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Solar · Utility Guide

Solar with Atlantic City Electric

Atlantic City Electric charges the highest residential rates of any utility we cover outside California, near 23 cents per kWh. That makes self-consumed solar unusually valuable in South Jersey, on top of the state's full retail netting and SREC-II.

EIA + public rate data Updated annually

The highest rates outside California

Atlantic City Electric's average residential electricity price has risen from 17.22 cents per kWh in 2015 to 23.41 cents in 2024, an increase of about 36 percent, or roughly 3.5 percent per year. The chart shows ACE's average residential price by year. Hover any point for the exact figure.

ACE residential price by year
Average residential price, cents per kWh. Source: EIA Form 861 (per-utility) and EIA retail-sales data (state average).

What rising ACE rates could cost you

ACE rates have risen about 3.5% per year. Enter your bill to see what that pace of increase could compound to over time, and what you have likely already absorbed. This is an estimate, not a guarantee.

$200
Adding usage soon?
3.5%
10 yrs
Your bill in 10 years$0
Total you'd pay ACE over 10 yrs$0
Of that, extra from rate hikes$0
Extra absorbed, last 10 yrs$0
Projected monthly bill over time

Estimate only. Projects your current bill forward at ACE's historical average rate increase (3.5% per year, from EIA data); it assumes your usage stays the same except for any add-ons you select. Actual rates depend on your usage, rate plan, and the utility's future filings, and are not guaranteed. This is general information, not financial advice.

Current residential rates

ACE residential rates are shown below, from the utility's published tariffs and the public Utility Rate Database. Rates vary by plan, season, and usage and change over time.

PlanEnergy chargeFixed / basic
Residential Service (Schedule RS, standard)A distribution charge (summer first block about 8.2c, winter about 7.5c per kWh), a transmission charge about 4.1c, and a Basic Generation Service supply charge (about 11c from the 2025 auction)$6.75 per month customer charge

Atlantic City Electric recovers most cost through per-kWh charges rather than a fixed fee, and its all-in residential average was about 23.4 cents per kWh in 2024 per EIA, the highest of any utility we cover outside California. Building up from the tariff (distribution plus transmission plus the 2025 Basic Generation Service supply price around 11 cents) lands on that figure. The June 1, 2025 BGS auction raised a typical ACE residential bill by about 17.2 percent. ACE has no active general-purpose residential time-of-use rate. Confirm current figures on ACE's rate pages.

Full retail netting plus SREC-II

New Jersey requires full retail-rate net metering, and Atlantic City Electric credits exported solar on a 1:1 kWh basis at the full retail rate, with your system sized up to your annual usage. Monthly kWh credits roll forward at retail through the annualized period; net excess remaining at the end is paid at the wholesale rate (PJM real-time locational marginal pricing) rather than retail, not forfeited. ACE has the highest residential rates of any utility we cover outside California, which cuts two ways for solar: every kWh you generate and use yourself offsets unusually expensive power, so self-consumption is worth more here than almost anywhere, while surplus you export earns full retail during the year but only wholesale at the annual true-up. On top of net metering, New Jersey's SuSI program pays a residential rooftop system one SREC-II per MWh for 15 years, currently $85 per MWh, dropping to $77 for registrations received on or after July 27, 2026. Current caveat: statewide net-metering enrollment passed its 5.8 percent cap in energy year 2024, so the Board of Public Utilities is developing a successor program and terms for brand-new customers could change; confirm the current rules before installing. Whether solar makes sense depends on your usage, roof, and rate plan, so get a site-specific quote.

What high South Jersey rates change about solar

Solar saves about the same wherever you are in New Jersey.
Not quite. ACE's all-in rate near 23 cents is the highest in New Jersey, so each kWh you generate and use yourself offsets pricier power than on PSE&G or JCP&L. Self-consumption is unusually valuable here.
I can shift my ACE usage to cheaper hours with a time-of-use plan.
Not on Atlantic City Electric. ACE retired its general residential time-of-use rates back in 2003 and has no active one, so the value of solar comes from offsetting flat retail power and from New Jersey's SREC-II income, not from time-shifting.

When 23-cent power meets rooftop solar

Atlantic City Electric is a high-rate utility, with an all-in price near 23 cents, the highest of any utility we cover outside California, built on higher South Jersey delivery costs plus supply. That is the strongest possible tailwind for self-consumed solar: the power you avoid buying is unusually expensive.

Layer on New Jersey's full retail net metering during the year and the SREC-II payment of $85 per MWh for 15 years, and the ACE solar case is compelling, with two caveats. Year-end excess trues up at wholesale, so size to your usage, and the state crossed its net-metering cap in 2024, so new-customer rules are under review. Get a site-specific quote.

ACE service area

ACE serves southern New Jersey.

To confirm whether a specific address is served by ACE, check your electricity bill. A ZIP lookup tool is coming to this site.

Full data and sources

Per-utility prices are computed from EIA Form 861 (bundled residential revenue divided by sales), which reconciles to the EIA's published figures. These are public-domain U.S. government data.

ACE average residential electricity price by year
YearACE (c/kWh)
201517.22
201616.9
201716.98
201817.24
201917.9
202018.53
202118.86
202219.85
202321.71
202423.41

Sources: EIA Form 861 annual data (Sales_Ult_Cust files, 2015-2024) · EIA Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price (Table 6) · NJ Clean Energy Program: net metering and interconnection · NJ BPU: net metering successor stakeholder notice (5.8% cap) · NJ BPU: SuSI ADI SREC-II incentive order (May 2026) · NJ BPU 2025 BGS auction results

FAQ

Why are Atlantic City Electric rates so high?

ACE's all-in residential average reached about 23.4 cents per kWh in 2024, the highest of any utility we cover outside California, driven by higher South Jersey delivery costs plus supply. ACE recovers most of its cost through per-kWh charges rather than a fixed fee, and the June 2025 supply auction pushed rates up further.

Does ACE offer net metering and any solar incentive?

Yes to both. New Jersey requires full retail 1:1 net metering, so ACE credits exports at the retail rate during the year, and separately the state's SuSI program pays a residential system $85 per MWh for 15 years, dropping to $77 for registrations on or after July 27, 2026.

Does Atlantic City Electric have a time-of-use rate?

Not an active general residential one. ACE eliminated its residential time-of-use schedules in 2003, so there is no standard way to shift usage to cheaper hours. The solar value here comes from offsetting flat, expensive retail power and from the SREC-II income.

Is solar worth it on ACE?

With the highest rates in New Jersey, self-consumed solar offsets unusually expensive power, which makes the case strong, and full retail net metering plus the SREC-II income add to it. Size to your usage so year-end excess, paid at wholesale, stays small, and confirm the current net-metering rules since New Jersey is developing a successor program. Get site-specific numbers.