Alpena Power and solar
Alpena Power is an investor-owned utility serving about 13,754 homes in Michigan. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 19.6¢7% below Michigan average
- Typical bill
- $105533 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~46%Net billing (reduced export credit)
- Typical payback
- 18 yrs3 kW, cash
Export rules for Alpena Power customers
Net billing (reduced export credit) (Michigan rule).
Michigan's IOUs use a 'distributed generation' inflow/outflow tariff: you save the full retail rate on solar you use directly, but power sent to the grid is credited only at roughly the power-supply portion of the rate (about 8-15 cents depending on rate/time).
Solar for a typical Alpena Power home
| System | 3 kW (61% of 533 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $11,900 |
| First-year savings | $610 |
| Payback | 18.0 years |
| 25-year net | $6,382 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 12
- Share of customers
- 0.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 0 MW
- Residential customers
- 13,754
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Alpena Power and solar
Does Alpena Power have net metering?
Alpena Power follows Michigan's rules: Michigan's IOUs use a 'distributed generation' inflow/outflow tariff: you save the full retail rate on solar you use directly, but power sent to the grid is credited only at roughly the power-supply portion of the rate (about 8-15 cents depending on rate/time).
How much does electricity cost with Alpena Power?
Residential customers paid an average of 18.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 19.6¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 533 kWh a month, a bill of about $105.
Is solar worth it with Alpena Power?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 3 kW system costing about $11,900 pays back in about 18 years, with $6,382 net over 25 years.
How many Alpena Power customers have solar?
About 12 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Alpena Power Co (EIA ID 392). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.