Does Ameren Illinois still have net metering in 2026 — and how does it work now?

The short answer

Yes. Ameren Illinois net metering is active in 2026 — but for applications after January 1, 2025, excess generation is credited only to your bill's supply and transmission charges, not delivery. Those credits don't expire and carry forward. Systems installed and documented in Ameren's PowerClerk portal by 5 p.m. CST on December 31, 2024 keep full netting for the generator's 30-year life.

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Built on public data from: Ameren Illinois program documents & tariffs · Illinois Commerce Commission / Plug In Illinois · Illinois Power Agency (Illinois Shines) · Citizens Utility Board · ilga.gov

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Published July 18, 2026 · Facts verified July 2026 · By The Day Company Editorial Team

What changed at Ameren Illinois in 2025?

Under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, net metering benefits changed for new customers effective January 1, 2025. In Ameren's own words, new net metering customers receive only supply and transmission service credits for excess generation pushed to the grid — delivery-service credits ended for new systems. Ameren notes this still reduces bills, because your generator's output replaces electricity you'd otherwise pull from its system.

That's the same statewide transition ComEd customers hit, described slightly differently: ComEd's Price to Compare already bundles supply and transmission into one number, while Ameren breaks the two out. Either way, the practical result is identical — exports credit the energy side of the bill, not the delivery side.

The distinction that actually moves money: solar you use directly never crosses the meter at all. Ameren is explicit that energy produced by your array and used in your home doesn't register on the utility meter — the meter only records excess generation pushed out and energy pulled in. So self-consumed solar avoids the full cost of a kilowatt-hour, while exported solar earns the narrower credit. That asymmetry is the whole design problem in 2026.

Ameren Illinois residential context (2026)	Figure
Residential Price to Compare (supply)	11.326¢/kWh on the first 800 kWh/month · eff. June 1, 2026 · resets Oct 1, 2026
Summer supply price vs. summer 2024 (CUB, June 2026)	Roughly 39% higher
Regional grid	MISO — a different market from ComEd's PJM, with different price drivers
Illinois Shines REC price (≤10 kW)	$70.37/REC — Group A · plus a $20/REC customer-owned adder
Net metering eligibility	Renewable generator of 2,000 kW or less on your premises, offsetting your own usage

I went solar before 2025 — do I keep full net metering?

Generally yes, and Ameren set a precise line: residential and small non-residential customers whose generation was installed, with all required documentation demonstrating the installation was complete submitted by 5 p.m. CST on December 31, 2024, are eligible for full netting for the 30-year life of the generator. The documentation had to be on the project's Construction Complete form in Ameren Illinois' PowerClerk portal by that deadline.

Note the mechanics differ from ComEd's, which keys on the interconnection date. At Ameren, the trigger was installation complete and documented in PowerClerk by a specific clock time. If you're buying a home with existing panels, that paperwork is what proves what the buyer inherits — verify it before closing, not after.

Two ways to lose legacy full netting — and almost nobody mentions the second one. Ameren states that existing net metering customers won't see changes unless they:

1. Apply for a generator rebate. For customers on Rider NM before January 1, 2025 who take a rebate on their generator, credits for excess generation stop applying to delivery-service charges. Supply and transmission crediting continues. That's the trade — a one-time $300/kW payment in exchange for permanently narrower credits.

2. Make a significant size modification — a 100% increase to the existing system. Double your array and you can move off legacy netting. If anyone is pitching you "just add more panels," this is the question to ask first.

kWh credits or monetary credits — the choice you only get to make once

For applications after January 1, 2025, excess generation is credited to your bill's supply section, and Ameren states those credits do not expire — they carry over until used. When you apply, you pick one of two crediting methods, and Ameren is explicit that this choice is a one-time decision and cannot be changed later.

Method	How Ameren describes it
kWh Yes (kWh usage netting)	On-site excess generation, including prior carryover kWh, nets from total kWh when calculating Supply Net Total kWh and Supply Net Billable kWh — while Delivery Net Billable kWh equals total kWh.
kWh No (monetary value netting)	Excess generation converts into monetary credits based on current pricing. Excess monetary credits carry to the next bill and apply to the supply section. Monetary credits are based on either Ameren Illinois' current-month supply pricing or your Alternate Retail Supplier's pricing.

The plain-English read: kWh netting banks energy, so a credit earned in June is still worth a kilowatt-hour in January no matter what supply prices do. Monetary netting banks dollars at the price in effect when you exported. Which is better depends on where you think Illinois supply prices go — and given the rate trajectory, that's not a throwaway question. Ask your installer to walk you through both against your own production model, because you cannot undo it.

Does Ameren pay cash for excess solar?

Not under net metering. Net metering is a compensation method where your output offsets usage on your bill — credits, not income. Ameren does run a separate election, Rider QF (Qualifying Facilities), where after establishing distributed generation you can apply to be compensated for a qualifying generator's output based on Midwest wholesale electric market prices. That's a fundamentally different basis than retail supply credits.

Ameren explains why: it owns no generation plants and procures all its power from the wholesale market, so QF customers are compensated from an annual compilation of Midwest wholesale market pricing data, shaped to on- and off-peak periods, at the same level across all rate zones. Current rates are published in the Rider QF tariff. Generators with nameplate capacity above 2,000 kVA may qualify for compensation through Rider QF.

For a typical rooftop, net metering is the standard path — but the two are separate tariffs, and the smart-inverter rebate is available under either. If a salesperson describes Ameren "buying your power," ask which tariff they mean and at what rate.

How supply-only rules change sizing — and expansion

The same logic that governs ComEd applies here: because self-consumed kilowatt-hours avoid the full retail cost while exported ones earn narrower credits, the system that pencils best is sized to your actual usage — not the largest one that fits. Start with your own 12 months of data, which Ameren makes available to download through your online account for exactly this purpose.

Pull your real usage first. Illinois homes averaged about 693 kWh/month in 2024 per the U.S. EIA — that's context, not a sizing input.
Illinois production runs roughly 1,100–1,300 kWh per kW per year (illustrative) — orientation, tilt, and shade move it materially. Demand a production model.
Ameren's tiered supply price matters here: the 11.326¢ Price to Compare applies to the first 800 kWh per month, so your consumption profile, not just your annual total, shapes the math.
≤10 kW earns the strongest Illinois Shines REC tier (Group A, $70.37/REC, plus the $20 customer-owned adder).
If you have legacy netting, size decisions carry a hidden cost: a 100% increase can end it. Plan for an EV or heat pump before you install, not after.

How do you apply — and what's PowerClerk?

Ameren Illinois customers apply online for the interconnection, net metering, and Qualifying Facilities applications together, and a certified installer normally submits all the paperwork on your behalf. Ameren tracks the project through PowerClerk, its application software, and emails you as the application moves. Self-installing? Ameren publishes a PowerClerk application guide.

Ameren is unambiguous about the finish line: you cannot operate your system until the interconnection application is approved and you've submitted a Certificate of Completion in accordance with Illinois Administrative Code Title 83 Part 466 and received a signed Certificate of Completion back from Ameren Illinois. Installations after December 31, 2013 must be self-installed or installed by a certified installer under Part 468 of the Admin Code. Municipal inspection requirements vary — Ameren says to check with your municipality.

Two more things worth knowing. Ameren's meter does not measure your array's total production, so use your installer's monitoring for that. And Ameren states plainly that it doesn't sell solar products, guarantee savings claims, or partner with any solar contractors — which makes "I'm with Ameren" at your door a red flag, not a credential. Ameren points customers to the ICC's certified-installer list instead.

What if you buy your power from an alternative supplier?

Ameren will still connect you and deliver power when your system falls short — being on an ARES doesn't block solar. But Ameren adds a caveat worth taking seriously: if you have an alternative retail energy supplier, contact them to confirm they support net metering. Not every supply contract handles it the same way.

If you chose monetary crediting, your supplier matters twice over — Ameren bases monetary credits on either its own current-month supply pricing or your Alternate Retail Supplier's pricing. Before switching suppliers with solar on the roof, get the netting treatment in writing. CUB has long cautioned that many ARES offers cost more than the utility's default rate over time; compare any offer against the current Price to Compare at Plug In Illinois first.

Ameren Illinois net metering FAQ

Does Ameren Illinois still offer net metering in 2026?

Yes. Net metering is active — what changed is the credit. Under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, customers applying after January 1, 2025 receive supply and transmission service credits for excess generation pushed to the grid, rather than the full retail credit that included delivery.

Do Ameren net metering credits expire?

No. For applications after January 1, 2025, Ameren states excess generation is credited to the bill's supply section and those credits do not expire — they carry over until they're used.

What's the difference between kWh netting and monetary netting?

kWh netting nets your excess generation against total kilowatt-hours in the supply calculation. Monetary netting converts excess generation into dollar credits based on current pricing — either Ameren Illinois' current-month supply pricing or your alternative supplier's — carried to the next bill. Ameren states the choice is a one-time decision that cannot be changed later.

I installed solar before 2025 — do I keep full net metering?

Generally yes. Ameren states that residential and small non-residential customers whose generation was installed, with all required documentation showing the installation complete submitted through the PowerClerk Construction Complete form by 5 p.m. CST on December 31, 2024, are eligible for full netting for the generator's 30-year life.

Can I lose my legacy Ameren net metering?

Yes, two ways. Ameren states existing customers see no changes unless they make a significant size modification — a 100% increase — to the existing system, or they apply for a generator rebate. Taking a rebate on the generator ends delivery-service crediting; supply and transmission crediting continues.

Does Ameren pay cash for excess solar power?

Not under net metering, which offsets usage on your bill rather than paying you. Ameren does offer a separate election — Rider QF, Qualifying Facilities — compensating a qualifying generator's output based on Midwest wholesale electric market prices, with current rates published in the Rider QF tariff.

How do I apply for Ameren Illinois net metering?

A certified installer normally submits the interconnection, net metering, and Qualifying Facilities applications on your behalf through Ameren's PowerClerk portal, which emails you as the application progresses. Ameren publishes an application guide for customers self-installing.

When can I turn my system on?

Only after Ameren Illinois approves your interconnection application and you've submitted a Certificate of Completion under Illinois Administrative Code Title 83 Part 466 and received a signed Certificate of Completion back from Ameren. Operating before that written authorization isn't permitted.

ComEd net metering, explainedThe northern Illinois version — different utility, different mechanics, same 2025 transition. Illinois Shines, explainedGroup A REC pricing and who actually gets paid — the separate state incentive. Illinois Solar Incentives 2026The full stack: Shines, the rebate, netting, and taxes. Illinois Solar Facts hubThe master fact sheet — every dated figure, both utilities.

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