Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative and solar
Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 59,272 homes in Arkansas, Oklahoma. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 14.7¢9% above Arkansas average
- Typical bill
- $1621,104 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~30%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 13.2 yrs8.5 kW, cash
Export rules for Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative customers
Avoided-cost export credit (Arkansas rule).
Under Act 278 of 2023, new solar customers (applications after Sept 30, 2024) still offset their own usage at retail, but any excess electricity sent to the grid is credited only at the utility's avoided cost, often under half of retail. Customers who connected earlier keep 1:1 retail credit through 2039-2040.
Solar for a typical Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative home
| System | 8.5 kW (90% of 1,104 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $22,625 |
| First-year savings | $1,706 |
| Payback | 13.2 years |
| 25-year net | $26,839 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 1,038
- Share of customers
- 1.8%
- Residential solar capacity
- 12 MW
- Residential customers
- 59,272
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative follows Arkansas's rules: Under Act 278 of 2023, new solar customers (applications after Sept 30, 2024) still offset their own usage at retail, but any excess electricity sent to the grid is credited only at the utility's avoided cost, often under half of retail. Customers who connected earlier keep 1:1 retail credit through 2039-2040.
How much does electricity cost with Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 14.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 14.7¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,104 kWh a month, a bill of about $162.
Is solar worth it with Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 8.5 kW system costing about $22,625 pays back in about 13.2 years, with $26,839 net over 25 years.
How many Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 1,038 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 1.8% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Arkansas Valley Elec Coop Corp (EIA ID 817). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.