Covington Electric Cooperative and solar
Covington Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 23,625 homes in Alabama. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 18.0¢9% above Alabama average
- Typical bill
- $2041,135 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~17%No statewide net metering
- Typical payback
- 17.3 yrs4.8 kW, cash
Export rules for Covington Electric Cooperative customers
No statewide net metering (Alabama rule).
Alabama has no net metering law. Alabama Power buys any electricity you send to the grid at a low wholesale (avoided-cost) price. It also charges solar customers a monthly 'capacity reservation' fee of about $5.41 per kW of system size, which a federal judge let stand in March 2026.
Solar for a typical Covington Electric Cooperative home
| System | 4.8 kW (50% of 1,135 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $18,380 |
| First-year savings | $956 |
| Payback | 17.3 years |
| 25-year net | $11,521 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 15
- Share of customers
- 0.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 0 MW
- Residential customers
- 23,625
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Covington Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Covington Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Covington Electric Cooperative follows Alabama's rules: Alabama has no net metering law. Alabama Power buys any electricity you send to the grid at a low wholesale (avoided-cost) price. It also charges solar customers a monthly 'capacity reservation' fee of about $5.41 per kW of system size, which a federal judge let stand in March 2026.
How much does electricity cost with Covington Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 17.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 18.0¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,135 kWh a month, a bill of about $204.
Is solar worth it with Covington Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 4.8 kW system costing about $18,380 pays back in about 17.3 years, with $11,521 net over 25 years.
How many Covington Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 15 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Covington Electric Coop, Inc (EIA ID 4430). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.