Utah solar incentives are small, and your electric utility controls them. The state tax credit for home solar is gone. Rocky Mountain Power pays a low price for extra solar power you send to the grid, and unused credits end every March. Power you send out earns about a third of what the same power saves when you use it in your own home. The one cash payment left is for a home battery.
Recently changed: Rocky Mountain Power’s current export rates took effect on March 1, 2026. Its battery payment changed on June 15, 2026, from $400 per kW to a flat $1,000 or $2,000. The Utah state tax credit is $0 for home solar installed on or after January 1, 2024. Its last amount was up to $400.
Which Utah solar incentives still pay in 2026?
Two. Both come from Rocky Mountain Power, the electric utility for about 3 in 4 Utah homes. The state itself pays nothing for new home solar.
| Program | What it pays | How it reaches you | Who can get it | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Export credit (net billing) | 4.855 cents per kWh in June through September, 4.033 cents per kWh in October through May, for power you send to the grid | A credit on your electric bill | Rocky Mountain Power customers with a home system of up to 25 kW | Open. Current rates since March 1, 2026. |
| Wattsmart Battery payment | $1,000 or $2,000 when you enroll a new battery, then a yearly bill credit | Paid to you after the battery is confirmed working | Rocky Mountain Power customers who own their home and have solar | Open. Current amounts since June 15, 2026. |
Provo, St. George and the electric co-ops set their own terms. They are compared below. Your utility’s name is at the top of your electric bill.
What does Rocky Mountain Power pay for the solar power you send out?
Rocky Mountain Power puts new solar homes on Schedule 137. A schedule is one of the utility’s official price sheets. This one is called net billing: you pay the normal price for power you take from the grid, and you earn a lower, separate price for power you send to it.
The price you earn is the export credit. It is 4.855 cents per kWh in June through September and 4.033 cents per kWh in October through May. These rates took effect on March 1, 2026. The October through May rate is the one that applies to bills from October. The Utah Public Service Commission, the state’s utility regulator, can reset them.
Example: 100 kWh sent out in July earns about $4.86. The same 100 kWh in January earns about $4.03.
Watch out: The credits pay the power and energy charges on your bill. They do not remove the minimum monthly bill, and they are never paid out as cash.
Solar you use at home is worth far more than solar you send out
Utah’s average home electricity price is about 13.11 cents per kWh. So 100 kWh of solar power that your home uses as it is made saves about $13.11 at that average price. Sent to the grid, the same power earns about $4.86 or less. An exported kWh is worth about a third of a kWh you use yourself.
The meter decides which is which, moment by moment. Only power beyond what your home is using at that instant counts as exported. Nothing is evened out over the month. A typical Utah system is 6.09 kW and makes about 9,281 kWh a year. How much of that you use during sunny hours changes your savings more than any incentive does.
Source: EcoGen Solar Cost Index, Utah
Unused credits end at your March meter reading
Credits you do not use carry over to the next bill. That stops once a year. Any credit left at your regular March meter reading expires. Under Utah law, the value of expired credits goes to low-income bill help or another use the Commission sets. It does not come back to you.
Buying a Utah home that already has panels?
Older systems can be on better terms. Ask the seller which schedule the home is on.
Schedule 135 is the old net metering, where each extra kWh cancels a kWh you use later at the full price. It closed to new applications on November 15, 2017 and ends on December 31, 2035. Schedule 136 pays 9.2 cents per kWh for exports. It closed on October 31, 2020 and ends on December 31, 2032. Neither is open to a new system.
Ask Utah installers how much of your solar you would use yourself
Enter your ZIP code to request quotes from installers in your area. A good Utah quote names your utility and shows exported power at the export credit, not at the full electric price.
- Your utility sets the creditRocky Mountain Power, Provo, St. George and the co-ops each credit extra solar power differently.
- Free to compareRequesting quotes costs nothing, and you never have to sign.
- Shared only with matched installersYour details go to the installers you are matched with.
What do Provo, St. George and the co-ops credit instead?
Schedule 137 is Rocky Mountain Power’s price sheet only. City utilities and member-owned co-ops write their own rules.
| Utility | What extra solar power earns | The catch | Your first step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provo Power | 6.742 cents per kWh, from the September 1, 2026 billing period. Example: 100 kWh earns about $6.74. | Credit left after the billing cycle that includes February 28 is given up. Credits cannot pay the $18 monthly customer charge, the fixed fee on every bill. | Get a net metering license from Provo Power before you install. Systems up to 25 kW. |
| St. George Energy Services | Extra kWh are banked and cancel kWh you use later. A balance left in December can be sold back at 3.622 cents per kWh. At 5,000 kWh or more, that happens automatically. | You pay a Solar Reliability Charge of 2.67 cents on every kWh your panels make, used or not. Example: 1,000 kWh made costs $26.70. There is also a $245 review fee and a $424 meter fee. Not allowed on rental property. | Apply in the city’s CityInspect portal before you install. Your contractor must have taken the city’s solar class. |
| Moon Lake Electric | 2.4 cents per kWh for extra power each month. Example: 100 kWh earns $2.40. | Solar accounts pay a service charge of $45 a month. The co-op can stop taking new solar members. | Attend the co-op’s net metering orientation before you hire an installer. |
Murray City Power runs a net metering pilot and says it is revising it. We could not confirm its current terms. Dixie Power posts no export credit, and its solar questions page says it does not pay for power you do not use. For these and every other city utility or co-op, ask for the solar rate in writing before you sign.
How does the Wattsmart Battery payment work?
This is the only cash incentive in Utah for a new solar home. You add a qualifying new battery to your solar system and let Rocky Mountain Power charge and discharge it when the grid needs power. In return you get a one-time payment, then a smaller credit each year.
The one-time payment is $1,000 for a battery under 10 kW, or $2,000 for one over 10 kW. For a battery, kW is how much power it can give at one moment. A Tesla Powerwall 3 is listed at 11.5 kW, so it gets the higher amount. If your battery is exactly 10 kW, ask which amount applies.
You commit for 4 years. From the second year you also get a bill credit of $15 per kW each year, up to $100. After the commitment the credit is $50 per kW, up to $250 a year.
Example: a 5 kW battery gets $1,000 at the start and $75 in each of the next three years. That is $1,225 over the commitment. A Powerwall 3 gets $2,300, because its yearly credit stops at the $100 cap.
- Who can join: Rocky Mountain Power customers in Utah who own their home and have solar. The battery must be new, on the utility’s list, and approved through the same application as your solar system.
- What the utility does: it controls when the battery charges and discharges. It can use up to two full battery cycles a day, on any day of the year. A cycle is one full charge and discharge.
- In a power outage: you only have the energy that is left in the battery at that moment.
- If you leave early: you repay part of the one-time payment.
- An older battery: can earn the yearly credit only, not the one-time payment.
Watch out: Quotes written before June 15, 2026 may still show the old payment of $400 per kW. That amount no longer applies.
What can Utah renters and homes in an association do?
None of these pays you. They are ways to get solar power without your own roof, and rules that protect your right to install.
- Rocky Mountain Power Subscriber Solar: you buy power from a Utah solar farm in blocks of 200 kWh. You pay 7.725 cents per kWh for the power, fixed for your subscription, plus a delivery charge of 4.3275 cents per kWh that can change. It is a fixed price, not a discount. Cancelling within three years can cost up to $50 per block. Homes with their own solar cannot join. Blocks were available on September 29, 2026. Ask whether any are left.
- Provo SharedSolar: Provo Power customers can buy a 200 kWh block of solar power for $21.24 a month, with a commitment of two years. It only saves money if it replaces power you would have bought at a higher price.
- Plug-in solar: since May 7, 2025, state law lets you plug a certified solar device of up to 1,200 watts into a wall outlet with no utility approval and no fee. It earns no export credit. Provo Power said on August 11, 2026 that no such product had the required safety certification yet. Check before you buy one.
- Homeowner associations: an association needs a vote of at least 67% of owners to add a solar ban to its declaration, its recorded founding document. Its rules on size and placement apply only if they cut your solar output by 5% or less and raise the install cost by 5% or less. Read your declaration before you buy. An existing ban can still stand.
Reasons a Utah home earns less than the quote says
- Your quote counts a Utah state tax credit. It is $0 for home solar installed on or after January 1, 2024. Home batteries are not eligible either, the state energy office says.
- Your quote values every kWh at the full electric price. Rocky Mountain Power credits exports at 4.855 cents per kWh or 4.033 cents per kWh, not at the price you pay.
- Your system makes more than you use in a year. Leftover credits expire at the March meter reading. In Provo they are given up after the billing cycle that includes February 28.
- You rent your home and want the battery payment. Wattsmart Battery is for customers who own their home. St. George does not allow net metering on rental property at all.
- Your power comes from a city utility or a co-op. Neither Rocky Mountain Power program applies. Provo, St. George and Moon Lake each have their own credit, fees and deadline.
- You expect the old net metering. It closed to new applications on November 15, 2017. The transition program that followed closed on October 31, 2020.
Utah solar paperwork with Rocky Mountain Power, in order
- Before you sign: get the export rate in writing. Ask the installer which utility and which two seasonal rates the quote uses, and how much of your solar power it assumes you use at home.You, with your installer.
- Before any work: the customer generation application. This is Rocky Mountain Power’s online request for interconnection, its permission to connect your system to the grid. The basic review costs $60. A battery goes on the same application.Your installer usually files it.
- Permits, install and inspection. The system needs its permits and must pass inspection before the utility connects it.Your installer.
- Wait for the new meter. Rocky Mountain Power installs a new meter for the solar system. Do not switch the system on before that.Rocky Mountain Power.
- With a battery: apply to Wattsmart Battery. Your installer applies after the battery is in. The one-time payment comes by check, Venmo or PayPal once the battery is confirmed working.Your installer applies. The payment goes to you.
- Every year: check your credit balance before the March meter reading. Credits left on that date expire.You.
Compare Utah quotes that show the export rate they use
Enter your ZIP code to request quotes from installers in your area. Ask each one for the summer and winter export rate in its numbers, and for the share of your 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, no-obligation quotesRequest quotes from local installers. You decide if you go ahead.
- Questions first, details lastA few questions about your home first. Name, email and phone only at the end.
- Test each quoteUse the list of conditions on this page before you sign anything.
More Utah solar guides
Utah solar incentive questions
Does Utah Have a Solar Tax Credit?
Not for new home solar. The Utah credit is $0 for systems installed on or after January 1, 2024, and the state energy office says home batteries are not eligible either. The federal credit for home solar ended for systems finished after December 31, 2025.
Does Utah Have Net Metering?
Not for new Rocky Mountain Power customers. The old net metering closed to new applications on November 15, 2017. New systems go on Schedule 137, called net billing. You pay the normal price for grid power and earn 4.855 cents per kWh or 4.033 cents per kWh for power you send out. Some city utilities and co-ops have their own programs.
How Much Does Rocky Mountain Power Pay for Solar Power?
4.855 cents per kWh in June through September and 4.033 cents per kWh in October through May, as a bill credit. These rates took effect on March 1, 2026. Example: 100 kWh sent out in summer earns about $4.86.
Do Utah Solar Credits Expire?
Yes. With Rocky Mountain Power, credits carry from bill to bill and expire at your March meter reading each year. With Provo Power, credit left after the billing cycle that includes February 28 is given up.
Does Rocky Mountain Power Pay for Home Batteries?
Yes, through the Wattsmart Battery program. A new battery under 10 kW gets $1,000 and one over 10 kW gets $2,000, plus a yearly bill credit of $15 per kW up to $100 from the second year. You must own your home, have solar and commit for 4 years. The utility controls the battery.
Can an HOA Ban Solar Panels in Utah?
It can, but only through its declaration or its rules. Adding a new ban to the declaration needs a vote of at least 67% of owners. Size and placement rules apply only if they cut output by 5% or less and raise the install cost by 5% or less.
Sources (22)
- Rocky Mountain Power, Electric Service Schedule No. 137, Net Billing Service (read September 29, 2026): rockymountainpower.net
- Rocky Mountain Power, Customer generation (read September 29, 2026): rockymountainpower.net
- Rocky Mountain Power, Schedule No. 135, Net Metering Service (read September 29, 2026): rockymountainpower.net
- Rocky Mountain Power, Schedule No. 136, Transition Program for Customer Generators (read September 29, 2026): rockymountainpower.net
- Rocky Mountain Power, Wattsmart Battery program change notice, May 1, 2026 (read September 29, 2026): rockymountainpower.net
- Rocky Mountain Power, Wattsmart Battery program (read September 29, 2026): rockymountainpower.net
- Rocky Mountain Power, Schedule No. 73, Subscriber Solar Program Rider (read September 29, 2026): rockymountainpower.net
- Rocky Mountain Power, Subscriber Solar (read September 29, 2026): rockymountainpower.net
- Provo City Energy Department, Net Metering Schedule No. 1.1 (checked September 30, 2026): provo.gov
- Provo City Energy Department, SharedSolar Schedule No. 22.1 (read September 29, 2026): provo.gov
- Provo Power, Solar and net metering (checked September 30, 2026): provo.gov
- City of St. George Energy Services, Net metering information (checked September 30, 2026): sgcityutah.gov
- Moon Lake Electric Association, Schedule NM-1, Net Metering (checked September 30, 2026): mlea.coop
- Murray City Power, net metering pilot schedule (not confirmed): murray.utah.gov
- Dixie Power, Solar Program (read September 29, 2026): dixiepower.com
- Utah Office of Energy Development, Renewable Energy Systems Tax Credit (checked September 30, 2026): energy.utah.gov
- Utah Code 54-15-104, net metering credits (read September 29, 2026): le.utah.gov
- Utah Code 54-15-601, portable solar generation device (read September 29, 2026): le.utah.gov
- Utah Code 57-8a-701, solar energy systems in community associations (read September 29, 2026): le.utah.gov
- 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 (checked September 30, 2026): eia.gov
- EcoGen Solar Cost Index, Q2 2026, Utah: ecogenamerica.com
