MidAmerican Energy
Much of Iowa, including Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Iowa City and Sioux City. The largest utility in the state, and one of the two named in the statute.
- Type
- Investor owned
- Accounts
- 790K
What they credit you
Outflow credited at the retail rate, for now
Set by state ruleExports earn a dollar credit at the outflow purchase rate, which the statute holds at the volumetric retail rate until a value of solar methodology is established, at the earlier of 1 July 2027 or 5% statewide penetration.
- Month to month
- Dollar credits against the bill.
Set by undefined · checked 2026-09-05 · source
What your installer should be telling you
Ask what this utility expects its outflow rate to be after the value of solar methodology is set, and what happens to systems already connected. The current parity with retail is statutory and temporary.
MidAmerican is investor owned, so Iowa Code § 476.49 (Senate File 583) applies and these terms are set by the state rather than by a board that can revise them. That is the strongest position a homeowner can be in on net metering.
Applying to MidAmerican
What MidAmerican itself requires, as distinct from what the state rule requires. Read from its own published guidelines on the date shown.
- Inflow and outflow are billed separately
- You pay all applicable charges, including riders, on electricity the utility delivers to you, and receive a dollar credit at the outflow purchase rate for energy exported during the billing period.
- The outflow rate is currently the retail rate, by statute
- Senate File 583 holds the compensation rate for outflow credits at the volumetric retail rate until a value of solar methodology is established. For now, an exported kilowatt hour is worth what you pay for one.
- That protection has an end date and a trigger
- The changes take effect at the earlier of 1 July 2027 or the point at which statewide distributed generation penetration reaches 5%. Whichever comes first.
- Existing net metering customers may switch, and should think hard first
- Current net metering customers are permitted to move to inflow-outflow if they wish. Whether that is a good idea depends on your own consumption pattern, because the two treat self consumption differently.
- Credits are dollars, not kilowatt hours
- A dollar credit does not appreciate as retail rates rise; a banked kilowatt hour does. It matters over the life of a system even while the two rates are equal.
From MidAmerican’s published guidelines · checked 2026-09-05 · source
MidAmerican net metering questions
- Does MidAmerican offer one for one net metering?
- Yes. Exports earn a dollar credit at the outflow purchase rate, which the statute holds at the volumetric retail rate until a value of solar methodology is established, at the earlier of 1 July 2027 or 5% statewide penetration. Dollar credits against the bill.
- What does MidAmerican pay for power sent back to the grid?
- Outflow credited at the retail rate, for now.
- Do I need a battery with MidAmerican?
- Not for the economics. MidAmerican credits exports at the retail rate, so power you send out during the day comes back at the same value after dark without storage. A battery is still worth considering for outages during hurricane season, but it is an upgrade here rather than a requirement.
- How do I find my MidAmerican bill?
- Sign in at midamericanenergy.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 MidAmerican?
- Ask what this utility expects its outflow rate to be after the value of solar methodology is set, and what happens to systems already connected. The current parity with retail is statutory and temporary.
Installers serving MidAmerican customers
Pick one. Only the company you choose receives your details, and only that company calls you.
These are real companies operating in MidAmerican 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.