In Nebraska, the money for solar comes from your electric utility, not from a state rebate. Every home here buys power from a public utility: a power district, a city or a co-op. One state law makes each of them credit you for solar power you send to the grid. Your utility’s own board sets how much that credit is, and whether it adds cash on top. In Lincoln the cash is a one-time payment based on the size of your system. In Omaha, ask the utility if its rebate still has money left.
Recently changed: Norris Public Power District moved new home systems to a less generous billing method on January 1, 2026. Lincoln Electric System revised its solar rules on May 15, 2026, which keeps its current payment level open longer.
Which Nebraska public power utility sends your bill?
The name at the top of your bill is a public power district, a city utility or a co-op. It decides your solar money. Open yours.
Omaha Public Power District (OPPD)Omaha and nearby parts of eastern Nebraska.Ask OPPD if its rebate is still open.
What you can get with Omaha Public Power District (OPPD)
- Solar rebateAsk OPPD
OPPD has run a one-time solar rebate for systems installed by an OPPD Solar Trade Ally: an installer on OPPD’s own list. The money is limited and goes first come, first served. OPPD’s website did not load for the final check of this page, so it is not confirmed that money is left or what the rebate pays today.
- Credit for extra powerAsk OPPD
OPPD pays one credit per extra kWh in summer and a lower one the rest of the year. The rest-of-year rate applies since October 1, 2026. Ask OPPD for today’s rate per kWh.
Your bill credits
OPPD uses net metering: each kWh you send out cancels one you bought in the same month. Anything beyond that is credited in dollars at the rates above. The credit moves to your next bills. At the end of the calendar year, OPPD pays you what is left.
Watch out: Ask OPPD in writing if a rebate is open, what it pays and what its credit per kWh is today, before you sign.
See also the state law and the state loan.
Lincoln Electric System (LES)Lincoln and the LES service area.$375 per kW or $475 per kW of panel size, paid once.
What you can get with Lincoln Electric System (LES)
- Capacity payment$375 per kW or $475 per kW
A one-time payment, based on the rated size of your panels (kW DC, the size on the panel labels). Fixed panels that face mostly south get $375 per kW. Panels that face mostly west, or that turn to follow the sun, get $475 per kW. Other layouts get nothing. Example: 5 kW facing south gets $1,875. Facing west it gets $2,375. The typical 7.74 kW system facing south gets about $2,903.
- Credit for extra powerabout 2.8 cents per kWh now
LES buys each month’s extra power at 50% of its home energy charge. With 2026 rates that is about 3.9 cents per kWh in summer (June 1 to September 30) and about 2.8 cents per kWh the rest of the year. It is never less than LES’s avoided cost: what LES would pay to get that power elsewhere. The level you start on stays for 10 years. The size limit is 25 kW of AC output per meter.
Your bill credits
LES uses net metering: power you send out cancels the same amount you bought that month. LES buys anything beyond that at the rate above, as a bill credit. At the end of each calendar year, LES pays what is left by check.
Watch out: The capacity payment is only for projects by an installer in LES’s Solar Trade Ally Network, its list of installers. The current level, which LES calls Tier 2, ends when customer systems reach 10,000 kW, or 15 years after it began on December 31, 2017. The capacity payment ends with it, and LES has not set the next credit rate. Ask LES if Tier 2 is still open before you sign.
See also the state law and the state loan.
Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD)Towns where NPPD sends the bill itself, such as Kearney, Norfolk, Scottsbluff and York.No rebate found. 5.06 cents per kWh per extra kWh since October 1, 2026.
What you can get with Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD)
- Credit for extra power, summer9.07 cents per kWh
Summer is June 1 to September 30. Example: 100 extra kWh earn $9.07.
- Credit for extra power, rest of the year5.06 cents per kWh
These rates started on January 1, 2026. This rate applies since October 1, 2026. Example: 100 extra kWh earn $5.06. Systems up to 25 kW of AC output qualify.
- Solar or battery rebateNone found
NPPD’s home rebate program, EnergyWise, lists none.
Your bill credits
NPPD uses net metering: power you send out cancels power you bought in the same month. Anything beyond that is credited in dollars at the rates above. The credit carries forward. At the end of the yearly period, NPPD pays you what is left.
Watch out: This rate is only for homes billed by NPPD itself. Towns and districts that resell NPPD power set their own solar rules. NPPD also closes this rate to new customers once customer systems reach 1% of its peak retail demand.
See also the state law and the state loan.
Not listed? See what to ask a smaller district, city or co-op. Norris Public Power District is covered under the 1% limit.
How do OPPD, LES, NPPD and Norris compare for solar?
One law, four sets of numbers. Each credit is based on what the power would cost the utility elsewhere, not on the price you pay.
| Utility | One-time cash | Credit per extra kWh, summer | Rest of the year | Billing for new systems |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha Public Power District | Ask if the rebate is open | Ask OPPD | Ask OPPD | Net metering |
| Lincoln Electric System | $375 per kW or $475 per kW of panel size | about 3.9 cents per kWh | about 2.8 cents per kWh | Net metering, up to 25 kW |
| Nebraska Public Power District | None found | 9.07 cents per kWh | 5.06 cents per kWh | Net metering, up to 25 kW |
| Norris Public Power District | Ask Norris | 6.25 cents per kWh, on all power sent out | 4.41 cents per kWh | Net billing, plus a monthly charge |
Summer is June 1 to September 30 at LES, NPPD and Norris, so the rest-of-year rates apply since October 1, 2026. Each utility’s board can change its rates. Example: 100 extra kWh earn $9.07 at NPPD in summer and $5.06 the rest of the year.
Watch out: The credit for extra power is low, so a Nebraska system saves the most on power you use yourself.
Your utility is not in the table
Nebraska has many more districts, city utilities and co-ops. The same law applies, but each sets its own credit. One example: Southern Public Power District, based in Grand Island, lists 2.61 cents per kWh all year in its rate sheet of January 1, 2026. Ask your utility in writing for its credit per kWh, whether net metering is still open to new customers, and when leftover credit is paid out.
What does Nebraska’s net metering law guarantee?
The law is Neb. Rev. Stat. 70-2001 to 70-2005, in force since 2009. Net metering means your utility counts the solar power you send out against the power you take in. The law is the floor for every utility. A utility may offer more.
- A monthly swap: power you send out cancels power you bought in the same month, kWh for kWh.
- A credit for extra power: anything beyond that is credited in dollars at the utility’s avoided cost, the price it would pay to get that power elsewhere. The credit carries to later bills.
- A payout every year: leftover credit is paid to you with the last bill of each yearly period. You need not close your account to get it. If you do end service, it is paid within 60 days.
- No solar surcharge: a net metering customer pays the same minimum monthly fee as other homes in its rate class, with no added standby, capacity, demand or connection fee.
- Your RECs stay yours: a REC (renewable energy credit) is the proof that power came from a renewable source. You own the ones your system makes.
- A size limit: systems up to 25 kW, sized to your own use.
The 1% limit: when a utility can stop
A utility does not have to take new net metering customers once all customer systems together reach 1% of the capacity it needs for its average monthly peak demand. Each utility measures this against its own peak, and each reports its net metering totals every year. So yours can tell you where it stands.
Norris Public Power District, based in Beatrice, shows what can follow. Since January 1, 2026, a new home system there gets net billing. Power you use as you make it still lowers your bill. But every kWh you send out is paid 6.25 cents per kWh in summer and 4.41 cents per kWh the rest of the year, with no monthly swap against power you buy. Example: 100 kWh sent out in summer earn $6.25. Norris also adds a Facility Recovery Charge of $1.00 per kW of billing demand each month, a measure of the most power you draw at one time. Homes that already had net metering keep it.
Watch out: Ask your utility if it still takes new net metering customers before you pay a deposit. No state agency sets electric rates in Nebraska, so only the utility can answer.
See what installers quote for your Nebraska utility
Your ZIP code starts a quote request. Ask each installer to name your utility, its credit rate, and any rebate it counted.
- The utility decides the mathOmaha, Lincoln and rural districts pay different amounts.
- No cost to compareYou never have to sign.
- Sent only to matched installersYour details go to the installers you are matched with.
Can a Nebraska state loan pay for solar panels?
Yes, but it is a loan, not a rebate. Nebraska Dollar and Energy Saving Loans come from Nebraska lenders and the Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (DWEE), the state energy agency. The simple interest rate is 5%, 3.5% or less. DWEE does not say which rate a solar loan gets. Ask the lender for the rate and fees in writing.
A solar loan can run up to 10 years. For a system of 10 kW or less, you can borrow up to $14,000 for the first kW and $4,000 for each added kW. Example: a 5 kW system can borrow up to $30,000. A 7 kW system can borrow up to $38,000, which is more than the typical Nebraska price of $26,935.
- The form: DWEE Form 20, with an itemized bid from your installer. You take both to a lender that takes part.
Watch out: Do not sign a binding contract, buy equipment or start work until your lender tells you DWEE has signed its commitment. Starting early can cost you the loan. The work should then be done within five months.
What can renters and homes without a good roof do in Nebraska?
- Lincoln Electric System virtual panels: a share of LES’s community solar field, a large shared set of panels, that lowers your bill. A full panel costs $450 in 2026, before tax. LES estimates it saves a home $32.48 a year. Credits run until the program ends in 2036. If you move out of LES’s area, LES refunds about 75% of the panel’s price at that time.
- NPPD SunWise: shares in a local solar field in some NPPD towns. The fields have been full, with waiting lists in most towns. Ask NPPD if your town has shares or a waiting list. The $50 enrollment fee is credited back after three years. NPPD’s page does not show what a share costs. Ask before you join.
Watch out: Nebraska Solar for All, a planned program for low-income homes, is paused. Its federal grant was ended on August 7, 2025. There is nothing to apply for now.
Five ways a Nebraska home misses the money
- Your installer is not on the utility’s list. The OPPD rebate and the LES capacity payment only go to systems installed by that utility’s Solar Trade Ally.
- Your utility has passed the 1% limit. It may then refuse new net metering customers, as Norris Public Power District does.
- Your system is much larger than your own use. Extra power earns only the low credit, such as 5.06 cents per kWh at Nebraska Public Power District since October 1, 2026.
- You sign before the state loan is committed. A contract or any work before DWEE’s commitment puts the loan at risk.
- Your quote subtracts a tax credit. The federal credit for home solar ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. If a quote subtracts a Nebraska tax break, ask the installer which law it rests on, and check it with the Nebraska Department of Revenue before you sign.
From first quote to year-end check: the Nebraska order
- Ask your utility two questions. Is net metering still open to new customers? What is the credit per kWh today?You. Get the answers in writing.
- In Omaha or Lincoln: pick an installer from the utility’s list. An installer outside the Solar Trade Ally list cannot get you the rebate or the capacity payment.You.
- Using the state loan: apply before you commit. Take DWEE Form 20 and the itemized bid to a lender. Wait for the lender to confirm DWEE’s commitment.You and your lender.
- Give notice, apply to connect and pass inspection. State law asks you to tell your utility at least 60 days before the install. Each utility has its own application. It also needs proof of the State Electrical Division inspection before it connects you.Your installer usually files. You sign.
- After switch-on: watch for the payout. OPPD, LES and Norris pay leftover credit at the end of the calendar year. NPPD pays at the end of its yearly period.You. Your utility pays.
Compare Nebraska quotes that name your utility
Enter your ZIP code to request quotes from local installers. Ask each one which credit rate it used and if it is on your utility’s list.
The form asks about your home first, then your contact details. EcoGen or its installer partners may contact you.
- Free to requestQuotes cost nothing. You decide if you go ahead.
- Your home first, your details lastName, email and phone come at the end.
- Test each quoteCheck its credit rate against the utility numbers on this page.
More Nebraska solar guides
Nebraska solar incentive questions
Does Nebraska Have a Solar Tax Credit?
The federal credit for home solar ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. For any Nebraska tax break on solar, ask the Nebraska Department of Revenue or a tax professional before you count on it, and do not let a quote subtract one without naming the law.
Does Nebraska Have Net Metering?
Yes. State law requires every electric utility to offer it for systems up to 25 kW. Power you send out cancels power you bought in the same month. Extra power earns a lower credit set by the utility. A utility may stop taking new customers once home solar reaches 1% of its peak demand.
What Happens to Unused Solar Credits in Nebraska?
You are paid for them. Credit carries from bill to bill, and what is left is paid out with the last bill of each yearly period, or within 60 days if you end service.
Does OPPD Offer a Solar Rebate?
Omaha Public Power District has run a one-time rebate for systems installed by an installer on its Solar Trade Ally list, with limited money handed out first come, first served. OPPD’s website did not load for the final check of this page, so it is not confirmed that money is left. Ask OPPD in writing before you sign.
Does LES Pay for Solar Panels?
Yes. Lincoln Electric System pays once: $375 per kW of panel size for south-facing panels, or $475 per kW for west-facing or sun-tracking panels. A 5 kW south-facing system gets $1,875. The installer must be in the LES Solar Trade Ally Network.
Sources (17)
- Nebraska Revised Statutes 70-2003, net metering: credit, payout and the 1% limit (database read September 29, 2026): nebraskalegislature.gov
- Nebraska Revised Statutes 70-2002, netting and fees (database read September 29, 2026): nebraskalegislature.gov
- Nebraska Revised Statutes 70-2004, notice, inspection and renewable energy credits (database read September 29, 2026): nebraskalegislature.gov
- Omaha Public Power District, Solar Rebate Program (last read September 29, 2026; did not load October 1, 2026): oppd.com
- Omaha Public Power District, Rate Manual, Rider Schedule No. 483, Net Metering Service (last read September 29, 2026; did not load October 1, 2026): oppd.com
- Lincoln Electric System, 2026 Rate Schedules: Schedules RS, RNM and VNM (checked October 1, 2026): les.com
- Lincoln Electric System, Solar power: Trade Ally Network and virtual panels (checked September 30, 2026): les.com
- Lincoln Electric System, Customer-owned generation (checked September 30, 2026): les.com
- Nebraska Public Power District, Net Metering Service Rider, effective January 1, 2026 (checked October 1, 2026): nppd.com
- Nebraska Public Power District, SunWise Community Solar (checked September 30, 2026): nppd.com
- Norris Public Power District, Service Regulation 800, Customer-Owned Generation (checked October 1, 2026): norrisppd.com
- Norris Public Power District, Distributed Generation (checked September 30, 2026): norrisppd.com
- Southern Public Power District, Schedule DG, Distributed Generation Service (checked September 30, 2026): southernpd.com
- Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment, Dollar and Energy Saving Loans (checked September 30, 2026): dwee.nebraska.gov
- Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment, Form 20, Wind, Solar and Fuel Cell Application (checked September 30, 2026): dwee.nebraska.gov
- Center for Rural Affairs, Nebraska Solar for All (database read September 30, 2026): cfra.org
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit (checked September 30, 2026): irs.gov
