Net Metering Credits

The Agency and Program Administrators are requesting stakeholder feedback on a proposal to update Distributed Generation Disclosure Forms for both Illinois Shines and Illinois Solar for All (“ILSFA”). The Programs are proposing to update Distributed Generation Disclosure Forms to reflect the change for residential and small commercial customers from “full retail rate” net metering to “supply only” net metering in the ComEd, Ameren, and MidAmerican service territories. This change will be in effect for new net metering customers starting in 2025.

The proposed updates would change the approach for calculating the value of electricity from solar projects. The Agency and Program Administrators believe that the change in net metering for residential and small commercial customers may lead to an increased deployment of batteries as part of solar projects. Therefore, the proposal also includes new disclosure fields for information about batteries, including size and information about the utility storage rebate. The linked document describes separate proposals for Illinois Shines and ILSFA and breaks down each proposal into three sections: changes to the user inputs into the Portal; changes to the Portal calculations related to the value of electricity, and utility rebate payments; and changes to the Disclosure Form PDF presented to the customer.

The Agency and Program Administrators request feedback on all aspects of the proposal, including the overall approach and the proposed values for the simplifying assumptions. The Agency intends for the new Disclosure Forms to be available starting January 1, 2025.

Please provide comments via email attachment to [email protected] with the subject “[Responder’s Name] – Stakeholder Feedback on DF Updates” by September 6, 2024.

The following information was applicable prior to the January 2025 changes to Illinois Net Metering. It is shared here for archival reference.

Illinois Shines places priority on educating and informing customers about all aspects of their decision to go solar, including the significant financial commitment of solar installation. Net metering is a billing mechanism whereby customers earn credit for the power their system produces that is sent to the grid for others to utilize. ComEd, Ameren, and MidAmerican are required to provide customer bill credits for excess energy produced by their solar system at the full retail rate. Rural electric cooperatives and municipal electric utilities may limit access to net metering or may offer a crediting approach that is not “substantially comparable” to net metering.

Customers should be provided relevant information about net metering or other crediting approaches, in order to properly evaluate a decision to install solar, as this information impacts the financial considerations associated with the customer’s investment as well as their monthly average outlay for electricity. If the interconnecting utility does not offer net metering or a comparable approach, this information should be reviewed with the customer, and customers should be presented with, and asked to execute, the Program’s Unavailability of Net Metering Credits Customer Acknowledgement Form (fillable form and static form), which should then be attached to a submitted project application.