Texas Solar Buyback Plans in 2026: Real-Time vs. Fixed vs. Wholesale

Installing solar in Texas? Do not lose your export value to a bad buyback plan. Here is how to compare fixed-rate, real-time, and wholesale export credits before signing a contract.

If you are installing solar panels in Texas, your electricity plan choice just got completely rewritten. The plan you need is no longer about finding the cheapest import rate. It is about how the Retail Electric Provider (REP) values the power you send back to the grid.

Texas does not have statewide mandated 1:1 net metering. Instead, competitive REPs offer solar buyback plans, and the rules of the game vary wildly. The most obvious mistake is picking a plan with a low import rate but a terrible export credit structure.

First, understand the difference between fixed-rate buyback, real-time wholesale buyback, and free-nights-with-solar plans. Fixed-rate plans guarantee a set cents-per-kWh credit for exports. Wholesale plans pay you the real-time ERCOT settlement price, which can be lucrative during summer grid alerts but near zero during mild spring days.

Before signing, look closely at the rollover rules. Do your export credits roll over month-to-month infinitely, or do they reset at the end of the year? If they reset, do they pay out in cash or just vanish? If you size your system for 110% offset, infinite rollover is critical.

You also need to check if the REP caps your monthly credits. Some buyback plans cap your export credit at your total import charge for the month, meaning your bill can never go negative. Others allow negative bills and let the credits accumulate to cover winter months when solar production drops.

The best way to compare these plans is to model your expected generation curve against your consumption curve. If you use most of your power in the evening but generate all day, your export rate matters intensely. Read more about understanding total plan math in /blog/texas-electricity-rates-500-vs-1000-vs-1500-kwh.

Bottom line: do not let a solar installer pick your electricity plan for you, and do not assume a low import rate means a good solar plan. A plan with an 18-cent import rate and a 10-cent export rate might beat a plan with a 12-cent import rate and a 3-cent export rate, depending entirely on your consumption profile.