City Water and Light Plant and solar
City Water and Light Plant is a municipal utility serving about 35,335 homes in Arkansas. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 7.4¢45% below Arkansas average
- Typical bill
- $941,258 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~30%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- Never5.4 kW, cash
Export rules for City Water and Light Plant 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 City Water and Light Plant home
| System | 5.4 kW (50% of 1,258 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $15,650 |
| First-year savings | $564 |
| Payback | never within 25 years |
| 25-year net | −$1,663 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 57
- Share of customers
- 0.2%
- Residential solar capacity
- 0 MW
- Residential customers
- 35,335
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about City Water and Light Plant and solar
Does City Water and Light Plant have net metering?
City Water and Light Plant 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 City Water and Light Plant?
Residential customers paid an average of 7.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 7.4¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,258 kWh a month, a bill of about $94.
Is solar worth it with City Water and Light Plant?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 5.4 kW system costing about $15,650 does not pay back within 25 years, with −$1,663 net over 25 years.
How many City Water and Light Plant customers have solar?
About 57 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.2% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: City Water and Light Plant - (AR) (EIA ID 9879). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.