City of Traverse City and solar
City of Traverse City is a municipal utility serving about 10,097 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.)
- 14.1¢33% below Michigan average
- Typical bill
- $74525 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~64%Net billing (reduced export credit)
- Typical payback
- 23.2 yrs3 kW, cash
Export rules for City of Traverse City 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 City of Traverse City home
| System | 3 kW (61% of 525 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $11,900 |
| First-year savings | $473 |
| Payback | 23.2 years |
| 25-year net | $1,216 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 59
- Share of customers
- 0.6%
- Residential solar capacity
- 0 MW
- Residential customers
- 10,097
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about City of Traverse City and solar
Does City of Traverse City have net metering?
City of Traverse City 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 City of Traverse City?
Residential customers paid an average of 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 14.1¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 525 kWh a month, a bill of about $74.
Is solar worth it with City of Traverse City?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 3 kW system costing about $11,900 pays back in about 23.2 years, with $1,216 net over 25 years.
How many City of Traverse City customers have solar?
About 59 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.6% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: City of Traverse City - (MI) (EIA ID 19125). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.