Alberta's electricity export framework has been stable for several years under the micro-generation regulation, but discussions about restricting or modifying export compensation have been ongoing. Here's what we know about the landscape heading into 2026 and what it means practically for homeowners considering solar.
How Net Billing Works Right Now
Under Alberta's current micro-generation regulation, residential solar customers receive credits for exported electricity at the full retail rate, currently around 18 cents per kWh all-in. Credits roll over for 12 months, meaning summer overproduction offsets winter grid draws. At the end of a 12-month period, any remaining credit is typically settled at a lower wholesale-adjacent rate.
This is a strong framework for solar economics. Retail-rate export credit means every kWh your system produces has the same value whether you use it immediately or bank it. Most well-sized systems are designed to produce approximately what the household consumes annually, so credits rarely accumulate to the year-end settlement point in large amounts.
What Changes Have Been Discussed
The Alberta Utilities Commission has examined whether the current retail-rate export structure creates cost-shifting between solar and non-solar ratepayers. Some utilities and industry groups have argued for moving to a lower export rate, similar to what Ontario and British Columbia have implemented in various forms. These discussions have not resulted in regulatory changes as of mid-2025, but the direction of the conversation has been toward modestly reduced export rates over time, not toward eliminating net billing entirely.
The most realistic near-term scenario involves export credit rates moving toward a time-of-use or blended rate structure rather than the flat retail rate, with implementation timelines that would give existing solar owners grandfathered treatment for a defined period. Nothing has been formally announced.
What This Means If You're Considering Solar Now
The main takeaway for homeowners considering solar in 2025 and 2026 is that installing sooner rather than later locks in the current framework. Most regulatory changes to export compensation grandfather existing interconnected systems for a period ranging from 5 to 20 years, depending on the policy. New applicants after a rule change would receive the new rate.
Even under a scenario where export rates decline modestly, the economics of solar in Alberta remain strong because the primary value of solar is self-consumption, not export. A system that covers 80 to 90% of a household's consumption through direct use or same-day consumption doesn't depend heavily on the export rate. The export rate matters for the 10 to 20% of production that genuinely exceeds same-period consumption.
The practical advice: don't wait for regulatory clarity that may not come for years. The current framework is favourable, the export rate risk is concentrated in a relatively small share of system production, and any change is likely to be grandfathered for existing systems. The risk of waiting is that you miss years of savings at current rates and potentially miss the current export framework entirely.
Calgary's Solar Club: A Different Model
ENMAX's Solar Club in Calgary shows what premium export pricing can look like when utilities want to incentivize solar adoption. The program offers $0.30/kWh for exports from May through October and $0.0877/kWh November through April. That summer export rate is significantly above retail, which makes the economics in Calgary particularly strong for systems that produce well in summer months. This is a separate program from the provincial net billing framework and is available only to ENMAX customers.
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