Solar for Xcel Energy (Minnesota) Customers: Net Metering and Export Credits
How your utility credits the solar power you send back to the grid has a big effect on what solar is worth to you. Here's what official sources say for Xcel Energy (Minnesota) customers. Rules change, so confirm current terms with the utility before you sign.
About Xcel Energy (Minnesota)
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's Form EIA-861 data for 2024 lists 1,405,248 residential customers for Northern States Power Co - Minnesota (Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota), ranking #21 among U.S. utilities in our tally of bundled plus delivery-only residential customers. Source: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
How Xcel Energy (Minnesota) credits home solar
- The Minnesota PUC says customers of public utilities with systems under 40 kW AC can choose to be paid the average retail utility energy rate for excess energy, which utilities update every year. Source: https://mn.gov/puc/activities/economic-analysis/distributed-energy/net-metering/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Xcel Energy's Minnesota interconnection packet lists a $100 application fee for all extended parallel systems of 20 kW or less. Source: https://www.xcelenergy.com/staticfiles/xe-responsive/Admin/Managed%20Documents%20&%20PDFs/MN_NetMeter_Packet.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
A note on the federal tax credit
The federal residential clean energy credit (25D) doesn't apply to expenditures made after December 31, 2025. The IRS treats an expenditure as made when installation is completed. Source: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-for-modification-of-sections-25c-25d-25e-30c-30d-45l-45w-and-179d-under-public-law-119-21-139-stat-72-july-4-2025-commonly-known-as-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-obbb (accessed 2026-10-20). This page isn't tax advice.
What this means for your quote
Savings depend on how much of your solar you use on site versus export, your rate plan, and your system size. We can't give a typical savings figure; it varies, and your quote should show the assumptions behind any estimate.
Questions for your installer
- What average retail utility energy rate does your estimate assume?
- Is my system under 40 kW AC?
- Will you handle the Xcel Energy (Minnesota) interconnection application?
Sources
- https://mn.gov/puc/activities/economic-analysis/distributed-energy/net-metering/ (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- https://www.xcelenergy.com/staticfiles/xe-responsive/Admin/Managed%20Documents%20&%20PDFs/MN_NetMeter_Packet.pdf (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 (2024 data) — https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/ (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- IRS, "FAQs for modification of sections 25C, 25D, 25E, 30C, 30D, 45L, 45W, and 179D under Public Law 119-21 (OBBB)" — https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-for-modification-of-sections-25c-25d-25e-30c-30d-45l-45w-and-179d-under-public-law-119-21-139-stat-72-july-4-2025-commonly-known-as-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-obbb (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
SolarMatchup is a free service: you submit one request and we match you with one installer. Their proposal is an estimate, not a guarantee — use this guide to read it carefully and ask questions before you sign. Savings, if any, depend on your usage, utility rates, and local rules.
Last reviewed 2026-10-20.
More for Minnesota homeowners: state guide with utility rules, prices and city pages.
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