Net metering in West Virginia

What is net metering?

Net metering is the policy that allows people with solar to get a credit on their electric bill for the energy they produce from their system.

Learn the basics

Net metering in West Virginia

System capacity limit Depends on utility
Monthly excess generation credit rate Full retail
Annual excess generation credit rate Full retail (credit rolls over indefinitely)
State-wide net metering cap Three percent of previous year’s peak demand
Applicable utilities All utilities
Policies expanding net metering Aggregate net metering
Additional barriers N/A


West Virginia Code §24-2F-8, amended by House Bill 2201, establishes the rules of net metering in West Virginia. All residential customers of investor-owned utilities (IOU), municipal utilities, and electric cooperatives with system capacity no greater than 25 kW and at least $100,000 in general liability insurance are eligible to net meter. The state’s total net metered capacity is capped at three percent of the previous year’s peak load capacity.

System capacity limits:

Customer Type IOUs with 30,000 customers or more IOUs with fewer than 30,000 customers, municipal utilities, electric cooperatives
Residential 25 kW 25 kW
Commercial 500 kW 50 kW
Industrial 2 MW 50 kW

note: IOU=investor-owned utility

Billing and compensation

Utility customers with net metered systems will be credited for each kilowatt produced by their system and each month will be billed for the number of kilowatt hours they used, minus the number of kilowatt hours generated. If your generation exceeds your usage for a given month, you will receive a credit for each excess kilowatt hour, to be applied in later months when you generate less electricity than you consume. Credit for excess generation will rollover from month to month indefinitely.

Other types of net metering in West Virginia

Aggregate and virtual net metering are allowed in West Virginia as long as all meters are located within 2 miles of the source of generation. Customers are responsible for any costs associated with aggregate metering.

Take action

West Virginia resources

History of net metering in West Virginia

January 2015: The West Virginia legislature moved to repeal West Virginia’s Alternative and Renewable Portfolio Standard. This also included a repeal of the state’s net metering legislation. Solar United Neighbors of West Virginia worked with other state groups to mobilize citizen response. In a single day, 287 comments were submitted to House and Senate Energy and Judiciary Committee members. Delegate Mike Caputo received more than 90 emails in three hours. The organized response to this action led lawmakers to preserve the state’s net metering legislation. Learn more here.