Walton EMC
Northeast of Atlanta, including Walton, Barrow, Gwinnett, Oconee and Newton counties.
- Type
- Cooperative
- Accounts
- 130K
What they credit you
Avoided energy cost, rate not published
Published termsWalton EMC credits exported power at avoided energy cost within the billing period rather than at the retail rate. The co-op describes the method on its own site but does not publish the cents per kilowatt hour figure.
- Month to month
- Credited within the billing period the energy was exported.
Published terms · checked 2026-09-05 · source
Battery backup is mandatory
in Walton EMC territory.
Walton EMC does not credit the power you send back at the rate it charges you to take it.
That does not make solar a bad idea in Walton EMC territory. It changes what you should build. When exports are worth a fraction of retail the credit stops being the return, and the job becomes using more of your own production inside the house, which usually means a larger array than a one for one utility would need.
Sizing is where that gets decided, so ask about it directly. Georgia’s Distributed Generation Act defines an eligible residential system as 10 kW or less, and Georgia Power applies that limit to the inverter nameplate at the service point. Some cooperatives allow more: Walton EMC sets its residential limit at 50 kW. Walton EMC sets its own limits. Ask Walton EMC what it allows before you accept that a bigger system is off the table.
A battery then does two separate jobs. It moves daytime production into the evening so you use it instead of selling it, and it keeps the house running when the grid goes down. That second job is not a bonus. Panels on their own shut off in an outage, by design, so a roof full of them powers nothing during a storm. That is the part we will not refer around.
So we treat it as a requirement, not an upgrade. We will not refer you for a panels-only system in Walton EMC territory, and you should be skeptical of anyone who quotes you one without raising storage first.
Our referral policy, not a legal or utility requirement
What your installer should be telling you
Ask for the current avoided energy cost in cents per kWh in writing, and budget the $800 metering cost. Walton’s board sets both.
Applying to Walton EMC
What Walton EMC itself requires, as distinct from what the state rule requires. Read from its own published guidelines on the date shown.
- The residential size limit is 50 kW, not 10
- Walton sets its own limit at "no more than 50 kilowatts for residential applications", five times the figure in the state Act. If you have a large roof and a large load, this is a materially different starting point from Georgia Power.
- The meter costs $800 and it is yours to pay
- Walton states the member "is responsible for the incremental costs of the metering equipment and its installation, currently $800". That is a real line in the budget and it is rarely in a first quote.
- Exports are credited at avoided energy cost
- Not at retail. Walton credits kilowatt hours "supplied during the billing period at avoided energy cost", with the credit appearing on that period’s bill.
- Which meter you get depends on how it is wired
- Bi-directional metering if the system connects on your side of the meter, single directional if it connects on the co-op’s side. The two are billed differently, so it is worth knowing which one your installer is proposing.
- Interconnection costs are the member’s
- Walton makes the member responsible for a safe interconnection and all its costs, and handles each request individually.
From Walton EMC’s published guidelines · checked 2026-09-05 · source
Walton EMC net metering questions
- Does Walton EMC offer one for one net metering?
- No. Walton EMC credits exported power at avoided energy cost within the billing period rather than at the retail rate. The co-op describes the method on its own site but does not publish the cents per kilowatt hour figure.
- What does Walton EMC pay for power sent back to the grid?
- Avoided energy cost, rate not published. Credited within the billing period the energy was exported.
- Do I need a battery with Walton EMC?
- Yes, and we treat it as mandatory. Because Walton EMC does not credit exports one for one, the return has to come from using your own production rather than selling it, which after dark means storage and usually a larger array than a one for one utility would need. The other half is backup: panels alone shut off in an outage, so a battery is what keeps the house running in a storm. We do not refer panels-only systems in Walton EMC territory. This is our referral policy, not a legal or utility requirement.
- How do I find my Walton EMC bill?
- Sign in at waltonemc.com. Open My Account, then Billing. Open the latest bill and save the PDF. Or screenshot the summary page. If you cannot get to it, a rough guess at your average monthly amount is enough to start.
- What is the catch with Walton EMC?
- Ask for the current avoided energy cost in cents per kWh in writing, and budget the $800 metering cost. Walton’s board sets both.
Installers serving Walton EMC customers
Pick one. Only the company you choose receives your details, and only that company calls you.
These are real companies operating in Walton EMC territory, ordered by reviews, years trading and BBB grade. None of them pays us for placement. Pick the one you want and we will call you to arrange it.
Ordering combines three things we read from primary sources: Google review count and rating, years trading taken from the company’s Better Business Bureau profile rather than its own marketing, and its BBB letter grade. BBB accreditation is shown but never scored, because it is a paid membership rather than a mark of quality.
Check any contractor license yourself at the state register. Do that before you sign anything, with any company, including ours.