- Already have solar on Duke's original net metering (Rider NM)? You must move to the Bridge rider or another rider by January 1, 2027. Ask Duke which one you will land on and for a bill comparison.
- Going solar now? The Bridge rider is closed to new participants on and after January 1, 2027, and has a yearly capacity cap. Eligibility runs from the date your interconnection application is submitted, not the date you sign a sales contract.
- On the Bridge rider? You can stay up to 15 calendar years from the date your interconnection application was submitted.
- After the Bridge closes, new solar customers take Residential Solar Choice, which requires a time-of-use rate with critical peak pricing.
Duke's three net metering riders
In March 2023 the North Carolina Utilities Commission approved new net metering tariffs for Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress (order dated March 23, 2023, Docket No. E-100, Sub 180, under N.C.G.S. 62-126.4). That order created the structure below.
| Rider | Who is on it | Key terms | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rider NM (original) | Residential customers already on it, plus those with a complete application received by September 30, 2023 | The original net metering terms. Closed to new residential customers since September 30, 2023. | 2026-12-31 |
| Rider NMB (Net Metering Bridge) | New solar customers, up to a yearly capacity cap, and Rider NM customers moving over | No requirement to take a time-of-use rate with critical peak pricing. Monthly minimum bill ($22 in the 2023 Duke Energy Carolinas filing). Up to 15 calendar years from the interconnection application submission date. | Closed to new participants 2027-01-01 |
| Rider RSC (Residential Solar Choice) | The default for new solar customers once the Bridge is full or closed | Requires a time-of-use rate with critical peak pricing. Monthly minimum bill, non-bypassable charges for storm recovery and cybersecurity, a grid access fee for systems over 15 kW AC. Monthly net excess credited at the avoided-cost Net Excess Energy Credit. | Open |
The Bridge has a yearly cap. New participation is limited to an annual capacity, set in the tariff at 38,700 kW AC for Duke Energy Carolinas and 43,500 kW AC for Duke Energy Progress in 2026. Once a year's cap fills, new customers go to Residential Solar Choice even before the January 1, 2027 closing date. We have not confirmed how much of the 2026 cap remains; ask Duke or your installer for that number in writing.
If you already have solar on Rider NM
This is the part most coverage misses. Duke's Rider NM says residential participants "will be required to transfer to Net Metering Bridge Rider NMB or another net metering rider" in effect at the time by January 1, 2027. If you went solar with Duke before late 2023, that likely means you.
- Find out which rider you are on today. It is on your bill or in your Duke account; call Duke if it is not clear.
- Ask Duke, in writing, which rider you will be moved to and what your last 12 months of bills would have been under it. The Bridge rider adds a monthly minimum bill, and if you are on a time-of-use schedule, your exports net within each time-of-use period instead of across the month.
- Check any savings promise you were sold. If your contract or proposal promised savings based on terms that end on December 31, 2026 and nobody told you, keep that paperwork.
If you are going solar before the deadline
The Bridge rider's clock runs from the date the interconnection application is submitted to Duke. Your installer usually files that application, not you. That leads to three practical checks:
- Get the submission date in writing. Ask the installer for a copy or screenshot of the interconnection application with its submission date. A contract signed in December with an application filed in January does not get the Bridge rate.
- Ask what happens if they miss it. Put it in the contract: if the application is not submitted by the date promised, can you cancel, or will they reprice the system on Residential Solar Choice?
- Make them model both riders. A proposal that only shows Bridge savings is showing you the best case. Ask for the same proposal on Residential Solar Choice, since that is where you land if the cap fills.
The year-end sales pitch, and what to check
A real deadline is the best sales tool there is, and expect door-to-door teams to work Duke territory hard through December. The deadline being real does not make every claim attached to it true. Watch for:
- "Sign today to lock in net metering." Signing does not lock anything; the application submission does, and only if the cap has room.
- "You get the 30 percent tax credit." The federal homeowner credit ended for expenditures after December 31, 2025. On a lease or PPA, any credit goes to the company. How the lease and PPA credit works now.
- "Your bill will be zero." Both riders carry a monthly minimum bill.
- A salesperson claiming to be from Duke, or that the program is a Duke program. Ask for the company's name and North Carolina contractor license.
Buying or selling a Duke-territory solar home
The rider a system is on is part of what a buyer is paying for. Before pricing or making an offer, get the current rider, the interconnection application date (which sets the end of any Bridge term), and 12 months of bills. Whether a Bridge term follows the system to a new owner is a question to put to Duke in writing for the specific account; we have not found it addressed in the tariff text we reviewed. A SolarDisclosure report documents the system's permits, liens and net metering status for the transaction.
FAQ
Duke's Net Metering Bridge rider is closed to new participants on and after January 1, 2027, and residential customers on the original Rider NM must move to the Bridge rider or another rider by that date. New solar customers after that take Residential Solar Choice, which requires a time-of-use rate with critical peak pricing.
Eligibility runs from the date the interconnection application is submitted to Duke, within the yearly capacity cap. A signed contract alone does not lock anything. Get the application submission date in writing.
Up to 15 calendar years from the date the interconnection application was submitted, per Duke's tariff.
If you are on the original Rider NM, you must move to the Bridge rider or another rider. Ask Duke which one and for a comparison of your last 12 months of bills.
Yes. Both the Bridge rider and Residential Solar Choice carry a monthly minimum bill; the 2023 Duke Energy Carolinas Bridge filing set it at $22. Confirm the current amount with Duke.
Sources
- Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress, Net Energy Metering Compliance Tariffs (Riders NM, NMB, RSC), filed April 3, 2023, NCUC Docket No. E-100, Sub 180
- North Carolina Public Staff, Net Metering
Tariff amounts such as the minimum bill and capacity caps are from the 2023 compliance filing; Duke may have updated tariff sheets since. Confirm current terms with Duke for your account. General information, not legal advice.