Cass County Electric Cooperative and solar
Cass County Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 52,785 homes in North Dakota. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 13.2¢7% above North Dakota average
- Typical bill
- $1361,034 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~23%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 19.1 yrs4.7 kW, cash
Export rules for Cass County Electric Cooperative customers
Avoided-cost export credit (North Dakota rule).
North Dakota's net metering rule only covers the three investor-owned utilities (Xcel, Otter Tail, Montana-Dakota) for systems up to 100 kW. Solar you use at home offsets retail power, but extra energy left over each month is bought at the utility's low avoided-cost rate (a few cents per kWh).
Solar for a typical Cass County Electric Cooperative home
| System | 4.7 kW (50% of 1,034 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $15,250 |
| First-year savings | $820 |
| Payback | 19.1 years |
| 25-year net | $5,608 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 46
- Share of customers
- 0.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 1 MW
- Residential customers
- 52,785
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Cass County Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Cass County Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Cass County Electric Cooperative follows North Dakota's rules: North Dakota's net metering rule only covers the three investor-owned utilities (Xcel, Otter Tail, Montana-Dakota) for systems up to 100 kW. Solar you use at home offsets retail power, but extra energy left over each month is bought at the utility's low avoided-cost rate (a few cents per kWh).
How much does electricity cost with Cass County Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 12.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 13.2¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,034 kWh a month, a bill of about $136.
Is solar worth it with Cass County Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 4.7 kW system costing about $15,250 pays back in about 19.1 years, with $5,608 net over 25 years.
How many Cass County Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 46 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Cass County Elec Coop Inc (EIA ID 24949). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.