In short
- SCE and SDG&E (most of the region) put new solar on net billing (NEM 3.0) since Apr 15, 2023: exports earn little at midday and more on summer evenings, so most new systems add a battery.
- LADWP, Pasadena, Glendale and a few small city utilities still credit exports at or near retail, so solar alone pays off well there.
- Burbank, Riverside, Anaheim, IID and Banning credit exports at wholesale-type rates; Burbank and Riverside pay battery rebates.
Utilities compared
| Utility | Serves | Solar exports | Rebates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern California Edison | most of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties outside the city-run utilities | Net billing (the Solar Billing Plan) for systems that applied after Apr 14, 2023 | SGIP battery incentives: SCE customers are eligible, but every residential budget shows "Closed" (Oct 1, 2026). No SCE solar rebate. |
| San Diego Gas & Electric | San Diego County and southern Orange County (San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Niguel and parts of nearby cities) | Net billing (the Solar Billing Plan) for systems that applied after Apr 14, 2023 | SGIP battery incentives (administered here by the Center for Sustainable Energy): all residential budgets show "Closed" (Oct 1, 2026). |
| Los Angeles Department of Water and Power | the City of Los Angeles (not the rest of LA County) | Retail net metering (exports credited at your normal rate) | No general LADWP solar or battery rebate (Oct 1, 2026). Low-income homes can join the SGIP equity waitlist ([email protected]). |
| Pasadena Water & Power | the City of Pasadena | Net metering with net surplus compensation | Solar $0.60/W ($1.00/W income-qualified); battery up to $550/kWh (pilot). |
| Glendale Water & Power | the City of Glendale | Net metering within each billing period | None found (Oct 1, 2026). |
| Burbank Water & Power | the City of Burbank | Net billing for permits applied for from Jan 1, 2026 | Battery $275/kWh ($530/kWh without the federal credit), up to $27,500. |
| Anaheim Public Utilities | the City of Anaheim | "NEM 2.0": exports credited at wholesale-based rates | Battery up to $1,500; an income-qualified solar discount program. |
| Riverside Public Utilities | most of the City of Riverside (SCE serves some edges and nearby unincorporated areas) | Self-generation: every export credited at avoided cost | Battery $500/kWh up to $10,000 ($850/kWh up to $17,000 income-qualified). |
| Imperial Irrigation District | Indio, Coachella and La Quinta, plus parts of Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells | Net billing: exports paid 6.98¢ per kWh | None found (Oct 1, 2026). |
| Colton Electric Utility | the City of Colton | Net metering, surplus paid $0.04 per kWh at the June true-up | None. |
| Azusa Light & Water | the City of Azusa | Retail net metering up to 10 kW | None found. |
| Banning Electric Utility | the City of Banning | Buy-back: all exports credited at a wholesale rate | None found. |
| Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility | parts of Rancho Cucamonga (mostly newer areas; SCE serves the rest) | Net metering by time-of-use period; surplus $0.05 per kWh | None found. |
| Moreno Valley Utility | parts of Moreno Valley (mostly newer areas; SCE serves the rest) | Net metering; no payment for year-end surplus | None found. |
| Bear Valley Electric Service | the Big Bear Valley | Distributed Generation Service: exports about 7.7¢ per kWh | None found. |
Community choice programs
In many cities a community choice aggregator (CCA) buys the power while SCE or SDG&E delivers it and runs solar billing. Some add a little to export credits:
| Program | What it adds for solar customers |
|---|---|
| Clean Power Alliance | Its own solar billing plan with hourly export credits and an April true-up; surplus paid 10% above SCE's rate; SCE's bonus credit still applies. |
| Orange County Power Authority | Treats net-billing customers' generation as if it were under NEM 2.0, the most generous CCA policy we found; surplus paid 10% above SCE's rate. |
| San Diego Community Power | Adds $0.0075 per kWh to generation export credits for 6 years; surplus paid at wholesale plus $0.0075. |
| Clean Energy Alliance | Adds $0.01 per kWh on top of SDG&E's export credit. |
| Desert Community Energy | Surplus rate matches SCE's; true-up in May. |
Checked at each utility's own pages on Oct 1, 2026. Rules and rebates change: confirm with the utility before you sign a contract.