Electric Consumer

Editor: Katerine G., Editor & Data Researcher · Research & publishing: Electric Consumer Editorial Team · Data retrieved · Sources named on this page: EIA-861, EIA retail sales, EIA-860/923, NREL PVWatts · How we got these numbers · Report an error

Solar in Montana: payback, sun by city and utility-scale capacity

14%of a year's solar output in Montana falls in December to February, rank 3 of 51 (1 = least winter)

Across 5 Montana cities, yearly output runs from 1,173 kWh per kW in Missoula to 1,334 in Great Falls. Jul is the best month at 163 kWh per kW and Dec the worst at 52. Montana pays back in 17.6 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 48 of 51), 4.1 years longer than the middle state. 1,316 kWh per kW (rank 36) at 12.98 ¢ (rank 46 from the top): sunshine drives it. Utility-scale solar in Montana: 181 MW in 9 plants, 1.3% of 2025 generation; 200 MW more under construction or planned.

Best and worst month in Montana: Jul 163, Dec 52 kWh per kW

Montana output and value by month
Montana monthkWh per kWPrice ¢Value per kWkWh per kW per sun unit
Jan55.011.38$6.260.84
Feb73.511.60$8.530.82
Mar113.911.93$13.590.80
Apr137.812.31$16.960.78
May144.412.88$18.600.75
Jun148.714.81$22.020.73
Jul163.114.27$23.270.71
Aug152.014.28$21.710.72
Sep120.014.64$17.570.75
Oct93.314.27$13.310.79
Nov61.712.82$7.910.82
Dec52.312.77$6.680.84

Montana: December to February give 14% of a year (rank 3 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 3.1 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Dec (0.84) and lowest in Jul (0.71); PVWatts lowers cell output when the panel is hot, and the sun angle changes with the season. Our runs use one fixed 14% loss figure for every place, so snow or soiling in Montana is not modelled separately.

Sun inside Montana: 5 cities, 13% apart

Solar output in 5 cities of Montana
Montana citykWh per kW a yearAgainst state pointSun, kWh/m2 a dayPayback at $3.00Residents
Billings1,334+1.4%4.7217.3118,321
Missoula1,173-10.8%4.3319.775,600
Great Falls1,334+1.4%4.6717.360,412
Bozeman1,254-4.7%4.5618.455,042
Butte1,305-0.8%4.6617.734,929

Montana state point 46.71, -111.24; city points Billings 45.79, -108.55; Missoula 46.87, -114.03; Great Falls 47.50, -111.30; Bozeman 45.68, -111.05; Butte 45.90, -112.66. Panel and method: solar method.

Output by month in Montana cities: 12 rows
Montana monthBillingsMissoulaGreat FallsBozemanButte
Jan57.243.557.851.061.9
Feb76.861.779.465.377.8
Mar116.297.0108.9117.9122.6
Apr124.7119.3132.5127.8131.3
May143.2135.0148.0140.2135.5
Jun152.8137.2153.3149.1136.6
Jul165.0157.4171.6154.9158.3
Aug149.3140.0154.0143.8149.6
Sep123.0114.1120.1117.8121.0
Oct99.281.191.788.991.9
Nov69.046.463.354.867.9
Dec57.740.053.842.950.4

Montana: 5 cities, best month 172 and worst 40 kWh per kW across them.

CSV

Montana: payback 17.6 years, rank 48 of 51

Solar measures for Montana
MeasureValueRank of 51Median state
Output of 1 kW a year, kWh1,316361,372
Home price, ¢ per kWh12.984615.37
Value of 1 kW a year$17148$222
Payback at $3.00 a watt17.6 years4813.5 years

EIA-861 (2024): 9,712 home net-metered systems in Montana, 17.4 per 1,000 accounts (rank 23), average 7.0 kW.

Sizes and prices per watt in Montana

Systems of 4 to 12 kW in Montana
Montana kWkWh a yearValue a yearCost at $2.50At $3.00At $3.50t CO2
45,262$683$10,000$12,000$14,0002.5
67,894$1,025$15,000$18,000$21,0003.8
810,525$1,366$20,000$24,000$28,0005.0
1013,156$1,708$25,000$30,000$35,0006.3
1215,787$2,049$30,000$36,000$42,0007.6
Payback in Montana by price and retail share
Montana $ per watt100% retail75%50%25%
$2.0011.715.623.446.8
$2.5014.619.529.358.6
$3.0017.623.435.170.3
$3.5020.527.341.082.0
$4.0023.431.246.893.7

Montana: 1,316 kWh/kW × 12.98 ¢ = 171 a year per kW; the 30% column (12.3 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.

CSV

Utility-scale solar in Montana: 181 MW

Montana: 181 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 9 plants across 8 counties (EIA-860, 2025), rank 44 of 51; 164 W per resident, rank 35. Solar made 1.3% of Montana's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 40, -5.5 points against the national share. Biggest plants: Apex Solar in Beaverhead County, 80 MW (2023); MTSUN in Yellowstone County, 80 MW (2023); GCC Trident Solar Project in Gallatin County, 4 MW (2025). By county: Beaverhead 80 MW, Yellowstone 80 MW, Lewis and Clark 6 MW, Gallatin 4 MW. Proposed: 0 MW under construction (0 plants) and 200 MW planned (1 plant); batteries 0 MW running and 250 MW proposed.

Utility-scale solar added in Montana by year
Montana yearMW addedCumulative share of today's MW
201900%
202000%
202100%
202221%
202316090%
2024090%
2025291%

Net metering and CO2 in Montana

EIA-861 (2024): 9,712 home net-metered systems in Montana, 17.4 per 1,000 accounts (rank 23), average 7.0 kW.

6 kW in Montana: 7,894 kWh a year displaces 3.8 t CO2 at 0.479 kg per kWh, +0.8 t against the average state.

Montana utilities and solar payback

Solar payback by utility in Montana
Montana utilityHomesPrice ¢Value of 1 kWPayback at $3.00
NorthWestern Energy LLC328,12714.23$18716.0 yr
Flathead Electric Coop Inc63,3179.67$12723.6 yr
Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op21,18213.35$17617.1 yr
USBIA-Mission Valley Power16,2928.91$11725.6 yr
Missoula Electric Coop, Inc14,68610.50$13821.7 yr
Fergus Electric Coop, Inc6,68215.52$20414.7 yr
Lower Yellowstone R E A, Inc3,4998.83$11625.8 yr

Montana among its neighbours

Closest states to Montana
Closest to MontanaPayback, yearskWh per kWPrice, ¢Utility-scale solar, points of generationMiles away
Montana (this page)17.61,31612.981.3-
Idaho+0.9+55-1.16+6.7267
Wyoming-3.1+233+0.40-0.2354
Utah-2.7+225+0.09+16.0438
Washington+4.0-254+0.13-0.7493
Simple solar payback by state at $3.00 a wattNew Mexico: 11.2 yrTexas: 12.9 yrKentucky: 16.9 yrOhio: 14.2 yrGeorgia: 14.4 yrArkansas: 17.0 yrOregon: 17.3 yrPennsylvania: 12.5 yrMissouri: 16.0 yrNorth Carolina: 15.2 yrUtah: 14.9 yrVirginia: 14.6 yrWyoming: 14.5 yrWest Virginia: 16.2 yrNew York: 8.9 yrIndiana: 13.5 yrKansas: 13.9 yrIdaho: 18.5 yrNevada: 12.6 yrIllinois: 13.0 yrVermont: 10.7 yrNew Jersey: 10.0 yrMinnesota: 14.0 yrMaryland: 11.1 yrIowa: 15.9 yrHawaii: 4.3 yrNew Hampshire: 9.7 yrRhode Island: 7.9 yrConnecticut: 8.0 yrMontana: 17.6 yrArizona: 11.2 yrNebraska: 16.9 yrWashington: 21.6 yrSouth Dakota: 16.0 yrCalifornia: 5.5 yrAlabama: 13.5 yrWisconsin: 12.5 yrMississippi: 15.6 yrColorado: 12.3 yrOklahoma: 15.3 yrTennessee: 16.4 yrLouisiana: 16.1 yrMichigan: 11.7 yrMassachusetts: 7.7 yrFlorida: 12.7 yrAlaska: 11.3 yrNorth Dakota: 19.2 yrSouth Carolina: 13.7 yrMaine: 8.5 yrDelaware: 12.7 yrDistrict of Columbia: 9.8 yr

Montana against its neighbours in the payback ranking

  • -1 places, Arkansas -0.5 years against Montana
  • +0 places, Oregon -0.3 years against Montana
  • Montana, rank 48: 17.6 years
  • +2 places, Idaho +0.9 years against Montana
  • +3 places, North Dakota +1.6 years against Montana

Your numbers for Montana

    Limits in Montana

    Montana: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 12.3 years instead of 17.6, so the calculator starts at 0%. No Montana export rates in our data: output counts at 12.98 ¢. All limits.

    Sources for Montana

    More about Montana

    Montana electricity hub, Montana EV charging: 158 stations, where Montana ranks for rooftop solar, 17.6 years against 51 states, Montana calculators.

    Questions

    Winter cut in Montana solar output?

    December to February give 14% of the year; Jul makes 163 kWh per kW and Dec 52.

    Solar payback in Montana?

    17.6 years at $3.00 a watt; 14.6 at $2.50; 20.5 at $3.50; 1,316 kWh per kW at 12.98 ¢.

    Where in Montana is solar best?

    Yes: 13% between Missoula and Great Falls in yearly output.

    Montana electricity from solar, what share?

    1.3% of 2025 net generation, rank 40 of 51, -5.5 points against the nation.

    Montana sunshine for solar panels?

    1,316 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 36 of 51; from 1,173 in Missoula to 1,334 in Great Falls.

    Montana utility-scale solar capacity?

    181 MW in 9 plants (EIA-860), 164 W per resident, rank 35; 200 MW proposed.

    Net metering in Montana?

    9,712 systems, 17.4 per 1,000 accounts, rank 23.

    Montana pays half price for exports?

    Payback 35.1 years at a 50% retail share.

    CO2 displaced in Montana?

    3.8 t a year on 6 kW at 0.479 kg per kWh.

    Federal solar credit in Montana: still available?

    Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it Montana payback would be 12.3 years, not 17.6.

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    14% of a year's solar output in Montana falls in December to February, rank 3 of 51 (1 = least winter)