Net Billing

Louisiana enacted legislation in June 2003 establishing net metering.Eligibility and AvailabilityModeled on Arkansas’s law, Louisiana's law requires investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities and electric cooperatives to offer net metering to customers that generate electricity using solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal or biomass resources. Fuel cells and microturbines that generate electricity entirely derived from renewable resources are also eligible.Per state law, net metering is available for residential systems up to 25 kilowatts (kW) in capacity, and commercial and agricultural systems up to 300 kW that are located in the state. Systems larger than 300 kW will be considered by the Public Service Commission (PSC) on an individual basis.By the end of each calendar year, utilities must file with the PSC a report listing all existing net-metered systems and their capacities, and, where applicable, the inverter rating for each facility. The ownership of renewable-energy credits (RECs) associated with net metering has not been addressed.InterconnectionUtilities must provide customer-generators with a meter capable of measuring the flow of electricity in both directions. Utilities must pay for the cost of the meter itself, but customer-generators must pay a one-time charge to cover the installation cost of the meter. Customers are responsible for all interconnection costs.Net Excess GenerationSystems that were interconnected before December 31, 2019, will have their monthly net excess generation credited at the full retail rate to the customer's next billing period through December 31, 2034 (15 years). Systems that were interconnected after December 31, 2019, will be credited at the utility's avoided cost rate, with instantaneous netting. For the final month in which the customer takes service from the utility, the utility will pay the customer for the balance of any credit at the utility's avoided-cost rate. Current avoided-cost rates can be found here.Additional Resources: Entergy's net-metering webpageCleco Power's net-metering webpage * The PSC regulates investor-owned utilities and electric cooperatives in Louisiana; it does not regulate municipal-owned utilities, and its rules thereby do not apply to municipal utilities. Municipal utilities must develop their own programs based on the statute.