What to Know About Potential Net Metering Changes To Dominion Virginia

If you’ve been researching solar recently, you may have come across news or conversations about possible changes to net metering in Virginia—particularly involving Dominion Energy.

Naturally, that raises questions: What is net metering? What’s being proposed? And what does it actually mean for homeowners considering solar?

Here’s a clear, plain-language overview.

First, a Quick Refresher: What Is Net Metering?

Net metering is a utility billing structure, not a piece of solar equipment.

Under traditional net metering:

• Solar energy produced by your system is used by your home first

• Any excess energy flows back to the grid

• That exported energy is credited on your electric bill

• Credits can later be used when your home needs more power than your system is producing
  
  

This structure allows solar production and household usage to balance out over time—across days, months, and seasons.

Net metering is a key reason rooftop solar has been financially practical for many homeowners.

What Changes Are Being Discussed?

In 2025, Dominion Energy submitted a proposal to the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) that would modify how exported solar energy is credited under net metering.

The proposal centers on reducing the credit rate applied to excess solar energy sent back to the grid.

If adopted, exported solar energy would still be credited—but at a lower value than it is today.

Importantly, this discussion is about billing mechanics, not about banning solar, restricting installations, or preventing homeowners from producing their own energy.

Why Utilities Revisit Net Metering

Net metering structures were created when rooftop solar adoption was relatively small.

As more distributed solar comes online, utilities periodically reassess:

• How energy flows through the grid

• How infrastructure costs are recovered

• How exported energy is valued
  
  

These reviews are common across many states and utilities and often involve lengthy regulatory proceedings.

What This Could Mean for Homeowners

If net metering credit values change in the future, it could affect:

• How long it takes for solar systems to offset costs over time

• How system designs are optimized

• How homeowners think about production versus self-consumption
  
  

It does not mean:

• Solar stops working

• Solar systems become unsafe or unreliable

• Homeowners lose the ability to produce their own electricity
  
  

Solar would still reduce grid dependence and provide on-site energy production—the financial math would simply adjust.

Why Timing and Structure Matter More Than Headlines

It’s important to separate proposals from outcomes.

Regulatory cases take time, and final decisions often differ from initial filings. In many cases:

• Existing solar customers may be grandfathered

• Changes may apply only to future systems

• Implementation timelines stretch over years
  
  

That’s why solar decisions shouldn’t be based on headlines alone, but on understanding how policies actually work.

Net Metering Is Only One Part of the Solar Equation

While net metering matters, it’s not the only factor that determines whether solar makes sense.

Other considerations include:

• Household energy usage patterns

• System design and efficiency

• Long-term utility rate trends

• Whether solar is owned or leased
  
  

Even in states with modified net metering structures, solar continues to be installed—just designed differently.

The Takeaway

Discussions around net metering are about how exported energy is valued, not whether homeowners can generate their own power.

For Virginia homeowners, the most important thing is understanding:

• What net metering does

• What changes are being discussed

• How those changes might affect future decisions
  
  

Solar works over years and decades, not news cycles.

Staying informed—and separating policy discussion from practical reality—helps homeowners make confident, grounded decisions.

VirginiaSolar.org exists to help Virginia homeowners understand how solar policies, utilities, and energy systems actually work—without pressure or agendas.

Our Help Desk and resource library are here whenever you want to learn more or ask questions.