Consumers Energy Cooperative and solar
Consumers Energy Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 7,121 homes in Iowa. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 15.4¢9% above Iowa average
- Typical bill
- $1671,081 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- RetailFull retail net metering
- Typical payback
- 19.8 yrs4.7 kW, cash
Export rules for Consumers Energy Cooperative customers
Full retail net metering (Iowa rule).
Iowa's two investor-owned utilities (MidAmerican and Alliant) credit solar exports at the retail energy rate through net billing or inflow-outflow billing. Customers who connect before a future value-of-solar rate takes effect (by July 2027 at the latest) keep retail-rate export credit for 20 years.
Solar for a typical Consumers Energy Cooperative home
| System | 4.7 kW (50% of 1,081 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $18,775 |
| First-year savings | $991 |
| Payback | 19.8 years |
| 25-year net | $5,500 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 16
- Share of customers
- 0.2%
- Residential solar capacity
- 0 MW
- Residential customers
- 7,121
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Consumers Energy Cooperative and solar
Does Consumers Energy Cooperative have net metering?
Consumers Energy Cooperative follows Iowa's rules: Iowa's two investor-owned utilities (MidAmerican and Alliant) credit solar exports at the retail energy rate through net billing or inflow-outflow billing. Customers who connect before a future value-of-solar rate takes effect (by July 2027 at the latest) keep retail-rate export credit for 20 years.
How much does electricity cost with Consumers Energy Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 14.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 15.4¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,081 kWh a month, a bill of about $167.
Is solar worth it with Consumers Energy Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 4.7 kW system costing about $18,775 pays back in about 19.8 years, with $5,500 net over 25 years.
How many Consumers Energy Cooperative customers have solar?
About 16 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.2% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Consumers Energy Coop - (IA) (EIA ID 11788). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.