Clark Energy Cooperative and solar
Clark Energy Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 26,315 homes in Kentucky. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 14.1¢2% above Kentucky average
- Typical bill
- $1581,120 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~53%Net billing (reduced export credit)
- Typical payback
- 18.4 yrs5 kW, cash
Export rules for Clark Energy Cooperative customers
Net billing (reduced export credit) (Kentucky rule).
Kentucky requires net metering for systems up to 45 kW, but since SB 100 (2019) the PSC sets the export credit in each utility's rate case. For the big investor-owned utilities, power you send to the grid earns a bill credit of roughly 7-10 cents/kWh, well below the retail rate.
Solar for a typical Clark Energy Cooperative home
| System | 5 kW (50% of 1,120 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $15,250 |
| First-year savings | $836 |
| Payback | 18.4 years |
| 25-year net | $6,837 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 133
- Share of customers
- 0.5%
- Residential solar capacity
- 1 MW
- Residential customers
- 26,315
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Clark Energy Cooperative and solar
Does Clark Energy Cooperative have net metering?
Clark Energy Cooperative follows Kentucky's rules: Kentucky requires net metering for systems up to 45 kW, but since SB 100 (2019) the PSC sets the export credit in each utility's rate case. For the big investor-owned utilities, power you send to the grid earns a bill credit of roughly 7-10 cents/kWh, well below the retail rate.
How much does electricity cost with Clark Energy Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 14.1¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,120 kWh a month, a bill of about $158.
Is solar worth it with Clark Energy Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 5 kW system costing about $15,250 pays back in about 18.4 years, with $6,837 net over 25 years.
How many Clark Energy Cooperative customers have solar?
About 133 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.5% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Clark Energy Coop Inc - (KY) (EIA ID 3687). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.