In short
- New solar goes on the Solar Billing Plan (the CPUC's Net Billing Tariff, often called NEM 3.0): you pay for what you use from the grid and earn hourly export credits based on the CPUC's Avoided Cost Calculator, locked for 9 years.
- Export credits are worth most on summer evenings (about $0.21–0.23 per kWh from 4–9 p.m. in SCE's 2023–2026 examples) and little at midday (about $0.05–0.06), which is why most new SCE systems now include a battery.
- Enroll before 2028 for an extra Energy Export Bonus Credit of about $0.04 per kWh (about $0.09 for income-qualified customers).
- Solar Billing Plan customers are moved to the TOU-D-PRIME rate (peak 4–9 p.m.). Every SCE plan now has a Base Services Charge of $24.15 a month (less for CARE and FERA) that solar credits can't pay.
- Customers who applied before Apr 15, 2023 keep NEM 1.0 or 2.0 for 20 years from interconnection.
Rebates and incentives
SGIP battery incentives: SCE customers are eligible, but every residential budget shows "Closed" (Oct 1, 2026). No SCE solar rebate.
Getting connected
Rule 21, applied for online by your installer. SCE says simple solar-only requests with complete paperwork may get permission to operate within 10 business days; batteries and non-standard metering take longer.
Cities served
Also: Adelanto, Agoura Hills, Alhambra, Aliso Viejo (part), Apple Valley, Arcadia, Artesia, Avalon, Baldwin Park, Barstow, Beaumont, Bell, Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Beverly Hills, Blythe, Bradbury, Brea, Buena Park, Calabasas, Calimesa, Camarillo, Canyon Lake, Carson, Cathedral City, Cerritos, Chino, Chino Hills, Claremont, Commerce, Compton, Corona (part), Costa Mesa, Covina, Cudahy, Culver City, Cypress, Desert Hot Springs, Diamond Bar, Downey, Duarte, Eastvale, El Monte, El Segundo, Fillmore, Fontana, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Gardena, Glendora, Grand Terrace, Hawaiian Gardens, Hawthorne, Hemet, Hermosa Beach, Hesperia, Hidden Hills, Highland, Huntington Beach, Huntington Park, Indian Wells (part), Industry (part), Inglewood, Irvine, Irwindale, Jurupa Valley, La Canada Flintridge, La Habra, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, La Palma, La Puente, La Verne, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills (part), Laguna Woods, Lake Elsinore, Lake Forest (part), Lakewood, Lancaster, Lawndale, Loma Linda, Lomita, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Lynwood, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Maywood, Menifee, Mission Viejo (part), Monrovia, Montclair, Montebello, Monterey Park, Moorpark, Moreno Valley (part), Murrieta, Newport Beach, Norco, Norwalk, Ojai, Ontario, Orange, Oxnard, Palm Desert (part), Palm Springs, Palmdale, Palos Verdes Estates, Paramount, Perris, Pico Rivera, Placentia, Pomona, Port Hueneme, Rancho Cucamonga (part), Rancho Mirage (part), Rancho Palos Verdes, Rancho Santa Margarita (part), Redlands, Redondo Beach, Rialto, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rosemead, San Bernardino, San Dimas, San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Jacinto, San Marino, Santa Ana, Santa Clarita, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Monica, Santa Paula, Seal Beach, Sierra Madre, Signal Hill, Simi Valley, South El Monte, South Gate, South Pasadena, Stanton, Temecula, Temple City, Thousand Oaks, Torrance, Tustin, Twentynine Palms, Upland, Ventura, Victorville (part), Villa Park, Walnut, West Covina, West Hollywood, Westlake Village, Westminster, Whittier, Wildomar, Yorba Linda, Yucaipa, Yucca Valley.
Sources
- SCE Solar Billing Plan
- SCE Solar Billing Plan FAQ
- SCE time-of-use plans
- SCE Base Services Charge
- SGIP program status
Checked at each utility's own pages on Oct 1, 2026. Rules and rebates change: confirm with the utility before you sign a contract.