Orange and Rockland in New Jersey: the essentials for 2026
- In New Jersey, Orange and Rockland is Rockland Electric Company (RECO), a Con Edison subsidiary and the state’s smallest investor-owned electric utility, serving parts of Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex counties (Con Edison investor filings; O&R company information, as of 2025).
- Your rules are New Jersey’s, not New York’s. New Jersey gives full-retail net metering plus the SuSI production payment; the New York side of Orange and Rockland uses a different value-stack system, so read the New Jersey rules (NJBPU net-metering rule N.J.A.C. 14:8-4, as of 2026).
- New Jersey residential power averages about 23.49 cents per kWh (EIA, as of March 2026), above the national average, so the bill your solar offsets is a large one.
- Net metering credits your exported power at full retail value, kWh for kWh, carried forward month to month, with any year-end surplus settled at the lower wholesale rate (N.J.A.C. 14:8-4, as of 2026).
- The SuSI program pays a separate fixed amount per megawatt-hour your system produces, recently about $85 per SREC-II, locked in for 15 years (NJ Clean Energy Program, as of June 2026).
- The 30% federal homeowner credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025 (IRS, as of 2026), so a 2026 cash or loan buyer cannot claim it.
Orange and Rockland is an unusual utility, because it crosses state lines, and that is the first thing to get straight before you go solar. In New Jersey the company is legally Rockland Electric Company, branded Orange and Rockland, and it serves only a small piece of the state’s northern edge in Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex counties. The solar rules that apply to you are New Jersey’s, not New York’s, and the difference is real money. This page explains who serves you, how New Jersey credits your panels through net metering and the SuSI program, and how to tell whether your roof is a good fit.
Which Orange and Rockland is this? The New Jersey one (Rockland Electric)
This is the question that trips up Orange and Rockland customers, because the company operates in three states. Orange and Rockland Utilities serves parts of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and it is owned by Consolidated Edison. In New Jersey the utility is a separate legal company, Rockland Electric Company (RECO), regulated by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, and it is the smallest investor-owned electric utility in the state (O&R company information; Con Edison investor filings, as of 2025). Its New Jersey territory is a thin band along the northern border, covering parts of Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex counties, towns such as Mahwah, Ramsey, Ringwood, Upper Saddle River, Allendale, Franklin Lakes, Oakland, Montvale, and parts of Vernon and West Milford (O&R corporate facts, as of 2025). If your roof sits there, your solar follows New Jersey’s rules and Rockland Electric’s interconnection process, not PSE&G’s, JCP&L’s, or Atlantic City Electric’s.
| If you are an Orange and Rockland customer… | Your utility and the rules that apply |
|---|---|
| In northern New Jersey (Bergen, Passaic, or Sussex county) | Rockland Electric Company (RECO), regulated by the NJ Board of Public Utilities. New Jersey solar rules apply: full-retail net metering plus the SuSI incentive. This page. |
| Across the line in New York | Orange and Rockland Utilities, regulated by the NY Public Service Commission. New York’s value-stack rules apply, not the ones on this page. |
Note: do not plan your New Jersey project around New York numbers. Because the same brand operates on both sides of the state line, it is easy to find Orange and Rockland solar information that describes New York’s value-stack credits. New Jersey is different and, for a typical home, simpler: you get full-retail net metering plus a fixed SuSI payment per megawatt-hour. Confirm any credit figure is the New Jersey one before you sign.
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What you pay, and your northern New Jersey production
The reason solar pays here is the price of the power it replaces. New Jersey residential electricity averages about 23.49 cents per kWh (EIA, as of March 2026), above the national average, so every kilowatt-hour your roof makes offsets an expensive one you would otherwise buy. Rockland Electric files its own New Jersey tariff with the Board of Public Utilities, separate from PSE&G, JCP&L, and Atlantic City Electric and separate from the New York Orange and Rockland rate (O&R New Jersey rate schedule, as of 2026). The statewide EIA average is the figure to plan around; for the exact cents on your own bill, read the supply and delivery lines on your Rockland Electric statement, since those components reset on a schedule and the utility filed for new New Jersey delivery rates in 2025 (NJ BPU docket ER25060374, as of 2025).
Your production is what turns that high rate into savings. Northern New Jersey gets a solar resource similar to the rest of the state, and a well-placed roof produces enough to offset a large share of a typical home’s annual use. Because output depends on your roof’s pitch, shading, and orientation, and the wooded highlands of Passaic and Sussex counties carry more tree cover than the flatter towns, estimate your specific roof with NREL’s free PVWatts calculator rather than a generic number. Your production drives both your net-metering credits and your SuSI payments, so it is worth getting right before you size a system.
How Orange and Rockland credits your solar: New Jersey net metering
Net metering is the first of your two credit tracks, and it is full retail in New Jersey. When your panels make more power than your home uses, the extra flows to the grid and Rockland Electric credits it kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour at the full retail value of electricity, then carries that credit forward to your next bill (N.J.A.C. 14:8-4, as of 2026). Through the summer your bank of credits builds up, and in the darker months you draw it down. At the end of the annualized period, any leftover credit is settled at the avoided cost of wholesale power, which is well below the retail rate, so the smart move is to size the system to your own yearly use rather than far above it. New Jersey sets a statewide aggregate net-metering threshold at 2.9% of each utility’s prior-year sales, but that is a soft trigger for program review, not a cap that blocks a normal home system. For a plain-English primer, see how net metering credits your solar exports, and for the statewide rules see our New Jersey solar guide.
| Stage of the year | How your export is valued |
|---|---|
| During the year | Credited at full retail value, kWh for kWh, and carried forward month to month |
| End of the annualized period | Any leftover credit is settled at the avoided cost of wholesale power, below retail |
| Every month, regardless | The fixed monthly customer and delivery charges still apply |
Note: solar does not erase your whole bill, and that is normal. Net metering offsets the energy part of your bill, but the fixed monthly customer and delivery charges remain even when your energy charge nets to zero (N.J.A.C. 14:8-4, as of 2026). A good quote shows you the bill after solar, fixed charges included, not a promise of a zero bill.
The SuSI incentive: New Jersey’s second credit track
Net metering lowers your bill; SuSI pays you on top of it. Through the Successor Solar Incentive program, your system earns one New Jersey SREC-II for every megawatt-hour (1,000 kWh) it produces, whether you use that power at home or export it, and the state buys each SREC-II at a fixed price for 15 years (NJ Clean Energy Program, as of June 2026). It is a production payment, separate from the bill savings net metering gives you, and it is the same statewide, so a Rockland Electric customer earns the same SuSI value as a PSE&G customer. SuSI replaced New Jersey’s older SREC and Transition Incentive (TREC) programs, so ignore the high legacy SREC prices you may still see online (DSIRE SuSI program, as of 2026).
The dollar figure is time-sensitive, so the date matters. For residential rooftop systems registered in the current program year, each SREC-II has recently been worth about $85, locked in for 15 years, and the residential rate steps down to roughly $77 for systems registered in the next program year (NJ Clean Energy Program, as of June 2026). Whatever rate you lock in at registration is fixed for the full 15-year term, so the registration date sets your payment for the life of the incentive. Because the value resets on a schedule, confirm the current SREC-II rate with the New Jersey Clean Energy Program before you register; your installer normally handles the registration as part of the project.
New Jersey incentives an Orange and Rockland customer can stack
Beyond the two credit tracks, New Jersey adds two state tax breaks, both still in effect in 2026, and both apply to Rockland Electric customers because they are statewide rules. See our New Jersey solar incentives hub for the full statewide picture and our guide to solar incentives for how they fit together.
| Incentive | What it gives you | The New Jersey detail |
|---|---|---|
| Net metering | Full-retail credit for exported power, carried forward month to month (N.J.A.C. 14:8-4) | Annual leftover is settled at the avoided cost of wholesale power, below retail |
| SuSI / SREC-II production incentive | A fixed payment per MWh produced, for 15 years (NJ Clean Energy) | Recently about $85 per SREC-II, stepping down to roughly $77 for later registrations; the locked rate runs the full 15 years |
| Sales and use tax exemption | 100% exemption from NJ sales tax, about 6.625%, on solar equipment (DSIRE) | Claimed with a Form ST-4 at purchase; your installer normally applies it so it comes off the price |
| Property tax exemption | The added home value from the system is exempt from property tax (DSIRE) | Not automatic: get a certificate from your local construction official and file the exemption with your municipal assessor |
The property tax exemption has a filing step worth flagging. It is real and current, but it does not apply itself. To exclude the system’s added value from your assessment you need a certificate from your local construction official that the system qualifies, and you have to file the exemption with your town’s tax assessor (DSIRE, as of 2026). It is a small piece of paperwork, but skipping it is how the benefit gets lost.
How to connect solar to Orange and Rockland in New Jersey
Connecting a home system follows New Jersey’s interconnection rules, administered by Rockland Electric through its online application portal, and the rule that matters most is that you cannot turn the system on until the utility grants Permission to Operate. Almost every single-family rooftop system qualifies for the simplest review level, Level 1, which covers inverter-based systems up to 10 kW (NJBPU interconnection rule N.J.A.C. 14:8-5.3, as of 2026). The general path is:
- Interconnection application. You or your installer file the application with Rockland Electric before installation, with the system design, inverter data, and the net-metering request.
- Utility review. Rockland Electric reviews the package against the Level 1 screens. Standard residential systems generally clear this faster than large or grid-constrained projects.
- Approval to install. You receive conditional approval to build, but not yet to operate. Do not energize the system until the next steps are done.
- Install and inspect. The system is installed by a licensed contractor and passes your municipal electrical inspection.
- Meter and Permission to Operate. Rockland Electric sets the net meter and issues Permission to Operate. Your system only starts banking credits once it is approved to run.
A licensed installer normally manages this whole process, including the SuSI registration, so the interconnection, the net meter, and the incentive paperwork all line up. For what to ask, see the right questions to ask a solar installer.
What changed federally, and what it means for northern New Jersey
The federal homeowner credit is gone, but New Jersey’s programs are not. The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, so a Rockland Electric customer who buys solar with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS, as of 2026). For the full timeline, see what the end of the federal solar tax credit means in 2026. What carries the math now is New Jersey’s own stack: full-retail net metering, the SuSI production payment, and the sales and property tax exemptions, none of which were affected.
One federal exception remains, 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. On a leased system 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, so do not let a sales pitch tell a 2026 cash or loan buyer otherwise.
Cannot use your roof? New Jersey community solar
Not every household can host panels. Renters, shaded roofs, and shared buildings are common, and New Jersey’s Community Solar Energy Program is built for exactly that case. You subscribe to a share of an off-site solar project in your utility area and receive a credit on your Rockland Electric bill for your share of what it generates, with no panels to install (NJ Clean Energy Program, as of 2026). You stay a Rockland Electric customer and subscribe through a project developer rather than the utility, and New Jersey continues to open new community solar capacity, so availability should widen through the year.
How to choose a solar installer in Orange and Rockland territory
Northern New Jersey is served by the broader New Jersey residential solar market, so you have licensed installers to compare even though Rockland Electric is a small utility. Rather than chasing a “best installer” list, screen any company against objective criteria:
- NABCEP certification, the industry’s professional standard for PV installers.
- A valid New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor registration, which the state requires of solar contractors.
- A clear workmanship and equipment warranty in writing.
- Real experience with Rockland Electric interconnection and Permission to Operate, plus the New Jersey SuSI registration, so the process and the incentive both go smoothly.
- A written production estimate and a transparent quote that shows your bill after solar, fixed charges and SuSI income included.
For comparison with the neighboring utilities, see how the credits work under PSE&G New Jersey net metering, JCP&L New Jersey net metering, and Atlantic City Electric solar. MySolarFY matches you with licensed installers that serve your area so you can compare real local quotes side by side, with no obligation.
Check which solar programs are available at your address →
Frequently asked questions
Is Orange and Rockland in New Jersey the same as Orange and Rockland in New York?
It is the same parent company but a different legal utility with different rules. In New Jersey the company is Rockland Electric Company (RECO), branded Orange and Rockland, a Con Edison subsidiary regulated by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (O&R company information, as of 2025). The New Jersey side gives full-retail net metering plus the SuSI production payment, while the New York side uses a different value-stack system. So if you are in Bergen, Passaic, or Sussex county, follow the New Jersey rules on this page, not the New York ones, because the credit math is not the same.
How does Orange and Rockland net metering work in New Jersey?
Rockland Electric runs full net metering under New Jersey’s rules. When your panels export power, the utility credits it kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour at the full retail value of electricity and carries the credit forward to your next bill (N.J.A.C. 14:8-4, as of 2026). Your credits build through the sunny months and draw down in winter. At the end of the annualized period, any leftover credit is settled at the avoided cost of wholesale power, which is below retail, so it pays to size the system to your own yearly use rather than far above it. The fixed monthly charges remain, so no rooftop system produces a literal zero-dollar bill.
How much does New Jersey’s SuSI program pay an Orange and Rockland customer?
SuSI pays a fixed amount for every megawatt-hour your system produces, on top of your net-metering savings, and the value is the same statewide. For residential rooftop systems registered in the current program year, each SREC-II has recently been worth about $85, locked in for 15 years, stepping down to roughly $77 for systems registered in the next program year (NJ Clean Energy Program, as of June 2026). Whatever rate you lock in at registration is fixed for the full term, so confirm the current SREC-II value with the New Jersey Clean Energy Program before you register. Your installer normally handles the registration.
What is the electricity rate for Orange and Rockland in New Jersey?
New Jersey residential electricity averages about 23.49 cents per kWh (EIA, as of March 2026), above the national average. Rockland Electric files its own New Jersey tariff with the Board of Public Utilities, separate from PSE&G, JCP&L, and Atlantic City Electric and separate from the New York Orange and Rockland rate, and it is a stack of supply, delivery, and customer charges that reset on a schedule (O&R New Jersey rate schedule, as of 2026). For the exact cents on your bill, read your own Rockland Electric statement. That high rate is the main reason rooftop solar pays in the territory.
What happened to the federal solar tax credit for Orange and Rockland customers?
The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, so a homeowner buying with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS, as of 2026). 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. New Jersey’s net metering, the SuSI payment, and the sales and property tax exemptions were not affected and still carry the payback in 2026.
Do I qualify for net metering and SuSI if I lease or sign a PPA?
Net-metering credits follow your Rockland Electric account, so the customer of record earns them whether you own, lease, or sign a PPA. The SuSI payment and the state tax exemptions, though, flow to the system owner, so on a lease or PPA the third-party company keeps those while your benefit is a lower or fixed power price with no up-front cost. A lease or PPA is not free solar; it is a long-term agreement with monthly payments, so compare the total cost against owning. If you want the SuSI income and the tax breaks in your own name, owning the system through cash or a loan is the path that captures them.
Reviewed by the MySolarFY team. Figures were verified against the linked Orange and Rockland (oru.com), New Jersey Clean Energy Program, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities net-metering rule, DSIRE, EIA, and IRS sources as of June 2026; net-metering terms, the SuSI SREC-II value, and electricity rates reset over time, so confirm current terms with Rockland Electric and the New Jersey Clean Energy Program before you decide. MySolarFY does not provide tax or financial advice; consult a licensed professional about your own situation. Learn more about the MySolarFY team and how we work.
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; on a lease or PPA the New Jersey SuSI payment and the state tax exemptions go to the company that owns the system, not the homeowner. Homeowners do not get the federal residential credit that ended after December 31, 2025. Solar panels are not free and monthly payments apply. See our full disclaimer.