Net Metering & Renewable Generation

What is Net Metering?

Net metering describes any electrical energy generated at your account that is surplus to the electrical usage at that account. This electricity flows into the Cooperative’s system and is used to serve other members. Your meter will record the difference between the electricity you buy from Clearwater Power Company (CPC) and the electricity you generate using your renewable generating equipment. Net metering facilities are intended to offset or meet all of your own electrical requirements.

Diagram showing a solar panel (generation source) providing energy to a home (end user). The generation source surplus energy flows to the electric meter and then to the electric grid (power lines), to then serve other members.
To qualify for net metering, the generating source must be an approved renewable such as:

  • Solar
  • Wind
  • Small Hydro

Customer-generated power is then credited at the applicable rate in kilowatt-hours (kWh) at a 1:1 ratio. These credits are applied in the billing period following the billing period of production.

Review Net Metering Policy

Will net metering work for you?

Steps to Sign Up for Net Metering

Clearwater Power’s On-Site Demonstration

The Clearwater Power renewable generation and net-metering demonstration project was completed in 2009 with two specific goals:

  • The first goal was to demonstrate how to install and connect a renewable energy project to the CPC grid safely and legally.
    • These units are “net metered” to our headquarters building.
    • Show the general public how much the materials and installation actually cost.
    • The 1 kilowatt (kW) solar array generated 1244 kWh in its first full year of operation. This comes out to around $113.
    • The 2.4 kW Skystream wind turbine generated 258 kWh in its first full year of operation. This comes out to about $23.
  • The second goal was to gather real-time data for solar and wind production, which can be seen in the table below:
Year Solar Production (kWh) Wind Production (kWh)
2010 1244 258
2011 1204 314
2012 1216 321
2013 1281 368
2014 1253 397
2015 1201 315
2016 1213 286
2017 1180 239
2018 1201 250
2019 1261 278
2020 1280 375
2021 1281 316
Total 14,815 kWh 3,717 kWh