Corn Belt Energy Corporation and solar
Corn Belt Energy Corporation is an electric cooperative serving about 34,952 homes in Illinois. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 16.6¢12% below Illinois average
- Typical bill
- $157949 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~54%Reduced export credit
- Typical payback
- 14.3 yrs6.8 kW, cash
Export rules for Corn Belt Energy Corporation customers
Reduced export credit (Illinois rule).
For ComEd and Ameren customers who connected on or after Jan 1, 2025, solar exports only offset the energy supply part of the bill (about 8-12 cents/kWh), not delivery charges. To compensate, the state pays an upfront $300 per kW rebate for solar with a smart inverter, and Illinois Shines pays for solar renewable energy credits.
Solar for a typical Corn Belt Energy Corporation home
| System | 6.8 kW (80% of 949 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $23,220 |
| First-year savings | $1,482 |
| Payback | 14.3 years |
| 25-year net | $25,401 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 724
- Share of customers
- 2.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 9 MW
- Residential customers
- 34,952
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Corn Belt Energy Corporation and solar
Does Corn Belt Energy Corporation have net metering?
Corn Belt Energy Corporation follows Illinois's rules: For ComEd and Ameren customers who connected on or after Jan 1, 2025, solar exports only offset the energy supply part of the bill (about 8-12 cents/kWh), not delivery charges. To compensate, the state pays an upfront $300 per kW rebate for solar with a smart inverter, and Illinois Shines pays for solar renewable energy credits.
How much does electricity cost with Corn Belt Energy Corporation?
Residential customers paid an average of 15.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 16.6¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 949 kWh a month, a bill of about $157.
Is solar worth it with Corn Belt Energy Corporation?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 6.8 kW system costing about $23,220 pays back in about 14.3 years, with $25,401 net over 25 years.
How many Corn Belt Energy Corporation customers have solar?
About 724 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 2.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Corn Belt Energy Corporation (EIA ID 4362). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.