Solar in Nebraska

Solar Landscape in Nebraska

Nebraska is unique as the only all-public-power state in the U.S. — there are no investor-owned utilities. Electricity is provided by public power districts, municipal utilities, and rural electric cooperatives. The two largest utilities are Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) and Lincoln Electric System (LES), both of which offer solar rebate programs and net metering.

OPPD serves the Omaha metro area and offers a $2,000 solar rebate plus net metering at avoided cost. LES serves Lincoln and offers one-time capacity payments ($375-$475/kW) plus net metering. Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) is the state's largest power supplier but provides wholesale power to local utilities rather than serving retail customers directly. Each utility sets its own avoided cost rate for net metering compensation.

Permitting

Nebraska does not have statewide solar permitting standards. Permitting jurisdiction is at the city and county level, with requirements varying across the state. As an all-public-power state, Nebraska's regulatory framework differs from IOU-dominated states.

No Nebraska jurisdictions have been confirmed as SolarAPP+ participants as of March 2026. Omaha and Lincoln, the state's two largest cities, have established permitting processes for residential solar. Rural areas may have simpler or no specific solar permitting requirements.

Typical residential solar permitting in Nebraska takes 5-20 business days depending on the jurisdiction. Overall installation timelines from contract to permission to operate are generally 4-8 weeks.

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