If you are looking up New York net metering in 2026, here is the plain version: a typical New York home that puts solar on its own roof is still credited at the full retail rate, kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour, under the state’s Phase One net metering rules, and that arrangement runs for a 20-year term. The VDER Value Stack that you keep reading about is a different, more complex way of paying for exported power, and it is aimed at larger and community solar projects, not the everyday rooftop home. This page explains how New York net metering credits your power, the monthly Customer Benefit Contribution charge that comes with it, what the VDER Value Stack is and who it is for, how community solar fits in, and where the whole system is heading, all with the real 2026 numbers.
Updated for 2026 with New York’s current Phase One net-metering rules, the 2026 Customer Benefit Contribution rates by utility, and the VDER Value Stack framework.
New York net metering in 2026, the short read
- A typical rooftop home is still on full retail-rate net metering. Residential systems up to 25 kW are credited for exported power at the full retail rate under New York’s Phase One net metering, kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour (DSIRE New York, as of April 2026).
- That credit is locked in for 20 years. The net-metering arrangement runs a 20-year term from the date your system interconnects (DSIRE New York, as of April 2026).
- New York power is expensive, which is what makes each credited kWh valuable. Residential electricity averages about 28.55 cents per kWh, well above the national average (EIA, as of March 2026).
- There is a monthly Customer Benefit Contribution (CBC) charge, and it varies by utility. On a net-metered residential system the 2026 CBC runs from $0.97 per kW at National Grid to $1.67 per kW at Central Hudson, with Con Edison at $1.41 per kW per month, effective March 1, 2026 (Con Edison CBC tariff, Statement No. 8, effective March 1, 2026).
- VDER, the Value Stack, is a separate track for bigger and community projects. It pays a market-based value for exports and is the default for larger nonresidential and community distributed generation, not the everyday rooftop home, though a homeowner can opt in (NYSERDA Value of Distributed Energy Resources, as of June 2026).
- The 30 percent federal homeowner credit ended after December 31, 2025. A New York homeowner who buys solar in 2026 cannot claim the federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D), so the state programs on this page are what pay you now (IRS, as of January 1, 2026).
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Does New York still have net metering in 2026?
Yes. For a typical home that installs solar on its own roof, New York still credits exported power at the full retail rate through its Phase One net metering rules. Residential systems up to 25 kW export their surplus to the grid and earn a credit worth the full retail value of that electricity, kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour, and that net-metering arrangement runs for a 20-year term from the date your system interconnects (DSIRE New York, as of April 2026). So unlike California, which cut its retail net metering, or Connecticut, which closed net metering to new homeowners entirely, New York in 2026 still gives a rooftop home the simplest and most valuable form of credit for the power it sends back.
What has changed is that New York now runs two compensation tracks, and it matters which one you are on. Alongside retail net metering, the state built a market-based system called VDER, the Value of Distributed Energy Resources, or the Value Stack, through the Public Service Commission’s landmark VDER proceeding, Case 15-E-0751 (NYSERDA Value of Distributed Energy Resources, as of June 2026). The Value Stack is the default for larger nonresidential systems and for community solar, while a mass-market rooftop home stays on Phase One net metering unless it chooses to opt into the Value Stack. For the plain-English mechanics of how any net-metering credit works, see how net metering credits your solar exports; the rest of this page is about how New York specifically applies it.
New York net metering vs the VDER Value Stack: which one applies to you
The single most useful thing to understand in New York is the difference between the two ways your solar can be paid. Phase One net metering credits you at the retail rate and suits a normal rooftop home; the VDER Value Stack pays a market-based value built from several components and is aimed at larger and community projects. The table below lays out who each one is for, how you are credited, and roughly what it is worth, using New York’s 2026 figures.
| Feature | Phase One net metering | VDER Value Stack |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is the default for | Residential rooftop systems up to 25 kW | Larger nonresidential systems and community solar; a home can opt in |
| How exports are credited | 1:1 at the full retail rate, kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour | A market-based value stack (wholesale energy, capacity, environmental, demand-reduction, and locational values), varying by time and location |
| Typical value to a home | Near full retail, about 28.55 cents per kWh in New York | Usually less than full retail for a typical rooftop home |
| 2026 monthly CBC, Con Edison residential | $1.41 per kW of system size | $0.71 per kW of system size (lower) |
| Term | A 20-year net-metering term from interconnection | A Value Stack compensation term set by the tariff |
| Best for | A typical home that wants the simplest, highest per-kWh credit | Large systems, or a household that cannot use its own roof and joins community solar |
Sources: NYSERDA Value of Distributed Energy Resources, NYSERDA 2026 CBC rates, and EIA, as of 2026. The Value Stack switch tends to be one-way, so confirm your current tariff options with your installer and your utility before you choose.
What is the Customer Benefit Contribution (CBC), and what does it cost?
Every New York solar customer who interconnected on or after January 1, 2022 pays a monthly Customer Benefit Contribution, a small charge tied to the size of your system. The CBC is billed per kilowatt of installed capacity per month and funds public-benefit programs such as low-income assistance, energy efficiency, and clean-energy programs; it is set so that your annual contribution to those programs is the same whether or not you add solar (NYSERDA 2026 CBC rates, as of April 2026). It does not touch the 1-for-1 netting of your power; it is a separate line item. It also does not apply to systems interconnected before 2022, to front-of-the-meter community solar, or to commercial accounts that already pay a demand charge.
One detail catches people out: the CBC rate is not locked in, even though your net metering is. Your 20-year net-metering term is fixed, but the CBC rate itself is recalculated by each utility every year, so the figure on your bill can move up or down annually (NYSERDA 2026 CBC rates, as of April 2026). The 2026 residential rates below are the current published figures for net-metered projects. You will see some installer pages quoting an old range near $0.30 to $1.33 per kW; those numbers are stale, and the current NYSERDA figures are higher.
| Utility | 2026 residential CBC ($/kW per month) | Estimated annual CBC on an 8 kW system |
|---|---|---|
| Central Hudson | $1.67 | about $160 |
| RG&E | $1.31 | about $126 |
| Con Edison | $1.41 | about $135 |
| NYSEG | $1.19 | about $114 |
| LIPA (PSEG Long Island) | $1.13 | about $108 |
| Orange & Rockland | $1.00 | about $96 |
| National Grid | $0.97 | about $93 |
The CBC rates are the 2026 residential net-metered figures published by NYSERDA (NYSERDA 2026 CBC rates, as of April 2026), except Con Edison, which we show at its current filed tariff rate of $1.41 per kW effective March 1, 2026 (Con Edison CBC tariff, Statement No. 8); NYSERDA’s published sheet still lists Con Edison’s earlier January figure. We cross-checked every rate against the utility tariff filings, because the ranges you see on many installer blogs are out of date. For Con Edison’s worked numbers by system size, see our Con Edison CBC charge and net metering guide. The annual-cost column is our own estimate: we multiply each utility’s rate by an 8 kW system and by 12 months. Your own figure depends on your exact system size, so scale it to your kilowatts. Note that a system on the VDER Value Stack pays a lower CBC, for example $0.71 per kW at Con Edison instead of $1.41, one of the trade-offs to weigh if you ever consider the Value Stack.
How your net-metering credits build up, and what a true-up means
Net metering works like a rolling bank account for kilowatt-hours. When your panels make more than your home is using, the surplus flows to the grid and earns a credit at the retail rate; when your home uses more than the panels make, at night or in winter, you draw those credits back down. Any net credit left at the end of a billing month rolls forward to the next month, which lets a summer surplus carry into a lower-production winter (DSIRE New York, as of April 2026). Because New York’s retail rate averages about 28.55 cents per kWh, each credited kilowatt-hour is worth a lot compared with most of the country (EIA, as of March 2026).
The practical lesson is to size your system close to your annual use. Utilities reconcile a net-metering account on a periodic true-up, and the treatment of any leftover credit balance is set by your utility’s tariff, so a large chronic surplus is not credited as generously as the power you actually offset. The table below is our own worked estimate of what a year of net metering is worth in Con Edison territory, before and after the CBC, at three common system sizes.
| System size | Estimated annual production | Gross bill offset at 28.55 cents per kWh | Less 2026 Con Edison CBC | Estimated net annual value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 kW | about 8,000 kWh | about $2,290 | about -$102 | about $2,190 |
| 8 kW | about 10,700 kWh | about $3,055 | about -$135 | about $2,920 |
| 10 kW | about 13,375 kWh | about $3,820 | about -$169 | about $3,650 |
These are illustrations, not a quote. The production estimate is scaled from NREL’s PVWatts model for a New York City rooftop, roughly 1,340 kWh per kW per year (NREL PVWatts, as of 2026); the offset values that production at New York’s average residential rate (EIA, as of March 2026); and the CBC is the 2026 Con Edison residential figure (NYSERDA 2026 CBC rates, as of April 2026). Your production depends on your roof’s pitch, shading, and orientation, so estimate yours with the free PVWatts calculator, and remember the offset only counts power you actually use or bank against your own bill.
How the VDER Value Stack actually pays
VDER pays you for exported energy based on when and where your system sends it to the grid, instead of a single flat retail rate. New York’s Public Service Commission built the Value Stack in its VDER proceeding, Case 15-E-0751, to price distributed solar closer to the real, time-and-place value it delivers to the grid (NYSERDA Value of Distributed Energy Resources, as of June 2026). For a large or community project that can be worth more than retail at the right hours and locations, but for a typical rooftop home it usually adds up to less than the full retail credit that Phase One net metering gives, which is why net metering remains the residential default.
The Value Stack is built from several layered components. Its pieces are the energy value, based on the wholesale market price (the LBMP); a capacity value for reducing peak demand; an environmental value tied to the state’s social cost of carbon; a Demand Reduction Value (DRV) for cutting system peaks; and a Locational System Relief Value (LSRV) that pays more where the grid needs relief (NYSERDA Value of Distributed Energy Resources, as of June 2026). Because those values shift with time and location, two identical systems can earn different Value Stack credits depending on their utility and where they sit on the grid. NYSERDA publishes a Value Stack calculator that an installer can use to estimate a specific project’s rate.
Community solar: net metering when you cannot use your own roof
If you rent, have a shaded roof, or live in an apartment, community solar lets you get net-metering-style credits without any panels of your own. You subscribe to a share of an off-site solar farm, and the power your share produces shows up as a monetary credit on your regular utility bill, which functions much like virtual net metering (NYSERDA Community Solar, as of June 2026). Community solar projects are paid through the VDER Value Stack plus a Community Credit, an added value the state layers on to make community projects work for subscribers.
Note: the choice between net metering and the Value Stack is worth modeling before you commit. For nearly every rooftop home in New York, Phase One net metering at the retail rate is the stronger deal, and the switch to the Value Stack tends to be one-way. Rates, the CBC, and the Value Stack components are set by the Public Service Commission and the utilities and are reviewed regularly, so confirm the current terms for your utility, whether that is Con Edison, National Grid, NYSEG, RG&E, Central Hudson, Orange & Rockland, or PSEG Long Island, before you decide. Ask any installer to show you the math both ways for your specific address.
What the end of the federal tax credit means for New York net metering
The federal homeowner credit is gone, but it never had anything to do with net metering, and New York’s own programs are intact. The 30 percent federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, so a New York homeowner who buys solar in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS, as of January 1, 2026). Net metering, the CBC, and the VDER framework are all New York State programs set by the Public Service Commission, and none of them changed when the federal credit ended. At New York’s high electricity rate, the retail-rate bill offset from net metering is a large part of the payback on its own.
One federal exception exists, and it is not the homeowner’s to claim. A separate commercial credit, Section 48E, is claimed by the business that owns a leased or power purchase agreement (PPA) system, not by the resident (IRS Clean Electricity Investment Credit, as of 2026). So on a lease or PPA you do not file for a federal credit yourself; the company that owns the panels does. The 25D homeowner credit, by contrast, ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. New York’s state solar tax breaks, which did survive, are covered in our guide to New York solar tax credits in 2026, and the national picture is in what the end of the federal solar tax credit means in 2026.
How you pay for solar decides who keeps the value
Net metering credits land on whoever holds the utility account, but ownership decides who keeps the tax breaks and incentives. If you own the system through a cash purchase or a solar loan, the net-metering bill credits and New York’s 25 percent state tax credit are yours. A lease or PPA can mean no up-front cost for eligible homeowners, but it is a long-term agreement with monthly payments, not free solar, and the company that owns the panels keeps most of the tax value, while the net-metering credit still reduces your own electric bill.
| Path | Up-front cost | Who owns the system and its tax benefits | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash purchase | Full system cost | You, the owner | You want the fastest payback and the most lifetime value |
| Solar loan | Little to none, financed | You, the owner | You want ownership without paying cash up front |
| Lease or PPA | $0-up-front where eligible | The third-party owner | You prefer no up-front cost and a simple, fixed monthly bill |
New York is unusual in that its 25 percent state credit can still reach a lease or a 10-year-plus PPA customer based on their qualified payments, one more reason to compare paths on your own numbers. This page is part of our full New York solar guide, which covers the NY-Sun rebate and the state’s incentive picture. For a city view of the New York market, see our guides to solar in Queens and solar in Manhattan, and for how a neighboring state handles the same question, Connecticut net metering in 2026 or how Massachusetts handles net metering and SMART.
How to choose a New York installer who sets up your net metering
New York has a deep, competitive installer market, and the net-metering interconnection and the net-metering-versus-Value-Stack decision are where a good installer earns their keep. Rather than chasing a “best installer” list, screen any company against objective criteria:
– A valid New York home improvement contractor license, which in New York City is issued by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. – NABCEP certification, the industry’s professional standard for PV installers. – A clear workmanship and equipment warranty in writing. – Real experience with Con Edison, National Grid, or your utility’s interconnection, so your net-metering enrollment and Permission to Operate go smoothly, and a willingness to model both net metering and the Value Stack on your real usage. – A written production estimate and a transparent quote that does not count the federal homeowner credit that ended after December 31, 2025. For how we screen and match installers, see how MySolarFY works.
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Frequently asked questions
Is net metering going away in New York in 2026? Not for a typical rooftop home. New York still credits residential systems up to 25 kW at the full retail rate under Phase One net metering, and that arrangement runs for a 20-year term from interconnection (DSIRE New York, as of April 2026). What New York added is a second track, the VDER Value Stack, which is the default for larger and community projects and which a homeowner can opt into but is not forced onto. So the retail-rate net metering that makes rooftop solar pay is still in place in 2026. Rates and rules are set by the Public Service Commission and reviewed regularly, so confirm your utility’s current tariff before you install.
What is the difference between New York net metering and VDER? Phase One net metering credits your exported power at the full retail rate, kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour, and is the default for residential rooftop systems up to 25 kW (DSIRE New York, as of April 2026). VDER, the Value Stack, instead pays a market-based value built from the wholesale energy price plus capacity, environmental, demand-reduction, and locational components, and it is aimed at larger and community distributed generation (NYSERDA Value of Distributed Energy Resources, as of June 2026). For a typical home the Value Stack usually totals less than full retail, which is why net metering remains the better residential deal.
What is the Customer Benefit Contribution (CBC) charge in New York? The CBC is a monthly charge on solar systems interconnected on or after January 1, 2022, billed per kilowatt of system size and funding public-benefit programs like low-income and energy-efficiency programs (NYSERDA 2026 CBC rates, as of April 2026). For 2026 the residential rate ranges from $0.97 per kW at National Grid to $1.67 per kW at Central Hudson, with Con Edison at $1.41 per kW per month, effective March 1, 2026 under Con Edison’s filed tariff. On an 8 kW system that is roughly $93 to $160 a year. The rate is recalculated annually, so it is not locked in the way your 20-year net-metering term is, and it does not change the 1-for-1 netting of your power.
How does net metering work with Con Edison? Con Edison meters the difference between the power your solar system exports and the power your home draws, credits your account at the retail rate for net exports, and rolls any leftover credit forward month to month (NYSERDA 2026 CBC rates, as of April 2026). You still receive a monthly Con Edison bill for non-bypassable charges and the Customer Benefit Contribution, which for a Con Edison residential system is $1.41 per kW of system size per month, effective March 1, 2026. For the Con Edison specifics, see our Con Edison New York solar guide.
Can I get net-metering credits if I cannot put panels on my roof? Yes, through community solar. You subscribe to a share of an off-site solar farm and receive a monetary credit on your regular utility bill for the power your share produces, which works much like virtual net metering (NYSERDA Community Solar, as of June 2026). New York community solar projects are compensated through the VDER Value Stack plus a Community Credit. Community solar is a good fit for renters, apartment dwellers, and homes with shaded or unsuitable roofs, because it needs no equipment on your property and usually no up-front cost to subscribe.
Does the federal tax credit affect New York net metering? No. The 30 percent federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, so a New York homeowner buying solar in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS, as of January 1, 2026). Net metering, the CBC, and VDER are all New York State programs run through the Public Service Commission, and none of them were affected by the federal change. At New York’s high electricity rate, the retail-rate bill offset from net metering carries a large share of the payback on its own. A separate commercial credit, Section 48E, applies only to the business that owns a leased or PPA system, not to the homeowner.
Which New York utilities offer net metering? All of the state’s investor-owned utilities do, under the same statewide Phase One net metering rules, though each sets its own annual Customer Benefit Contribution rate. That includes Con Edison, National Grid, NYSEG, RG&E, Central Hudson, Orange & Rockland, and PSEG Long Island (NYSERDA 2026 CBC rates, as of April 2026). The retail-rate credit and the 25 kW residential cap are the same across the state; what changes by utility is your retail rate and your monthly CBC. Confirm your own utility’s current tariff before you size a system.
Reviewed by the SolarFY Editor (reviewed July 2026). Figures were verified against the linked NYSERDA, New York Public Service Commission (VDER Case 15-E-0751), DSIRE, EIA, IRS, and NREL PVWatts sources as of July 2026; the Customer Benefit Contribution rates, the Value Stack components, and net-metering true-up terms are set by the Public Service Commission and the utilities and are reviewed regularly, so confirm the current figures with NYSERDA and your utility before you decide. MySolarFY does not provide tax or financial advice; consult a licensed professional about your own situation. Learn more about how MySolarFY works.
MySolarFY is a free service that matches homeowners with licensed solar installers. We are not an installer, financing company, tax advisor, 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; on a lease or PPA the tax benefits and incentives generally go to the company that owns the system, not the homeowner. Homeowners do not get the federal residential credit (Section 25D) that ended after December 31, 2025. Solar panels are not free and monthly payments apply. Net-metering credits, the CBC, savings, and electricity rates vary by utility and year and are not guaranteed. See our full disclaimer.
