Dixie Electric Cooperative and solar
Dixie Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 22,315 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.)
- 15.8¢4% below Alabama average
- Typical bill
- $1851,171 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~19%No statewide net metering
- Typical payback
- 19.4 yrs5 kW, cash
Export rules for Dixie 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 Dixie Electric Cooperative home
| System | 5 kW (50% of 1,171 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $19,000 |
| First-year savings | $876 |
| Payback | 19.4 years |
| 25-year net | $7,798 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- —
- Share of customers
- —
- Residential solar capacity
- —
- Residential customers
- 22,315
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Dixie Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Dixie Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Dixie 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 Dixie Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 15.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 15.8¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,171 kWh a month, a bill of about $185.
Is solar worth it with Dixie Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 5 kW system costing about $19,000 pays back in about 19.4 years, with $7,798 net over 25 years.
How many Dixie Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
Dixie Electric Cooperative did not report residential net-metered solar to EIA for 2025.
Legal name: Dixie Electric Coop - (AL) (EIA ID 5204). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.