Rooftop Solar Rate Program
Get a simple, fair price for the extra solar energy you generate!
Solar customers across the Tennessee Valley who produce clean energy should receive a fair rate for the energy they send back to the grid!
When a rooftop solar system produces more electricity than is needed, that extra energy goes back to the electric grid. A local power company can then use that electricity to serve other households. However, the limited options currently available to solar customers offer little for the extra electricity they supply to the grid, making rooftop solar less attractive as an investment.
The Rooftop Solar Rate Program aims to address this issue and make small-scale and rooftop solar more economical for customers by offering a simple, predictable credit for the excess energy they send to the grid — using tools local power companies, or LPCs, already have at their disposal. It’s a win-win for customers and the LPCs that serve them.
How does it work?
- A local power company adds a credit to the participating solar customers’ monthly bills for the extra electricity they contribute to the grid.
- Customers receive a fair, predictable credit at or close to the wholesale value of that electricity — the rate local power companies pay TVA for power.
How does it benefit customers?
- Households get a better value for the energy they produce.
- Simple and predictable — no confusing rate structures.
- Solar becomes a more realistic option, not just a luxury.
How does it benefit LPCs and the electric grid?
- Easy to implement.
- Aligns with the Tennessee Valley Authority’s flexibility program.
- Responds to customer demand.
- Keeps control local.
- Avoids complicated rate design.
- Helps strengthen the electric grid.
Want to help bring fair rooftop solar rates to your community?
Fill out this interest form or use our outreach toolkit to start a conversation with your local power company. Have questions or want help getting started? Contact Middle Tennessee Organizer Angie Mummaw at [email protected].
