Quick answer (as of July 2026)
Central Maine Power credits rooftop solar through Maine’s Net Energy Billing, the state’s version of net metering: each kWh you export earns a one-to-one bill credit worth roughly the retail rate you pay. According to MySolarFY’s analysis (July 2026), a typical 7 kW system in CMP territory generates about 9,230 kWh a year (NREL PVWatts), worth roughly $2,600 a year in Net Energy Billing value at Maine’s 28.32 cents per kWh residential rate (EIA, March 2026). CMP’s 2026 standard-offer supply rate is 12.72 cents per kWh, up from 10.61 cents in 2025 (Maine Governor’s Energy Office), so the bill your panels offset keeps climbing. The 30% federal 25D homeowner credit ended after December 31, 2025.
The quick answer (Central Maine Power, 2026)
- Maine residential power runs about 28.32 cents per kWh (EIA, as of March 2026), well above the national average, so the bill CMP solar offsets is meaningful.
- CMP’s 2026 standard-offer supply rate is 12.72 cents per kWh, up from 10.61 cents in 2025, and that is only the supply piece; delivery and other charges bring the all-in residential rate to about 28 cents (Maine Governor’s Energy Office).
- CMP credits solar through Net Energy Billing (NEB): under the kWh-credit program, each kWh you export earns a one-to-one bill credit worth roughly the retail rate, offsetting supply and delivery (Maine PUC).
- Credits bank and roll forward, but expire after 12 months with no cash payout, so sizing a system to your yearly usage matters.
- A Customer NEB Agreement governs the arrangement under Maine Public Utilities Commission rules (CMP Net Energy Billing).
- To connect, you need permission to connect from CMP before switching the system on, after an interconnection application and inspection.
- CMP is Maine’s largest electric utility, serving more than 670,000 customers across central and southern Maine; Versant Power serves the north and east.
- The 30% federal homeowner credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025 (IRS).
If Central Maine Power is your electric utility, this is how rooftop solar pays you back in 2026. What Maine homeowners usually call “net metering” is run here as Net Energy Billing (NEB), governed by a Customer Net Energy Billing agreement, so CMP does not use classic one-meter net metering but the bill credit works much the same way. Maine has some of the highest power prices in the country, which is what makes solar worth it here, even though the state’s cash incentives are thin. This page explains what CMP pays, how to connect, and how to tell if your home is a good fit.
Central Maine Power at a glance
CMP runs the interconnection and Net Energy Billing process in its territory, so the rules below are what you deal with when you go solar on a CMP account.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Service territory | Central and southern Maine, including Portland, Augusta, and Lewiston (346 communities) |
| Customers | More than 670,000, the largest electric utility in Maine |
| 2026 standard-offer supply rate | 12.72 cents per kWh (Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2026), up from 10.61 cents in 2025 |
| All-in residential rate | About 28 cents per kWh including delivery (EIA: 28.32 cents, March 2026) |
| How solar is credited | Maine Net Energy Billing, kWh-credit program (not classic net metering) |
| Credit value | One-for-one kWh credit, roughly retail value, offsetting supply and delivery |
| Credit expiry | Credits bank and roll forward, but expire after 12 months with no cash payout |
| Before you switch on | CMP must grant permission to connect |
| Source | Maine PUC Net Energy Billing |
Why this matters at Maine’s rates. Maine’s residential price is well above the national average, so each kilowatt-hour your roof makes offsets an expensive CMP kilowatt-hour. That high rate, not a state rebate, is the main reason solar pays here, since Maine’s cash incentives are limited. Estimate your roof’s likely output with NREL’s free PVWatts calculator, because your production sets how much your Net Energy Billing credits are worth.
What a typical CMP system produces and saves
Is solar worth it in Central Maine Power territory? For a typical 7 kW home, yes: about $2,600 a year in avoided power and roughly an 8-year simple payback at Maine’s 28.32 cents per kWh rate, and after that the Net Energy Billing credits are yours for the remaining life of the system.
Here is our own worked estimate for a CMP-territory home, so you can see the math rather than take a round number on faith. According to MySolarFY’s analysis (July 2026), a typical 7 kW rooftop system in CMP territory produces about 9,230 kWh a year, which offsets roughly $2,600 of grid power at Maine’s current residential rate. Because CMP’s one-to-one kWh credit offsets your full retail rate, that $2,600 splits into roughly $1,170 of avoided supply (at the 12.72 cents per kWh 2026 standard offer) and about $1,440 of avoided delivery and other charges, which is why a Net Energy Billing credit is worth far more than a supply-only rate would suggest. The table shows every input, so you can swap in your own roof and usage.
| Input (MySolarFY estimate, July 2026) | Value |
|---|---|
| System size | 7 kW |
| Estimated annual production | About 9,230 kWh (NREL PVWatts v8, 14.08% system loss, typical Maine tilt and orientation) |
| Value per kWh offset | 28.32 cents (EIA Maine residential, March 2026) |
| Estimated annual bill offset / NEB value | About $2,600 per year |
| Typical installed cost before incentives | Roughly $21,000 (about $3.00 per watt; Maine quotes vary) |
| Federal 25D homeowner credit | $0 in 2026 (the 30% credit ended December 31, 2025) |
| Estimated simple payback | About 8 years, then the credits are yours |
Treat these as illustrative, not a quote: your roof, shading, usage, and the installer’s price move the numbers. Run your own address on PVWatts and compare real local quotes before you decide. Savings are estimates and are not guaranteed.
How CMP credits the power you send back
This is Maine’s version of net metering, run as Net Energy Billing. Under the residential kWh-credit program, every kilowatt-hour you send to the grid earns a one-to-one credit on your CMP bill, offsetting both the supply and delivery parts of your rate, so it is worth roughly the full retail value of that power (Maine PUC). Two details matter. First, the arrangement is set by a Customer Net Energy Billing agreement under the Public Utilities Commission’s rules, which your installer files with CMP (CMP Net Energy Billing). Second, unused credits bank and roll forward but expire after 12 months with no cash payout, so the best results come from sizing a system close to your annual usage rather than oversizing it. The separate dollar-credit, or tariff, version of Net Energy Billing is for non-residential customers, so most homeowners use the kWh-credit version above. Maine reformed Net Energy Billing in 2025, but the changes apply to the commercial, institutional, and community-solar tariff track, not residential rooftop. A new home system on a CMP account still earns the one-to-one, retail-rate kWh credit in 2026 (Maine Legislature; Maine Senate). For the full state picture, see Maine Net Energy Billing in 2026, and for the mechanics of export credits, see how net metering credits your solar exports.
| What you earn | How it is valued | Who receives it |
|---|---|---|
| kWh export credits | One-for-one, roughly retail value (supply plus delivery) | The CMP account holder (customer of record) |
| Banked credits | Roll forward, but expire after 12 months with no cash payout | The CMP account holder |
The Net Energy Billing credit goes to the customer of record on the CMP account, so even on a lease or PPA the credit lands on your bill, and you pay the company that owns the panels separately under your contract. To see how the credit lowers your monthly cost, read how solar lowers your electricity bill, and to weigh payback, see the financial case for whether solar panels are worth it.
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How to connect solar to CMP: the interconnection process
Connecting a home system to CMP follows a set order, and the key rule is that you cannot turn the system on until CMP grants permission to connect. The general path is:
- Interconnection application. You or your installer file an application through CMP’s online interconnection portal, under the Maine PUC’s small-generator rules.
- Review and approval. CMP reviews the system; small residential systems of 25 kW or less use the simplest Level 1 path. You should not energize before approval.
- Install and inspect. The system is installed and passes your local electrical inspection.
- Metering. CMP completes the metering so both the power you use and the power you export are measured.
- Permission to connect. CMP issues written permission to connect, the step the industry calls permission to operate. The system may not run on the grid before this.
- Net Energy Billing agreement. Your Customer NEB Agreement is set up so your export credits begin once the system is approved and running.
A licensed installer normally manages this whole process for you, but knowing the order helps you spot a quote that promises an instant switch-on. For the questions to ask, see the right questions to ask a solar installer.
What Maine does and does not offer, beyond CMP
Maine is a place where being honest about what is gone matters, because several widely-listed “Maine solar incentives” no longer apply. On a CMP account in 2026:
- Net Energy Billing is the main benefit, as described above.
- Maine has no solar sales-tax exemption, so you pay the state’s 5.5% sales tax on the equipment.
- Maine does exempt qualifying solar from local property tax under the Renewable Energy Investment Exemption, if you apply with your town, so a system should not raise your assessment.
- Efficiency Maine does not offer a solar rebate; its rebates are for heat pumps, weatherization, and EVs.
- The federal Solar for All program was terminated in 2025, so there is no active enrollment for households.
Because the cash incentives are thin, the payback on a CMP account comes mostly from the power you stop buying and your Net Energy Billing credits. Confirm the property-tax exemption with your town, since that statute was revised in 2025.
What changed federally, and what it means for CMP customers
The federal homeowner credit is gone, and Maine had little state cash to replace it. The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, so a CMP customer who buys solar with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS OBBB FAQ; SEIA). Net Energy Billing and the property-tax exemption were not affected, so the in-state value is unchanged. For the full timeline, see what the federal solar tax credit change means in 2026.
One federal exception exists, and it is not yours to claim. A separate commercial credit, Section 48E, is claimed by the business that owns a leased or PPA system, not by the homeowner, and it runs for projects placed in service through 2027, with a begin-construction safe harbor by July 4, 2026 (IRS Clean Electricity Investment Credit; SEIA tax policy). For a leased system on a CMP account you do not file for a federal credit yourself; the company that owns the panels does. The 25D homeowner credit, by contrast, ended after December 31, 2025.
How to choose a solar installer in CMP territory
Most of central and southern Maine is CMP territory, so you have a solid market of licensed installers. Rather than chasing a “best” list, screen any installer against objective criteria:
- NABCEP certification, the industry’s professional standard for PV installers.
- Proper Maine licensing and any required local electrical and building permits.
- A clear workmanship and equipment warranty in writing.
- Real experience with CMP interconnection and Maine’s Net Energy Billing, so the paperwork and permission to connect go smoothly.
- A written production estimate and a transparent quote you can compare. For a checklist, see the right questions to ask a solar installer.
MySolarFY matches you with licensed installers that serve your area so you can compare real local quotes side by side, with no obligation.
Cities we serve in Central Maine Power territory: see what solar costs in Portland. For the statewide picture, see solar in Maine, and if your home is in northern or eastern Maine, see Versant Power solar instead.
Frequently asked questions
How does Central Maine Power credit my solar?
CMP credits home solar through Maine’s Net Energy Billing program, not classic net metering. Under the residential kWh-credit program, every kilowatt-hour you export earns a one-to-one credit on your CMP bill, offsetting both supply and delivery charges, so it is worth roughly the retail rate (Maine PUC). Credits bank and roll forward, but any that go unused expire after 12 months with no cash payout. The arrangement is set by a Customer Net Energy Billing agreement, which your installer files with CMP.
What happened to the federal solar tax credit?
The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. A CMP customer who buys solar in 2026 with cash or a loan cannot claim it. A separate commercial credit (Section 48E) can apply to leased and PPA systems, but the business that owns the system claims it, not the homeowner. Maine’s Net Energy Billing and property-tax exemption were not affected. See our guide on what the federal solar tax credit change means in 2026.
How do I connect solar to CMP?
You or your installer file an interconnection application through CMP’s online portal under the Maine PUC’s small-generator rules, CMP reviews and approves it, the system is installed and passes a local inspection, CMP completes the metering, and then CMP grants permission to connect (CMP interconnection). You cannot turn the system on until you have that permission. Small residential systems of 25 kW or less use the simplest Level 1 path, and a licensed installer normally manages the paperwork and your Net Energy Billing agreement for you.
Do unused CMP solar credits expire?
Yes. Net Energy Billing credits bank and roll forward from month to month, but any credits you have not used expire after 12 months, and there is no cash payout for them (Maine PUC). That is why the best results come from sizing a system close to your annual electricity usage rather than oversizing it to chase a big surplus, since a large year-end balance would simply expire. Your installer can model a system size that uses most of your production within the year.
Does Maine have a solar rebate or sales-tax break for CMP customers?
No. Maine does not offer a solar sales-tax exemption, so you pay the 5.5% state sales tax on equipment, and Efficiency Maine does not offer a residential solar rebate. The federal Solar for All program was also terminated in 2025. Maine does exempt qualifying solar from local property tax if you apply with your town, so the system should not raise your assessment. For a CMP customer, the real value is Net Energy Billing plus the high rate you avoid, not upfront cash.
Do I qualify for CMP solar credit if I lease or sign a PPA?
Net Energy Billing credits follow the customer of record on the CMP account, so the credits land on your bill whether you own, lease, or sign a PPA, and you pay the company that owns the panels separately under your contract. The property-tax exemption follows ownership of the system and the property. If you own the system through cash or a loan, you keep the full benefit directly; on a lease or PPA, your benefit is a lower or fixed power price with no up-front cost.
Reviewed by the SolarFY Editor. Figures were verified against the linked Maine (Central Maine Power, Maine PUC, Maine Governor’s Energy Office) and EIA and IRS sources as of July 2026; Net Energy Billing rules and the property-tax statute change over time, so confirm current terms with CMP and the Maine PUC before you decide. MySolarFY does not provide tax or financial advice; consult a licensed professional about your own situation. See our editorial team and how we source our data and run our numbers.
MySolarFY is a free service that matches homeowners with licensed solar installers. We are not an installer, financing company, or government program. “No up-front cost” refers to qualifying lease or PPA financing, where eligible homeowners may have no out-of-pocket cost at installation. Lease and PPA terms typically run 20 to 25 years, may include an annual price escalator, and total payments may exceed the cost of a cash purchase. Homeowners do not get the federal residential credit that ended after December 31, 2025. Solar panels are not free and monthly payments apply. Eligibility, savings, incentives, and rates vary and are not guaranteed. See our full disclaimer.
