- Newer Idaho Power solar customers are paid an export credit rate (ECR) that the Commission cut in 2025, with the drop in its energy value capped at 40 percent.
- The approved rates are approximately 15.68 cents per kWh summer on-peak, 3.39 cents summer off-peak and 2.90 cents non-summer.
- No annual updates until 2028. Idaho Power must file its next export credit update by April 1, 2028.
- Legacy (grandfathered) systems keep one-to-one monthly netting until December 20, 2045, and the status follows the system to a new owner.
The 2025 export credit decision
Idaho Power asked to update its export credit rate in 2025. In Order No. 36785 (Case No. IPC-E-25-15, September 30, 2025), the Commission approved a smaller cut than the company asked for, limiting the decrease in the avoided-energy part of the credit to 40 percent, and made it effective October 1, 2025.
| Period | Before (cents per kWh) | Idaho Power asked | Approved, approximate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer on-peak | 17.4850 | 14.0598 | 15.68 |
| Summer off-peak | 5.6533 | 1.7682 | 3.39 |
| Non-summer | 4.8365 | 0.9540 | 2.90 |
The Commission called the approved values approximate pending Idaho Power's compliance filing. Commission staff estimated the 40 percent limit would raise the average monthly bill of affected residential (Schedule 6) solar customers by about 17.9 percent. The Commission also suspended the annual export credit updates until 2028 and ordered Idaho Power to file its next full update by April 1, 2028. The change applies to non-legacy customers; legacy customers are covered below.
Legacy systems: one-to-one netting until 2045
When Idaho moved away from traditional net metering, the Commission grandfathered existing systems "by system site, as opposed to by customer." According to the Commission's February 2020 release, grandfathered systems keep one-to-one monthly netting until December 20, 2045, and because the status attaches to the system, a new homeowner and future owners keep it too.
- An additional system added later is not grandfathered, and the original keeps its status only if the new system's output is measured separately.
- Local reporting on the decision said the status can be lost if the system is offline more than six months or moved to another site, and that capacity can only be added within limits. Confirm the conditions for a specific system with Idaho Power.
What a salesperson can and cannot say about 2028
Idaho is not a deadline market right now. The export credit is frozen until Idaho Power's next update, which it must file by April 1, 2028; the Commission then decides it. Nobody knows today whether the 2028 update will go up or down. A pitch that says "rates drop next month, sign now" for Idaho Power is not supported by the current order.
- Ask the salesperson to show the export credit rate their savings estimate uses, and how much of your system's output they assume is exported. The lower the export share, the less the export credit matters.
- Do not accept a 30 percent federal tax credit in the math for a system you are buying. Why that credit is gone, and the one leasing companies still get.
Buying or selling an Idaho solar home
For an Idaho Power home, the first question is whether the system is legacy. A legacy system's one-to-one netting through 2045 is worth considerably more than the current export credit, and it transfers with the house. Get written confirmation of legacy status from Idaho Power, the system's interconnection date, and 12 months of bills. A SolarDisclosure report documents permits, liens and net metering status for the transaction. How transfers work in other states.
Rocky Mountain Power customers in Idaho
Eastern Idaho customers served by Rocky Mountain Power are on a separate schedule. A third-party change log we checked lists Rocky Mountain Power's Idaho export credits under Schedule 136 effective for billing cycles after December 1, 2025, with the company required to keep that credit until it files an update by July 1, 2028. Confirm current terms with Rocky Mountain Power.
FAQ
Under Order No. 36785 (September 30, 2025), approximately 15.68 cents per kWh summer on-peak, 3.39 cents summer off-peak and 2.90 cents non-summer, for non-legacy customers. The Commission called these approximate pending a compliance filing.
The Commission suspended annual updates until 2028. Idaho Power must file its next export credit update by April 1, 2028, and the Commission decides it after that.
Grandfathered (legacy) systems keep one-to-one monthly netting until December 20, 2045. Newer customers are paid the export credit rate for exported power.
Yes, according to the Commission's 2020 decision: grandfathering attaches to the system site, not the customer, so a new owner keeps it. Confirm the status for a specific system with Idaho Power.
Nothing in the current order sets a deadline before Idaho Power's April 1, 2028 filing, and the outcome of that update is not known.
Sources
- Idaho PUC, Order No. 36785, Case No. IPC-E-25-15, September 30, 2025
- Idaho PUC news release on Order No. 36785, October 2, 2025
- Idaho PUC news release on grandfathering, Case No. IPC-E-18-15, February 6, 2020
- Idaho Mountain Express, PUC rules on home solar power rates (2020)
- netmeteringbystate.com, solar export changes log (Rocky Mountain Power Idaho)
General information, not legal or financial advice. Confirm current terms with your utility.