Under the state's Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, net metering benefits for new renewable energy customers will change effective January 1, 2025. The primary change is that full retail rate net metering will no longer be available to customers interconnecting renewable energy systems to the grid after December 31, 2024. Customers operating approved systems after that date will be eligible to receive energy supply credits for the excess energy they send back to the grid.
Residential and small non-residential customers who have generation installed and certified for operation by December 31, 2024, will receive full netting for the 30-year life of their generator. In order to guarantee utility review prior to the December 31, 2024 deadline, all required documentation, including Witness Testing, must be received by Ameren Illinois no later than 5 p.m. Central Time on December 13, 2024.
Note: Existing Ameren Illinois solar customers WILL NOT see any changes to their net metering. If you currently receive net metering benefits for your solar panels, you will not be affected by the upcoming changes in 2025 unless you make a significant size increase to your system.
For current solar customers with net metering, nothing will change. Their benefits are locked in for the life of their equipment. They will continue to receive credits on their bill for any excess power pushed back to the grid, assuming they don't receive a rebate for the smart inverter connected to their generation. Note: The only way existing customers could see changes to their net metering benefits is if they significantly increase the size of their system.
Beginning January 1, 2025, under Illinois law, residential and small non-residential customers installing solar at their premises on or after this date will still receive net metering benefits, but credits for any excess generation pushed to the grid will only be applied to the supply and transmission portions of their bill rather than the total bill.
Mail your application to:
Ameren Illinois Net Metering Coordinator
10 Richard Mark Way - Mail Code 910
Collinsville, IL 62234
For customers under Delivery Service tariffs DS-1 or DS-2 who require no physical alterations to connect to the Ameren Illinois system, there are no upfront charges for metering or connection. Monthly tariff charges do apply to all net electric usage in excess of the amount of electricity generated.