Portland General Electric: how it credits the solar power you send to the grid
Full retail net metering, with credits rolling over through the year.
Checked November 12, 2026. Utilities change these rules; check the current tariff before you sign.
How it works
Exported power earns the full retail price, kWh for kWh.
PGE serves Portland and Salem.
Under Oregon's rules, excess credit at the end of the yearly period goes to low-income assistance rather than back to you.
What it means for a typical Oregon home
With full credit, a typical 8.5 kW system in Oregon (about $21,845 at the 2026 median price) pays for itself in about 15 years and saves about $22,640 over 25 years after its price, paid in cash with no federal credit. It doesn't matter much whether you use the power as it's made or send it out, so a battery adds backup, not savings. Payback by system size in Oregon.
Utilities in neighboring states
| Utility | State | Exported power | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland General Electric | Oregon | Full credit (net metering) | Full retail |
| PG&E | California | Reduced credit (net billing) | 4.9¢ |
| Southern California Edison (SCE) | California | Reduced credit (net billing) | 6.6¢ |
| SDG&E | California | Reduced credit (net billing) | 3.7¢ |
| LADWP | California | Full credit (net metering) | Full retail |
| SMUD | California | Reduced credit (net billing) | 9.6¢ |
| NV Energy | Nevada | Reduced credit (net billing) | About 75% of retail |
| Puget Sound Energy | Washington | Full credit (net metering) | Full retail |
| Idaho Power | Idaho | Reduced credit (net billing) | 4¢ (est.) |
All 55 utilities · Solar in Oregon · Lease and PPA terms by company
Sources: Solar Energy Nerds: net metering by state, 2026; U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), final 2025 data: Annual State Historical Spreadsheets (Form EIA-861, released October 7, 2026) and Electric Power Annual (October 21, 2026); EnergySage: median quoted price, first half of 2026.