Idaho Power's Solar Export Credit in 2026, Explained

Idaho Power moved newer solar customers from kWh-for-kWh net metering to net billing. Your meter now tracks two things separately: the energy you pull from the grid and the energy you push back to it.

Energy your panels produce and your home uses right away never shows up on the meter. It simply replaces power you would have bought at the full retail rate. That is the most valuable kWh your system makes.

Energy you export earns a dollar credit at the export credit rate for the hour it was sent. Those credits carry forward from month to month as long as you keep service at the same address.

Older systems grandfathered under the previous net metering rules keep their original terms. This guide is about systems installed today.

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission approved these rates in fall 2025 (Order No. 36785). Idaho Power had asked for lower numbers. The commission also paused annual updates, so the next change is not expected until 2028.

• Summer on-peak (June through September, 3 to 11 p.m., Monday through Saturday): 15.68 cents per kWh
• Summer off-peak (all other summer hours, plus Sundays and holidays): 3.39 cents per kWh
• Non-summer (October through May, all hours): 2.90 cents per kWh

For most of the year, midday solar you export earns about 3 cents per kWh. The same kWh used inside your home saves you the retail rate, which is several times higher. Every kWh you use yourself is worth far more than one you export.

That changes the old sales pitch. Bigger is not automatically better in Idaho Power territory. A good design is sized around how and when your home actually uses power, not around zeroing out your annual bill on paper.

Summer evenings are the exception. At 15.68 cents, energy exported between 3 and 11 p.m. from June through September carries real value. West-facing panels and batteries that discharge in the evening can take advantage of that window.

A battery stores midday production you would otherwise export for about 3 cents and uses it that evening instead of buying power from the grid. It also keeps your essentials running during an outage.

Idahome Energy is a certified Tesla Powerwall 3 installer. We model battery value using your actual Idaho Power usage history, so you can see what a battery is expected to do for your bill before you decide.

For many homes, yes, but the math depends on the design. Homes that do best tend to use a lot of power during the day or evening (EV charging, air conditioning, a home office), have good south or west roof exposure, and either pair solar with storage or use a financing structure that still captures federal value.

Ask any installer to show you savings calculated with the export credit rate, not the retail rate. If a proposal assumes every kWh you produce is worth retail, the numbers are wrong.