Where solar pays for itself in America, state by state
Sunshine decides how much a panel makes. Your electricity price and your utility's rules for exported power decide what that power is worth. Here are all three for every state, sorted by the payback a new customer can expect in 2026.
Median payback for a new customer under the state’s usual export rules, $3.00/W, no federal credit. Grey: over 25 years at today’s prices. Tap a state for its cities, credits and rules.
| State | Price ¢/kWh | Use kWh/mo | kWh per kW | New customers get | Likely payback | If net metering | If net billing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 29.4¢ | 571 | 1,214 | Net metering (varies) | 6.5 yrs | 6.5 yrs | 10.9 yrs |
| Hawaii | 46.3¢ | 495 | 1,676 | Net billing † | 6.6 yrs | 3.9 yrs | 6.6 yrs |
| Massachusetts | 30.1¢ | 570 | 1,292 | Net metering (varies) | 7.4 yrs | 7.4 yrs | 12.3 yrs |
| Maine | 30.0¢ | 550 | 1,300 | Net metering (varies) | 7.8 yrs | 7.8 yrs | 13.2 yrs |
| Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | 567 | 1,328 | Net metering (varies) | 7.8 yrs | 7.8 yrs | 13.2 yrs |
| Connecticut | 28.0¢ | 695 | 1,302 | Net metering (varies) | 8.4 yrs | 8.4 yrs | 13.9 yrs |
| California | 33.3¢ | 503 | 1,711 | Net billing † | 9.0 yrs | 5.3 yrs | 9.0 yrs |
| New Hampshire | 26.8¢ | 619 | 1,266 | Net metering (varies) | 9.0 yrs | 9.0 yrs | 15.1 yrs |
| District of Columbia | 24.7¢ | 639 | 1,335 | Net metering (varies) | 9.2 yrs | 9.2 yrs | 15.0 yrs |
| New Jersey | 24.0¢ | 662 | 1,300 | Net metering (varies) | 9.7 yrs | 9.7 yrs | 15.9 yrs |
| South Carolina | 15.9¢ | 1,050 | 1,466 | Net metering (varies) | 9.8 yrs | 9.8 yrs | 16.3 yrs |
| Maryland | 21.3¢ | 929 | 1,322 | Net metering (varies) | 10.7 yrs | 10.7 yrs | 17.5 yrs |
| Vermont | 24.0¢ | 574 | 1,164 | Net metering (varies) | 10.8 yrs | 10.8 yrs | 18.0 yrs |
| New Mexico | 15.1¢ | 654 | 1,823 | Net metering (varies) | 10.9 yrs | 10.9 yrs | 18.2 yrs |
| Colorado | 16.7¢ | 674 | 1,636 | Net metering (varies) | 11.1 yrs | 11.1 yrs | 18.6 yrs |
| Michigan | 21.5¢ | 618 | 1,251 | Net metering (varies) | 11.1 yrs | 11.1 yrs | 18.4 yrs |
| Pennsylvania | 21.0¢ | 817 | 1,241 | Net metering (varies) | 11.5 yrs | 11.5 yrs | 19.0 yrs |
| Wisconsin | 19.0¢ | 645 | 1,315 | Net metering (varies) | 12.2 yrs | 12.2 yrs | 20.2 yrs |
| Alaska | 27.1¢ | 578 | 948 | Net metering (varies) | 12.3 yrs | 12.3 yrs | 20.0 yrs |
| Texas | 16.1¢ | 1,096 | 1,471 | Net metering (varies) | 12.5 yrs | 12.5 yrs | 20.4 yrs |
| Delaware | 17.9¢ | 911 | 1,320 | Net metering (varies) | 12.7 yrs | 12.7 yrs | 20.6 yrs |
| Virginia | 16.8¢ | 1,032 | 1,395 | Net metering (varies) | 12.7 yrs | 12.7 yrs | 20.7 yrs |
| Ohio | 18.7¢ | 846 | 1,231 | Net metering (varies) | 12.9 yrs | 12.9 yrs | 20.9 yrs |
| Florida | 15.3¢ | 1,104 | 1,478 | Net metering (varies) | 13.0 yrs | 13.0 yrs | 21.2 yrs |
| Nevada | 13.5¢ | 930 | 1,823 | Net metering (varies) | 13.0 yrs | 13.0 yrs | 21.2 yrs |
| Alabama | 16.5¢ | 1,143 | 1,372 | Net metering (varies) | 13.1 yrs | 13.1 yrs | 21.2 yrs |
| Indiana | 17.0¢ | 901 | 1,294 | Net metering (varies) | 13.5 yrs | 13.5 yrs | 21.9 yrs |
| Kansas | 15.2¢ | 876 | 1,429 | Net metering (varies) | 13.7 yrs | 13.7 yrs | 22.2 yrs |
| Wyoming | 14.0¢ | 863 | 1,598 | Net metering (varies) | 13.7 yrs | 13.7 yrs | 22.2 yrs |
| Minnesota | 16.3¢ | 712 | 1,353 | Net metering (varies) | 13.8 yrs | 13.8 yrs | 22.6 yrs |
| Mississippi | 15.2¢ | 1,156 | 1,401 | Net metering (varies) | 13.9 yrs | 13.9 yrs | 22.5 yrs |
| Georgia | 15.4¢ | 1,074 | 1,375 | Net metering (varies) | 14.0 yrs | 14.0 yrs | 22.5 yrs |
| Oklahoma | 13.6¢ | 1,079 | 1,528 | Net metering (varies) | 14.3 yrs | 14.3 yrs | 23.2 yrs |
| Utah | 13.2¢ | 774 | 1,587 | Net metering (varies) | 14.3 yrs | 14.3 yrs | 23.5 yrs |
| South Dakota | 14.5¢ | 994 | 1,507 | Net metering (varies) | 14.4 yrs | 14.4 yrs | 23.5 yrs |
| Iowa | 14.2¢ | 832 | 1,392 | Net metering (varies) | 15.2 yrs | 15.2 yrs | 24.6 yrs |
| Missouri | 14.0¢ | 1,001 | 1,399 | Net metering (varies) | 15.2 yrs | 15.2 yrs | 24.4 yrs |
| Montana | 14.0¢ | 852 | 1,416 | Net metering (varies) | 15.4 yrs | 15.4 yrs | 24.8 yrs |
| West Virginia | 15.5¢ | 1,027 | 1,239 | Net metering (varies) | 15.4 yrs | 15.4 yrs | 24.6 yrs |
| Arkansas | 13.6¢ | 1,048 | 1,395 | Net metering (varies) | 15.5 yrs | 15.5 yrs | 25+ yrs |
| Louisiana | 13.4¢ | 1,202 | 1,422 | Net metering (varies) | 15.5 yrs | 15.5 yrs | 25+ yrs |
| Oregon | 15.4¢ | 882 | 1,244 | Net metering (varies) | 15.7 yrs | 15.7 yrs | 25+ yrs |
| Tennessee | 13.9¢ | 1,154 | 1,342 | Net metering (varies) | 15.8 yrs | 15.8 yrs | 25+ yrs |
| Kentucky | 14.3¢ | 1,047 | 1,323 | Net metering (varies) | 15.9 yrs | 15.9 yrs | 25+ yrs |
| Nebraska | 12.9¢ | 956 | 1,459 | Net metering (varies) | 16.1 yrs | 16.1 yrs | 25+ yrs |
| Arizona | 15.4¢ | 1,075 | 1,799 | Net billing † | 17.3 yrs | 10.3 yrs | 17.3 yrs |
| North Dakota | 12.4¢ | 1,029 | 1,412 | Net metering (varies) | 17.4 yrs | 17.4 yrs | 25+ yrs |
| Washington | 14.4¢ | 955 | 1,166 | Net metering (varies) | 17.7 yrs | 17.7 yrs | 25+ yrs |
| Illinois | 19.2¢ | 693 | 1,285 | Net billing † | 20.0 yrs | 12.1 yrs | 20.0 yrs |
| North Carolina | 14.9¢ | 1,015 | 1,413 | Net billing † | 22.6 yrs | 14.1 yrs | 22.6 yrs |
| Idaho | 13.0¢ | 944 | 1,515 | Net billing † | 24.8 yrs | 15.2 yrs | 24.8 yrs |
Median across the state's cities with 50k+ people (Vermont and West Virginia: their largest city). † Most new customers of major utilities no longer get full retail credit for exports (sources on each state page); elsewhere rules vary by utility, so both columns are shown. Prices: EIA Electric Power Monthly, residential, YTD through July 2026. Usage: EIA 2024. $3.00/W installed, no federal credit, 2.5%/yr price growth.