Craighead Electric Cooperative and solar
Craighead Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 25,180 homes in Arkansas. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 13.0¢3% below Arkansas average
- Typical bill
- $1751,344 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~30%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 14.5 yrs10.4 kW, cash
Export rules for Craighead Electric Cooperative customers
Avoided-cost export credit (Arkansas rule).
Under Act 278 of 2023, new solar customers (applications after Sept 30, 2024) still offset their own usage at retail, but any excess electricity sent to the grid is credited only at the utility's avoided cost, often under half of retail. Customers who connected earlier keep 1:1 retail credit through 2039-2040.
Solar for a typical Craighead Electric Cooperative home
| System | 10.4 kW (90% of 1,344 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $26,900 |
| First-year savings | $1,844 |
| Payback | 14.5 years |
| 25-year net | $25,589 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 151
- Share of customers
- 0.6%
- Residential solar capacity
- 1 MW
- Residential customers
- 25,180
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Craighead Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Craighead Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Craighead Electric Cooperative follows Arkansas's rules: Under Act 278 of 2023, new solar customers (applications after Sept 30, 2024) still offset their own usage at retail, but any excess electricity sent to the grid is credited only at the utility's avoided cost, often under half of retail. Customers who connected earlier keep 1:1 retail credit through 2039-2040.
How much does electricity cost with Craighead Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 12.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 13.0¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,344 kWh a month, a bill of about $175.
Is solar worth it with Craighead Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 10.4 kW system costing about $26,900 pays back in about 14.5 years, with $25,589 net over 25 years.
How many Craighead Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 151 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.6% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Craighead Electric Coop Corp (EIA ID 4509). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.