Avista Utilities - Net Metering
Avista Utilities offers net metering for solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, and fuel cell systems up to 100 kW, crediting excess electricity to your next monthly bill at the retail rate. To apply, submit an application (usually through your installer) with a $100 upfront processing fee; Avista will review within 20 business days, and once approved, the system can be energized and connected to the grid.
You can submit interconnection and net metering applications for customer systems up to 100 kW; Avista requires a $100 upfront processing fee at submission and will complete application review within 20 business days, notify you of completeness within 10 business days, and issue approval to energize once the electrical inspection is finalized and Avista completes its safety check. Note that individual systems are capped at 100 kW and cannot exceed 20% of the utility's total aggregate net-metered capacity.
Avista's Schedule 63 net metering tariff, approved by the Idaho PUC, allows customer-owned generation (solar, wind, hydro, biomass, fuel cells) up to 100 kW per system with monthly credits at retail rate for net excess generation; any remaining credits expire on March 31 each year. The program is limited by aggregate capacity capped at 0.1% of Avista's 1996 peak demand baseline, and the $100 application fee covers processing. Eligible sectors include residential, commercial, industrial, nonprofit, schools, and government entities.
Program details
- Program ID
- 2339
- Last updated
- 3/30/2026
Eligibility
- Sectors
- commercial industrial local government nonprofit residential schools state government federal government agricultural multifamily residential low income residential
- Technologies
- solar thermal electric solar photovoltaics wind (all) biomass hydroelectric fuel cells using non-renewable fuels wind (small) hydroelectric (small) fuel cells using renewable fuels
Program summary
Idaho does not have a statewide net-metering policy. However, each of the state's three investor-owned utilities -- Avista Utilities, Idaho Power and Rocky Mountain Power -- has developed a net-metering tariff that has been approved by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The framework of the utilities' net-metering programs is similar, in that each utility's original program: (1) offers net metering to customers that generate electricity using solar, wind, hydropower, biomass or fuel cells; (2) limits individual system size to 100 kilowatts (kW); (3) limits aggregate net-metered capacity to 0.1% of the utility's peak demand in a baseline year (1996 for Avista); and (4) restricts any single customer from generating more than 20% of the aggregate capacity of all net-metered systems.* Avista Utilities' net-metering tariff is Schedule 63. Previously, Avista had an individual system size cap of 25 kW. In July 2010, the PUC approved an increase in this cap to allow systems up to 100 kW to participate in net metering.
For Avista Utilities customers, any net excess generation (NEG) during a monthly billing period is credited to the customer's next bill at the utility's retail rate. On March 31st of each calendar year, any remaining NEG is granted to the utility with no compensation for the customer.
*Note: In 2013, Idaho Power made a request to the PUC to modify its net metering program, resulting in changes to the capacity cap and net excess generation.
Contact & resources
- Contact email
- net_metering@avistacorp.com
- Additional resources
Please verify current program details with the administering agency before making any financial decisions.
