Written by Chad Panton, Co-founder, ISI Energy · Last reviewed October 2026
What changed on January 1, 2025?
For roughly two decades, Illinois residential solar customers received "full retail net metering": each kilowatt-hour (kWh) you sent to the grid earned a credit worth a full retail kWh, covering both the energy itself and the cost of delivering it.
That ended for new systems. Under the state's Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and the rules that followed, residential and small commercial customers of ComEd, Ameren, and MidAmerican who interconnect on or after January 1, 2025 receive supply-only net metering. Illinois Shines, the state's solar program, describes it this way: customers "can receive either kWh credits that apply to their supply charges, or monetary credits based on supply rates," and "customers still pay for delivery charges on all electricity pulled from the grid." (Source: Illinois Shines Consumer FAQs, Net Metering, updated January 2026.)
ComEd's own FAQ says the same in its language: residential and small-load customers who interconnected starting January 1, 2025 "will be eligible to receive credits that offset charges in the Supply section of the bill." (Source: ComEd, Net Metering Frequently Asked Questions, 2025.)
Why does this matter so much?
Your ComEd bill has two main parts:
- Supply is the cost of the electricity itself. If you have not chosen an alternative supplier, ComEd buys it for you and passes the price through.
- Delivery is what ComEd charges to maintain the wires, poles, and meters that bring electricity to your home, plus certain fixed and regulatory charges.
Under the old arrangement, exported solar offset both. Under supply-only net metering, exported solar offsets only the first. The practical result: a home with solar still has a meaningful ComEd bill every month, made up of delivery charges on grid electricity used plus any supply not covered by credits. Anyone who tells you solar will make your ComEd bill disappear is describing a billing structure that no longer applies to new systems.
This is not a reason to dismiss solar. It is a reason to understand the design of your system, and in particular how much of your solar you use directly versus export, because electricity you consume in real time avoids both supply and delivery charges, while electricity you export earns a supply-only credit.
kWh credits or dollar credits: which should I choose?
ComEd fixed-price (Basic Electric Service) customers who interconnected in 2025 or later "can choose to receive net metering credits in kWh or as a monetary credit." (Source: ComEd Net Metering FAQ.)
- A kWh credit offsets a future kWh of supply one-for-one.
- A monetary credit converts your export to dollars at the supply rate in effect when you exported.
If supply prices change over the year, these two can diverge. Which is better depends on your usage pattern and on supply pricing, which changes with ComEd's procurement cycle. We do not predict rates, and we suggest you ask your installer to walk through both options using your actual bills. ComEd also notes that for post-2025 customers, "Net metering credits, whether kWh or monetary, do not expire," which removes the old annual reset worry.
What if I am on ComEd Hourly Pricing?
Hourly Pricing customers pay a supply price that changes hour by hour. For them, ComEd says exported solar earns "net metering credits based on the price of power during the hours excess energy is produced," applied as a monetary credit. Solar exports most at midday, so your credit value depends on midday hourly prices during the months you export. This interaction, plus the ability to shift when you draw from the grid, is one of the reasons batteries come up in Hourly Pricing conversations. See Battery Backup.
If you buy supply from an alternative retail supplier rather than ComEd, check with that supplier; ComEd says credits for those customers are the supplier's responsibility.
What is the ComEd Distributed Generation Rebate?
Separate from net metering and separate from Illinois Shines, ComEd offers a one-time Distributed Generation (DG) Rebate, sometimes called the smart inverter rebate:
- $300 per kW of installed solar capacity for residential and small commercial customers.
- $300 per kWh of nameplate capacity for energy storage (batteries) installed with renewable generation.
- $250 per kW and $250 per kWh for commercial and industrial customers.
(Source: Illinois Shines Consumer FAQs, Incentive Payments; ComEd Net Metering FAQ.)
Two cautions, both from the program sources:
1. It is not reversible. Once the rebate is applied for and received, you cannot return it to regain full retail net metering.
2. Who keeps it depends on who owns the system. Illinois Shines puts it bluntly: "Make sure you understand who keeps the rebate." Under a lease or power purchase agreement, the system owner, not you, may be the one who receives it. See Purchase, loan, lease, or PPA.
For a system interconnected in 2025 or later, taking the rebate does not change your net metering treatment, because you are already on supply-only net metering.
I already have solar from before 2025. Does any of this affect me?
If your system was interconnected before January 1, 2025 and you did not take the DG Rebate for generation, you keep full retail net metering "for the life of their system," according to Illinois Shines, with two exceptions for ComEd customers: taking the DG Rebate for generation, or making "changes to the system that require a new interconnection application." (Source: Illinois Shines Consumer FAQs.) ComEd's FAQ confirms legacy customers "will lose legacy status if they elect to take the DG Rebate for generation."
So if you are a legacy customer thinking about adding panels or a battery, ask specifically whether the change requires a new interconnection application before you sign anything.
When does net metering actually start?
ComEd states that net metering participation "begins after receiving approval of your Interconnection application," and the system may operate once you have "a signed Certificate of Completion from ComEd confirming your system has permission to operate (PTO)." Net metering is normally requested as part of the interconnection application, so you do not apply separately. (Source: ComEd Net Metering FAQ.) Your installer submits this; you should receive a copy of the Certificate of Completion for your records.
What should I ask before signing?
1. Is this proposal modeled on supply-only net metering, and does the Disclosure Form say so?
2. What portion of production is assumed to be used on site versus exported?
3. Have you shown me the kWh-credit and monetary-credit options using my bills?
4. Who receives the ComEd DG Rebate under this agreement?
5. Am I, or will I be, on Hourly Pricing, and was that reflected?
In Illinois, the Approved Vendor must give you a Disclosure Form before you sign, and that form explains how your utility will credit exported electricity. Read that section twice.
What this means for you
Solar in ComEd territory still works; it works differently than it did in 2024, and the difference is on the Supply line of your bill. A good consultation should start from your last 12 months of ComEd bills and show you, line by line, what changes and what does not. That is exactly what we do at ISI Energy, and the consultation ends with a written summary and nothing to sign. Book a free consultation or call (224) 395-1162.
Frequently asked questions
Does solar still offset my ComEd bill after the 2025 net metering change?
Yes, in two ways: electricity you use in real time avoids both supply and delivery charges, and electricity you export earns credits against the Supply section of your bill. Delivery charges on grid electricity still apply. Source: ComEd Net Metering FAQ, 2025.
Do ComEd net metering credits expire?
For customers who interconnected on or after January 1, 2025, ComEd states that credits, whether kWh or monetary, do not expire. Legacy fixed-price kWh credits from earlier systems do reset annually per the customer's election form. Source: ComEd Net Metering FAQ, 2025.
What is the ComEd solar rebate amount?
The Distributed Generation Rebate is $300 per kW of solar and $300 per kWh of battery storage for residential and small commercial customers, and $250 per kW and $250 per kWh for commercial and industrial customers. It is not reversible, and who receives it depends on who owns the system. Source: Illinois Shines Consumer FAQs; ComEd Net Metering FAQ.
Sources
- ComEd, "Net Metering Frequently Asked Questions" (PDF, 2025), comed.com
- Illinois Shines, "Consumer FAQs," sections "Net Metering" and "Incentive Payments," illinoisshines.com/faqs/ (updated January 2026)
- Illinois Power Agency, "Power Hour 7: Upcoming Illinois Net Metering Changes" (slides), ipa.illinois.gov
ISI ENERGY LLC is a sales, education, and project-coordination company and is not affiliated with ComEd, the Illinois Power Agency, or Illinois Shines. This article is educational and is not a guarantee of savings, production, or outcomes. Confirm current rules with the sources above before relying on them.