Arkansas Cuts Solar Export Pay to 3 Cents From 12 Under Net Billing

2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 21

Arkansas shifted to net billing in 2024, cutting the value of surplus rooftop-solar power sent to the grid to about 3 cents per kilowatt-hour from roughly 12 cents.
That change matters because solar panels produce most electricity at midday while homes need power around the clock, so the price utilities pay for daytime excess strongly shapes homeowner savings.
Under net metering, exported power offsets later consumption at the full retail rate—typically 10 to 30-plus cents per kilowatt-hour nationwide—while net billing often pays only 2 to 10 cents.
More than a third of U.S. states have adopted similar rules over the past decade, reducing annual savings for some homeowners by hundreds or thousands of dollars and making rooftop solar a tougher investment.