Black River Electric Cooperative and solar
Black River Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 30,874 homes in South Carolina. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 15.7¢0% above South Carolina average
- Typical bill
- $2021,289 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~19%Net billing (reduced export credit)
- Typical payback
- 11.8 yrs9.6 kW, cash
Export rules for Black River Electric Cooperative customers
Net billing (reduced export credit) (South Carolina rule).
Since June 2021 new solar customers of Duke Energy and Dominion Energy SC are on 'Solar Choice' tariffs: you're billed on time-of-use rates, solar offsets usage within the same period, and monthly excess is credited at the low avoided-cost rate (~2-4 c/kWh). Duke has a $30 minimum bill.
Solar for a typical Black River Electric Cooperative home
| System | 9.6 kW (90% of 1,289 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $27,020, $23,520 after incentives |
| First-year savings | $2,097 |
| Payback | 11.8 years |
| 25-year net | $31,049 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 461
- Share of customers
- 1.5%
- Residential solar capacity
- 4 MW
- Residential customers
- 30,874
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Black River Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Black River Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Black River Electric Cooperative follows South Carolina's rules: Since June 2021 new solar customers of Duke Energy and Dominion Energy SC are on 'Solar Choice' tariffs: you're billed on time-of-use rates, solar offsets usage within the same period, and monthly excess is credited at the low avoided-cost rate (~2-4 c/kWh). Duke has a $30 minimum bill.
How much does electricity cost with Black River Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 15.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 15.7¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,289 kWh a month, a bill of about $202.
Is solar worth it with Black River Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 9.6 kW system costing about $23,520 pays back in about 11.8 years, with $31,049 net over 25 years.
How many Black River Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 461 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 1.5% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Black River Electric Coop, Inc - (SC) (EIA ID 1763). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.