Claiborne Electric Cooperative and solar
Claiborne Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 21,354 homes in Louisiana. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 13.8¢6% above Louisiana average
- Typical bill
- $1591,150 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~28%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 17.1 yrs4.7 kW, cash
Export rules for Claiborne Electric Cooperative customers
Avoided-cost export credit (Louisiana rule).
Outside New Orleans, new solar customers since 2020 are credited for exported power at the utility's avoided cost, about 3.6-4 cents/kWh, versus retail rates of ~11-13 cents. Customers who interconnected before 2020 were grandfathered at retail for 15 years. New Orleans (City Council-regulated) still offers retail net metering.
Solar for a typical Claiborne Electric Cooperative home
| System | 4.7 kW (50% of 1,150 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $13,605 |
| First-year savings | $771 |
| Payback | 17.1 years |
| 25-year net | $8,542 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 119
- Share of customers
- 0.6%
- Residential solar capacity
- 1 MW
- Residential customers
- 21,354
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Claiborne Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Claiborne Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Claiborne Electric Cooperative follows Louisiana's rules: Outside New Orleans, new solar customers since 2020 are credited for exported power at the utility's avoided cost, about 3.6-4 cents/kWh, versus retail rates of ~11-13 cents. Customers who interconnected before 2020 were grandfathered at retail for 15 years. New Orleans (City Council-regulated) still offers retail net metering.
How much does electricity cost with Claiborne Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 13.3¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 13.8¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,150 kWh a month, a bill of about $159.
Is solar worth it with Claiborne Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 4.7 kW system costing about $13,605 pays back in about 17.1 years, with $8,542 net over 25 years.
How many Claiborne Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 119 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.6% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Claiborne Electric Coop, Inc (EIA ID 3641). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.