Portland General Electric is an investor-owned utility serving about 840,457 homes in Oregon. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
Full retail net metering — about 15¢ per exported kWh, annual netting.
1:1 net metering, annual true-up; unused credit donated to low-income programs.
Oregon net metering (Schedule 203, ORS 757.300): 1:1 monthly kWh netting, excess kWh roll forward; unused credits at annual (March) true-up go to low-income assistance
| System | 7.2 kW (90% of 753 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $20,060, $16,560 after incentives |
| First-year savings | $1,432 |
| Payback | 10.9 years |
| 25-year net | $33,918 |
Uses the utility's average price; time-of-use plans can change this, so pick your plan in the calculator.
Rates we verified from Portland General Electric's tariff documents. Prices are per kWh including the main riders where noted; check your bill for the plan you're on.
Plan for solar customers. Effective 2026-07-08. Fixed charge $13.00/month.
| Period | Price |
|---|---|
| All hours | 19.6¢ |
Price summary effective rate (all Sch 100 adjustments, excl. 1.5% Public Purpose Charge): 19.29c/kWh first block, 20.40c/kWh over block (difference = BPA residential exchange credit -1.112c on first block). Summary labels the block boundary 2,000 kWh while base energy rows say 1,000 kWh - ambiguous. Period rate = 19.29c x 1.015 PPC.
EIA-861, 2025.
1:1 net metering, annual true-up; unused credit donated to low-income programs. Exported power is credited at about 15¢ per kWh.
Residential customers paid an average of 18.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 18.8¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 753 kWh a month, a bill of about $142.
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 7.2 kW system costing about $16,560 pays back in about 10.9 years, with $33,918 net over 25 years.
About 33,867 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 4.0% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Portland General Electric Co (EIA ID 15248). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026, utility tariff sheets.