Cuivre River Electric Cooperative and solar
Cuivre River Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 74,261 homes in Missouri. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 11.9¢15% below Missouri average
- Typical bill
- $1571,318 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~38%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 19 yrs5.6 kW, cash
Export rules for Cuivre River Electric Cooperative customers
Avoided-cost export credit (Missouri rule).
Missouri's net metering law nets usage and production within each monthly bill at full retail, but any net excess for the month is credited only at the utility's avoided fuel cost (a few cents/kWh), and unused credits expire after 12 months. Systems are capped at 100 kW.
Solar for a typical Cuivre River Electric Cooperative home
| System | 5.6 kW (50% of 1,318 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $16,660 |
| First-year savings | $942 |
| Payback | 19.0 years |
| 25-year net | $5,872 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 296
- Share of customers
- 0.4%
- Residential solar capacity
- 3 MW
- Residential customers
- 74,261
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Cuivre River Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Cuivre River Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Cuivre River Electric Cooperative follows Missouri's rules: Missouri's net metering law nets usage and production within each monthly bill at full retail, but any net excess for the month is credited only at the utility's avoided fuel cost (a few cents/kWh), and unused credits expire after 12 months. Systems are capped at 100 kW.
How much does electricity cost with Cuivre River Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 11.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 11.9¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,318 kWh a month, a bill of about $157.
Is solar worth it with Cuivre River Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 5.6 kW system costing about $16,660 pays back in about 19 years, with $5,872 net over 25 years.
How many Cuivre River Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 296 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.4% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Cuivre River Electric Coop Inc (EIA ID 4675). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.