Montana-Dakota Utilities and solar
Montana-Dakota Utilities is an investor-owned utility serving about 120,678 homes in North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 12.0¢3% below North Dakota average
- Typical bill
- $98822 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~25%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 21.6 yrs3.6 kW, cash
Export rules for Montana-Dakota Utilities customers
Avoided-cost export credit (North Dakota rule).
North Dakota's net metering rule only covers the three investor-owned utilities (Xcel, Otter Tail, Montana-Dakota) for systems up to 100 kW. Solar you use at home offsets retail power, but extra energy left over each month is bought at the utility's low avoided-cost rate (a few cents per kWh).
Solar for a typical Montana-Dakota Utilities home
| System | 3.6 kW (50% of 822 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $12,500 |
| First-year savings | $590 |
| Payback | 21.6 years |
| 25-year net | $2,330 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Questions about Montana-Dakota Utilities and solar
Does Montana-Dakota Utilities have net metering?
Montana-Dakota Utilities follows North Dakota's rules: North Dakota's net metering rule only covers the three investor-owned utilities (Xcel, Otter Tail, Montana-Dakota) for systems up to 100 kW. Solar you use at home offsets retail power, but extra energy left over each month is bought at the utility's low avoided-cost rate (a few cents per kWh).
How much does electricity cost with Montana-Dakota Utilities?
Residential customers paid an average of 11.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 12.0¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 822 kWh a month, a bill of about $98.
Is solar worth it with Montana-Dakota Utilities?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 3.6 kW system costing about $12,500 pays back in about 21.6 years, with $2,330 net over 25 years.
How many Montana-Dakota Utilities customers have solar?
About 215 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.2% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co (EIA ID 12199). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.