Net Billing
If you install rooftop solar or another eligible system of up to 10 kW at home, Georgia utilities must offer metering that lets you offset your usage. Georgia Power now offers net billing, so excess generation is credited to your next bill at its Solar Avoided Cost rate, plus four cents per kWh starting January 1, 2023 for instantaneous net metering customers until the 2025 rate case review. Contact your utility to confirm what it offers and how to apply, and note that leasing or financing through a third party is allowed.
Customers can offset their own use or connect ahead of the meter to sell all output, and systems must meet safety, power quality, and interconnection requirements. Residential systems are capped at 10 kW, commercial systems at 100 kW under the state law, and Georgia Power accepts commercial systems up to 250 kW, with those between 100 and 250 kW limited to 125% of prior-year demand and fuel cells limited to 100 kW or less. Third-party ownership, leasing, and financing are allowed under H.B. 57 (2015), so confirm each utility's tariff and the export credit rate before quoting customers.
The 2001 Georgia Cogeneration and Distributed Generation Act lets utilities adopt net metering without mandating it, though all utilities (investor-owned, municipal, cooperative) must offer bidirectional or single-directional metering to customer generators. Total capacity is limited to 0.2% of a utility's prior-year peak demand, and Georgia Power's PSC-ordered cap of 5,000 rooftop customers or 32 MW was reached in July 2021, after which it offers net billing with excess credited to the next bill at the filed Solar Avoided Cost rate. The program covers residential, commercial, industrial, government, nonprofit, school, and agricultural sectors, with cooperative tariffs recorded in PSC Docket 31536 and the adder to be reviewed in Georgia Power's 2025 rate case.
Program details
- Program ID
- 574
- Last updated
- 1/3/2026
Eligibility
- Sectors
- commercial industrial local government nonprofit residential schools state government federal government agricultural institutional
- Technologies
- solar photovoltaics wind (all) biomass hydroelectric fuel cells using non-renewable fuels wind (small) fuel cells using renewable fuels
Program summary
History of Net Metering in Georgia
The Georgia Cogeneration and Distributed Generation Act of 2001 allowed utilities to adopt net metering, but did not mandate it. The law requires all utilities -- whether investor-owned, municipal, or cooperative -- to offer bidirectional or single-directional metering for customer generators, depending on how their system connects to the grid. Eligible technologies include photovoltaic (PV) systems, fuel cells, and wind turbines, with residential systems capped at 10 kW and commercial systems at 100 kW. The total capacity for such systems is limited to 0.2% of a utility's peak demand from the previous year.
In Georgia Power's 2019 rate case, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) required the utility to offer monthly net metering to 5,000 rooftop solar customers or a 32 MW capacity cap, whichever was reached first. This cap was met in 2021. In 2022, the PSC upheld the cap and specified that starting January 1, 2023, Georgia Power would pay an avoided cost plus four cents per kWh for excess generation from both current and new customers on instantaneous net metering. This additional payment will remain in place until a review is conducted in Georgia Power’s 2025 rate case.
Net Billing
After Georgia Power reached the net metering customer threshold (described above in July 2021) it reverted to offering only net billing. Systems connected on the customer's side of the meter use a bi-directional meter, and any instantaneous net excess generation (NEG) is credited to the customer's next bill at a predetermined rate filed with the Georgia Public Service Commission (this is currently the Solar Avoided Cost for Georgia Power). Alternatively, a customer may choose to sell all electricity from a system (rather than using the electricity generated by the system) by connecting ahead of the meter.
Net energy metering tariffs filed by cooperatives are recorded in Docket # 31536 on the Georgia Public Service Commission's website. Customers should contact their utility to see if it offers net metering.
Georgia Power stipulates that commercial systems with a peak capacity of less than or equal to 250 kW are eligible and that systems between 100 and 250 kW may not exceed 125% of the previous year's demand. Fuel cell applications are limited to 100 kW or less.
Third-Party Ownership
H.B. 57 (2015) has allowed residential and commercial customers to work with third parties to install, operate, lease, and/or finance solar systems. The limit for residential customers is 10 kW and the limit for commercial customers is 125% of the actual or expected peak demand of the premises. All systems must meet applicable safety, power quality, and interconnection requirements.
Commercial systems above 100 kW and residential systems above 10 kW are not explicitly prohibited at this time but may be subject to additional compliance requirements.
Contact & resources
- Contact email
- jamieb@psc.state.ga.us
Please verify current program details with the administering agency before making any financial decisions.
