lpsc.louisiana.gov
- Louisiana Public Service Commission, General Order of September 19, 2019, Distributed Generation Rules (checked September 30, 2026): lpsc.louisiana.gov
- Entergy Louisiana, Rider Schedule DG with Attachment A (checked September 30, 2026): entergylouisiana.com
- Entergy Louisiana, Net metering (checked September 30, 2026): entergylouisiana.com
- Entergy New Orleans, Net metering and distributed generation (checked September 30, 2026): entergyneworleans.com
- Entergy New Orleans, Net Metering Service Schedule NM-4 (checked September 30, 2026): entergyneworleans.com
- Entergy New Orleans, Community solar (checked September 30, 2026): entergyneworleans.com
- Entergy Solutions (Entergy Louisiana), Home Battery program page and FAQ (checked September 30, 2026): greatergrid.com
- Entergy New Orleans Virtual Power Plant program, FAQ (checked September 30, 2026): greatergrid.com
- New Orleans City Council, Resolution R-25-669, Docket UD-24-02 (checked September 29, 2026): council.nola.gov
- City of New Orleans, Solar for All (checked September 30, 2026): nola.gov
- New Orleans City Council, Climate Change and Sustainability Committee meeting of September 23, 2026 (checked October 1, 2026): council.nola.gov
- Louisiana Department of Revenue, 2025 Form IT-540 resident income tax instructions (checked October 1, 2026): ldr.la.gov
- Louisiana Legislature, La. R.S. 47:1706, solar energy systems property tax exemption (checked September 29, 2026): legis.la.gov
- Louisiana Legislature, La. R.S. 9:1255, solar collectors, right of use (checked September 29, 2026): legis.la.gov
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit (checked September 30, 2026): irs.gov
