City of Chattanooga and solar
City of Chattanooga is a municipal utility serving about 176,219 homes in Tennessee, Georgia. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 13.3¢2% below Tennessee average
- Typical bill
- $1491,123 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- 2.7¢Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- Never5 kW, cash
Export rules for City of Chattanooga customers
Avoided-cost export credit — about 2.7¢ per exported kWh, instantaneous netting.
Exports via TVA DPP.
Solar for a typical City of Chattanooga home
| System | 5 kW (50% of 1,123 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $19,000 |
| First-year savings | $706 |
| Payback | never within 25 years |
| 25-year net | −$236 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- —
- Share of customers
- —
- Residential solar capacity
- —
- Residential customers
- 176,219
EIA-861, 2025.
Cities served
Questions about City of Chattanooga and solar
Does City of Chattanooga have net metering?
Exports via TVA DPP. Exported power is credited at about 2.7¢ per kWh.
How much does electricity cost with City of Chattanooga?
Residential customers paid an average of 12.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 13.3¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,123 kWh a month, a bill of about $149.
Is solar worth it with City of Chattanooga?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 5 kW system costing about $19,000 does not pay back within 25 years, with −$236 net over 25 years.
How many City of Chattanooga customers have solar?
City of Chattanooga did not report residential net-metered solar to EIA for 2025.
Legal name: City of Chattanooga - (TN) (EIA ID 3408). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.