ALLETE and solar
ALLETE is an investor-owned utility serving about 126,520 homes in Minnesota. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 16.3¢0% above Minnesota average
- Typical bill
- $109673 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- RetailFull retail net metering
- Typical payback
- 17.3 yrs5.6 kW, cash
Export rules for ALLETE customers
Full retail net metering, monthly netting.
Statutory average retail rate for <40 kW.
Solar for a typical ALLETE home
| System | 5.6 kW (90% of 673 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $21,700 |
| First-year savings | $1,185 |
| Payback | 17.3 years |
| 25-year net | $12,435 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 1,210
- Share of customers
- 1.0%
- Residential solar capacity
- 12 MW
- Residential customers
- 126,520
EIA-861, 2025.
Cities served
Questions about ALLETE and solar
Does ALLETE have net metering?
Statutory average retail rate for <40 kW.
How much does electricity cost with ALLETE?
Residential customers paid an average of 15.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 16.3¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 673 kWh a month, a bill of about $109.
Is solar worth it with ALLETE?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 5.6 kW system costing about $21,700 pays back in about 17.3 years, with $12,435 net over 25 years.
How many ALLETE customers have solar?
About 1,210 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 1.0% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: ALLETE, Inc. (EIA ID 12647). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.