Montana solar payback by utility, ranked (2026)
Tariffs reviewed November 1, 2026 · 23 utilities ranked, 3 awaiting verification · Download CSV · JSON
What the table shows
A typical Montana home (900 kWh a month, gas heat) pays back a net-zero solar system in about 13 years with NorthWestern Energy and about 27 years with Flathead Electric Cooperative, a spread of 14.5 years across the 23 Montana utilities whose schedules we have verified.
The spread comes from the rules, not the sun: of those 23, 21 credit exports at the full retail rate, 1 credit only the energy charge, 1 pay an avoided-cost rate for exports, and 14 add a demand charge that solar cannot fully offset.
Rates were read from each utility's own schedule (last full review November 1, 2026); the payback figure is the worked example from each utility's page, and your own roof, usage and heating change it.
Ranked by payback for a typical home
900 kWh a month, gas heat, net-zero system at Montana installed prices; the range under each payback is the full span the engine gives. Click a column to sort. Energy rate is the marginal rate at that use on the June schedule.
| 1 | NorthWestern EnergyInvestor-owned utility (PSC-regulated) | 15.8¢/kWh | $4.20/mo | none | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | April (member's choice) | 50 kW AC | 12.9 yrs11.2–15 |
| 2 | Montana-Dakota UtilitiesInvestor-owned utility (PSC-regulated) | 14.5¢/kWh | $7.68/mo | none | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | April (member's choice) | 50 kW AC | 14.4 yrs12.6–16.7 |
| 3 | Hill County Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 11.9¢/kWh | $40.00/mo | none | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | January | 10 kW AC | 15.6 yrs13.7–18.1 |
| 4 | Mid-Yellowstone Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 11.2¢/kWh | $43.50/mo | none | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | January | 10 kW AC | 16.0 yrs14–18.5 |
| 5 | Tongue River Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 12.1¢/kWh | $39.00/mo | $1.00/kW | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | January | 10 kW AC | 16.2 yrs14.2–18.8 |
| 6 | Yellowstone Valley Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 11.7¢/kWh | $27.00/mo | $2.00/kW (net-metered) | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | April | 10 kW AC | 16.5 yrs14.4–19 |
| 7 | McCone Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 14.5¢/kWh | $47.75/mo | none | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | April | 20 kW AC | 16.7 yrs14.6–19.3 |
| 8 | Big Flat Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative · net-metering terms assumed | 10.9¢/kWh | $38.00/mo | $1.00/kW | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | April | 10 kW AC | 16.9 yrs14.8–19.6 |
| 9 | Big Horn County Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 12.6¢/kWh | $40.00/mo | none | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | Monthly (no annual bank) | 25 kW DC | 17.4 yrs15.3–20.1 |
| 10 | Fergus Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 10.6¢/kWh | $35.00/mo | $5.50/kW | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | April | 25 kW DC | 17.6 yrs15.4–20.3 |
| 11 | Southeast Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative · net-metering terms assumed | 9.40¢/kWh | $33.00/mo | $0.50/kW | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | April | 10 kW AC | 18.5 yrs16.3–21.3 |
| 12 | Marias River Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 8.41¢/kWh | $30.00/mo | none | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | Not stated | 10 kW AC | 20.4 yrs18–23.6 |
| 13 | Glacier Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 8.25¢/kWh | $35.00/mo | none | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | Januaryleftover paid at 3.50¢/kWh | 15 kW DC | 20.8 yrs18.3–23.9 |
| 14 | Beartooth Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 8.03¢/kWh | $25.00/mo | $4.95/kW | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | Aprilleftover paid at 3.45¢/kWh | 25 kW DC | 21.5 yrs19–24.7 |
| 15 | Mission Valley PowerFederal (BIA) utility | 9.01¢/kWh | $27.00/mo | $0.80/kW | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | April | 20 kW AC | 21.6 yrs19–24.8 |
| 16 | Vigilante Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 7.10¢/kWh | $32.00/mo | $1.75/kW | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | January | 10 kW AC | 22.5 yrs19.9–25.9 |
| 17 | Lower Yellowstone Rural Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 7.40¢/kWh | $25.00/mo | none | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | January | 10 kW AC | 22.6 yrs20–26 |
| 18 | Park Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 8.60¢/kWh | $27.00/mo | $3.00/kW | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | April | 15 kW DC | 22.8 yrs20.1–26.2 |
| 19 | Sun River Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 6.72¢/kWh | $30.00/mo | $7.05/kW | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | March | 10 kW AC | 24.6 yrs21.7–28.2 |
| 20 | Missoula Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 7.12¢/kWh | $32.00/mo | $3.00/kW | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | Mayleftover paid at 3.50¢/kWh | 10 kW AC | 25.0 yrs22.1–28.6 |
| 21 | Lincoln Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative · net-metering terms assumed | 7.03¢/kWh | $49.70/mo | $2.80/kW | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | April | 10 kW AC | 25.9 yrs23–29.6 |
| 22 | Ravalli Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 8.49¢/kWh | $39.00/mo | $3.80/kW | Avoided cost, 4.69¢/kWh | April | 10 kW AC | 27.1 yrs24–31 |
| 23 | Flathead Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative | 6.54¢/kWh | $26.66/mo | $4.93/kW | Energy charge only | Not stated | 50 kW AC | 27.4 yrs24.3–31.2 |
Not yet verified, so not ranked
These utilities publish no residential schedule we could read, or we have not yet confirmed it; their figures are placeholders built from the common Montana pattern and are shown for completeness only. If you can point us at the schedule, email mtsolarestimate@gmail.com.
| City of Troy ElectricMunicipal utility · net-metering terms assumed | 6.47¢/kWh | $16.35/mo | none | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | April | 10 kW AC | 27.6 yrs24.5–31.5 |
| NorVal Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative · net-metering terms assumed | 11.5¢/kWh | $40.00/mo | none | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | April | 10 kW AC | 15.7 yrs13.8–18.3 |
| Sheridan Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative · net-metering terms assumed | 9.50¢/kWh | $35.00/mo | none | Full retail rate (kWh banked) | April | 10 kW AC | 18.5 yrs16.2–21.4 |
Questions this table answers
- Which Montana utility is best for solar?
- By payback for a typical home, NorthWestern Energy: about 13 years, because it credits every exported kWh at the full retail rate and has no demand charge. Flathead Electric Cooperative is at the other end at about 27 years. Your own usage, roof and heating move every utility's figure, which is what the estimate is for.
- Why does solar payback differ so much between utilities in the same state?
- Sunlight barely varies across Montana compared with the rules: whether exported kWh earn the full retail rate, only the energy charge, or an avoided-cost rate; whether a demand charge applies that solar cannot offset; how large the fixed charge is; and when the annual bank resets. Those terms are set by each utility or its regulator, and this table reads them from each utility's own schedule.
- Are these the rates I will pay?
- They are the residential schedules in force on November 1, 2026 at a typical home's use (900 kWh a month), read from each utility's own document and linked on its page. Your bill names your schedule; time-of-use options, riders and seasonal tiers can move the figure.
How to read and reuse this
Every figure traces to the utility's own document, linked with its effective date on each utility's page; the payback is that page's worked example. The table is free to reuse with attribution to Montana Solar Estimate and a link to this page (CC BY 4.0). It is a comparison of published rules, not advice; a licensed installer confirms your roof, equipment and price. Method: methodology.
Your address, your numbers
The estimate runs your utility's rules against your own usage, roof and heating. It takes about a minute and asks for no contact details.