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Guides/Solar regulations/Montana

MT · PLAN BEFORE YOU BUY

Montana solar regulations.

Identify whether service is from NorthWestern Energy, Montana-Dakota Utilities, or a cooperative, then use that provider’s interconnection terms.

Lake McDonald Valley, Glacier National Park, Montana
Lake McDonald Valley, Glacier National Park, MontanaPhoto details & credits

Sources reviewed · 4 regulation sources

What to know in Montana.

  • Montana DEQ identifies the statutory net-metering service areas and advises obtaining the utility or cooperative’s interconnection information.

    Montana DEQ — Energy Resources, Net Metering

  • DEQ describes net-metering credits and the importance of the annual credit cycle. The serving provider’s terms and eligibility determine how a particular system participates.

    Montana DEQ — Renewable Energy

  • The Building Codes Program adopts state codes and certifies local enforcement programs; where a certified city, county or town does not enforce a code program, the state program identifies the responsible jurisdiction.

    Montana Building Codes Program
Which rules cover your project?

Confirm the electrical permit and inspector using the state program, along with local zoning and utility approval.

Who provides electricity here?

Narrow possible delivery utilities by ZIP or confirm yours

Find the delivery utility on your electric bill first. A retail supplier or on-site solar seller may be a different company; your delivery utility handles the local grid connection.

Check your actual service address.

PSC staff can help with the regulated utility and direct service questions; cooperative and municipal arrangements need separate confirmation.

Montana PSC utility consumer assistance
Browse 37 reported provider records in Montana

37 records

Electric delivery utilities 37

  • NorthWestern Energy — official logo
    NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT)Investor Owned · EIA 12825
    Reported counties (36)

    Beaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Carbon, Cascade, Chouteau, Deer Lodge, Fergus, Gallatin, Golden Valley, Granite, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Madison, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Phillips, Pondera, Powell, Ravalli, Rosebud, Sanders, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Valley, Wheatland, Yellowstone

  • Flathead Electric Coop IncCooperative · EIA 6395
    Reported counties (6)

    Carbon, Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Park, Sanders

  • Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-opCooperative · EIA 20997
    Reported counties (6)

    Big Horn, Carbon, Musselshell, Stillwater, Treasure, Yellowstone

  • Montana-Dakota Utilities CoInvestor Owned · EIA 12199
    Reported counties (11)

    Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, McCone, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan, Wibaux

  • USBIA-Mission Valley PowerFederal · EIA 19603
    Reported counties (4)

    Flathead, Lake, Missoula, Sanders

  • Missoula Electric Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 12692
    Reported counties (6)

    Granite, Lake, Mineral, Missoula, Powell, Ravalli

  • Ravalli County Elec Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 26916Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (2)

    Missoula, Ravalli

  • Vigilante Electric Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 23586Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (9)

    Beaverhead, Broadwater, Deer Lodge, Gallatin, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, Madison, Meagher, Silver Bow

  • Glacier Electric Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 7262Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (4)

    Flathead, Glacier, Pondera, Toole

  • Lincoln Electric Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 11022Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (2)

    Flathead, Lincoln

  • Park Electric Coop IncCooperative · EIA 14500Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (4)

    Gallatin, Meagher, Park, Sweet Grass

  • Fergus Electric Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 21513
    Reported counties (14)

    Blaine, Cascade, Chouteau, Fergus, Golden Valley, Judith Basin, Meagher, Musselshell, Petroleum, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Treasure, Wheatland, Yellowstone

  • Beartooth Electric Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 1417Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (3)

    Carbon, Stillwater, Sweet Grass

  • Sun River Electric Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 18401Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (8)

    Cascade, Chouteau, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Pondera, Teton, Toole

  • McCone Electric Coop IncCooperative · EIA 11989Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (9)

    Custer, Dawson, Garfield, McCone, Petroleum, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud

  • Tongue River Electric Coop IncCooperative · EIA 19022Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (8)

    Big Horn, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Powder River, Prairie, Rosebud

  • Northern Lights, IncCooperative · EIA 13758
    Reported counties (2)

    Lincoln, Sanders

  • Hill County Electric Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 8632Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (5)

    Blaine, Chouteau, Fergus, Hill, Liberty

  • Marias River Electric Coop IncCooperative · EIA 11643Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (3)

    Liberty, Pondera, Toole

  • Sheridan Electric Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 16759Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (3)

    Daniels, Roosevelt, Sheridan

  • Big Horn County Elec Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 1683Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (1)

    Big Horn

  • Lower Yellowstone R E A, IncCooperative · EIA 11272
    Reported counties (3)

    Dawson, Richland, Roosevelt

  • Southeast Electric Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 17593Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (4)

    Carter, Custer, Fallon, Powder River

  • Big Flat Electric Coop IncCooperative · EIA 1671Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (3)

    Blaine, Phillips, Valley

  • Mid-Yellowstone Elec Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 12463Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (5)

    Big Horn, Custer, Rosebud, Treasure, Yellowstone

  • NorVal Electric Cooperative, IncCooperative · EIA 13749Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (5)

    Daniels, McCone, Phillips, Roosevelt, Valley

  • Fall River Rural Elec Coop IncCooperative · EIA 6169
    Reported counties (1)

    Gallatin

  • City of Troy - (MT)Municipal · EIA 19236Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (1)

    Lincoln

  • Goldenwest Electric Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 7318Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (3)

    Dawson, Fallon, Wibaux

  • Big Horn Rural Electric CoCooperative · EIA 1675Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (2)

    Big Horn, Carbon

  • Powder River Energy CorpCooperative · EIA 19156
    Reported counties (2)

    Big Horn, Powder River

  • McKenzie Electric Coop IncCooperative · EIA 12087
    Reported counties (2)

    Richland, Wibaux

  • Grand Electric Coop, IncCooperative · EIA 7484Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (1)

    Carter

  • Black Hills Power, Inc.Investor Owned · EIA 19545
    Reported counties (2)

    Carter, Powder River

  • Avista CorpInvestor Owned · EIA 20169
    Reported counties (1)

    Sanders

  • Bonneville Power AdministrationFederal · EIA 1738Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (8)

    Broadwater, Deer Lodge, Granite, Jefferson, Mineral, Missoula, Powell, Silver Bow

  • WAPA-- Western Area Power AdministrationFederal · EIA 27000Residential service not separately reported
    Reported counties (25)

    Big Horn, Blaine, Carbon, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Hill, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, McCone, Phillips, Pondera, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Teton, Toole, Treasure, Valley, Wibaux, Yellowstone

Official logo sources · Initials indicate a logo not yet verified. Municipal-owner emblems identify the owning city or village.

Source: EIA-861 final 2025 detailed data · Reporting year 2025. Names and reported counties are historical survey data, not a live address lookup. A county can have several providers, and a listing does not mean every resident can choose it. Small/territory-only reports may not identify residential service separately.

Credits, rebates, and other opportunities.

Check the program’s scope before comparing savings: a tax exemption, equipment rebate, loan and electricity-export payment provide different benefits. Funding, utility territory, income, equipment and installation dates can limit eligibility. Amounts below are not added together or deducted from product prices.

Build a project incentive checklist for Montana

2 state & utility records

Montana Department of Environmental Quality — administrator logo
State · loanEligibility / funding conditions

Alternative Energy Revolving Loan Program

Montana Department of Environmental Quality · Multiple upgrades

Low-interest financing supports qualifying alternative-energy systems and energy-conservation projects.

Benefit
Repayable loan, subject to technical, environmental and financial review; not free credit.
Who may qualify
Eligible Montana applicants and projects; available funds and loan criteria apply.
Before applying or buying
Apply through the DEQ process and obtain approval; do not assume an already completed project qualifies.
Montana DEQ: Alternative Energy Revolving Loan Program Reviewed 2026-11-06
NorthWestern Energy — administrator logo
Utility · rebateEligibility / funding conditions

Heat Pump Water Heater Program

NorthWestern Energy · Heat pumps

A participating contractor can offer an instant incentive for a qualifying heat-pump water-heater replacement.

Benefit
Limited-time incentive; current offer and project costs determine the benefit.
Who may qualify
Eligible Montana residential electric-water-heating customers replacing an existing electric resistance tank; fuel switching is not allowed.
Before applying or buying
Contact a participating contractor before purchase and confirm account and equipment eligibility.
NorthWestern Energy: Heat Pump Water Heater Program Reviewed 2026-11-06

A state alternative-energy loan is repayable financing, not a tax credit or rebate. Utility rebates apply only to eligible utility accounts. This is a curated starting list, not every local incentive or a guarantee of available funding.

Federal programs in every state

The federal rules below apply nationally. State-administered federal rebates still require the local program to be operating and your project to meet its conditions.

  • Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D)

    Closed / ended

    Not available for new property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Do not assume a federal 30% credit for a new 2026 solar, wind, geothermal or battery installation.

    IRS: Residential Clean Energy Credit

  • Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C)

    Closed / ended

    The federal home-efficiency credit, including qualifying heat-pump improvements, ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025.

    IRS: Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit

  • HOMES / High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebates

    Eligibility / funding conditions

    Federally funded home-energy rebates operate through participating local administrators. Check the state program’s launch, current funding, eligible measures and application requirements. This is not a blanket rooftop-solar rebate.

    DOE: Home Energy Rebates Program

  • Weatherization Assistance Program

    Eligibility / funding conditions

    Income-eligible households may receive approved home-weatherization services through local agencies. This is assistance delivered through a program, rather than an automatic reimbursement for equipment you buy.

    DOE: How to Apply for Weatherization Assistance
Federal program details & filing sources

Permits and electrical codes.

The Building Codes Program adopts state codes and certifies local enforcement programs; where a certified city, county or town does not enforce a code program, the state program identifies the responsible jurisdiction.

Use the adoption authority linked below to check the effective date and amendments. The newest published NEC edition is not automatically the edition adopted for your project.

Before ordering equipment.

Two conversations. Keep their answers separate.

Your proposed system and location inform separate local-authority and serving-utility questions, which become dated project records.
A question map, not an approval sequence. Local permit/code questions and utility interconnection/export questions have different scopes; processes and reviewers vary by address and serving utility. Keep permit and interconnection records

Track permits and interconnection in a project

  1. Confirm the permit authority

    Ask the city, county, or state electrical office which building, electrical and fire-code editions and amendments apply to this address. Request the solar/ESS permit checklist and inspection sequence.

  2. Confirm the utility process

    Give the serving utility your proposed capacity, inverter model and operating mode. Ask which interconnection application, tariff, export limits, meter changes and written operating authorization apply.

  3. Document the exact equipment

    Collect model-specific certificates, installation manuals, a one-line diagram, site/roof plans, and the battery/inverter pairing if storage is proposed. Check them with the permit authority and utility before ordering.

For the general permitting and inspection process: DOE: Permitting and Inspection for Rooftop Solar .

UL, NEMA, and system acceptance.

Different evidence, different scope.

UL 1973 concerns battery scope, UL 9540 concerns an exact energy storage system, and UL 9540A is a test method; one does not automatically replace another.
Conceptual scope labels, not certification marks or product approvals. A battery listing or fire-test report alone does not establish acceptance of a complete installed system. Read the exact model/configuration records. Check exact certification and test scope

Check the exact model and approved system configuration. A UL 1973 battery listing or UL 9540A fire-test report does not, by itself, establish UL 9540 certification of a complete storage system.

Open the UL & NEMA reference

Scope and system-level certification: UL Solutions: Energy Storage System Testing and Certification .

Official sources.

Open the source for current forms, eligibility, tariffs, and adopted rules. Utility-specific examples apply to that provider.

KEEP EXPLORING

More state guides.

AZ

Arizona

Grand Canyon from Powell Point, Arizona

Use the serving utility’s distributed-generation process and confirm local permit requirements separately.

47 delivery providers · 1 program record3 regulation sources · View guide
CO

Colorado

Maroon Bells and Maroon Lake, Colorado

Verify the utility type, approved system size, and export-credit election before final design.

59 delivery providers · 2 program records3 regulation sources · View guide
ID

Idaho

View from Inferno Cone at Craters of the Moon, Idaho

Check the export-credit tariff separately from the technical interconnection requirements.

32 delivery providers · 1 program record3 regulation sources · View guide

Photography & map credits