City of Garden City and solar
City of Garden City is a municipal utility serving about 10,458 homes in Kansas. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 17.3¢14% above Kansas average
- Typical bill
- $117680 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~17%Reduced export credit
- Typical payback
- 12.8 yrs4.5 kW, cash
Export rules for City of Garden City customers
Reduced export credit (Kansas rule).
Kansas requires Evergy and Liberty (Empire) to offer net metering. Solar you use offsets retail, and monthly excess offsets usage, but net excess at the end of a billing period is credited at the utility's average cost of energy (only a few cents/kWh) rather than retail. Co-ops and city utilities aren't required to offer it.
Solar for a typical City of Garden City home
| System | 4.5 kW (90% of 680 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $14,975 |
| First-year savings | $1,217 |
| Payback | 12.8 years |
| 25-year net | $16,296 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- —
- Share of customers
- —
- Residential solar capacity
- —
- Residential customers
- 10,458
EIA-861, 2025.
Cities served
Questions about City of Garden City and solar
Does City of Garden City have net metering?
City of Garden City follows Kansas's rules: Kansas requires Evergy and Liberty (Empire) to offer net metering. Solar you use offsets retail, and monthly excess offsets usage, but net excess at the end of a billing period is credited at the utility's average cost of energy (only a few cents/kWh) rather than retail. Co-ops and city utilities aren't required to offer it.
How much does electricity cost with City of Garden City?
Residential customers paid an average of 16.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 17.3¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 680 kWh a month, a bill of about $117.
Is solar worth it with City of Garden City?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 4.5 kW system costing about $14,975 pays back in about 12.8 years, with $16,296 net over 25 years.
How many City of Garden City customers have solar?
City of Garden City did not report residential net-metered solar to EIA for 2025.
Legal name: City of Garden City (EIA ID 6941). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.