East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative and solar
East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 7,417 homes in Iowa. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 13.6¢4% below Iowa average
- Typical bill
- $1931,420 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- RetailFull retail net metering
- Typical payback
- 21.6 yrs6.2 kW, cash
Export rules for East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative customers
Full retail net metering (Iowa rule).
Iowa's two investor-owned utilities (MidAmerican and Alliant) credit solar exports at the retail energy rate through net billing or inflow-outflow billing. Customers who connect before a future value-of-solar rate takes effect (by July 2027 at the latest) keep retail-rate export credit for 20 years.
Solar for a typical East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative home
| System | 6.2 kW (50% of 1,420 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $23,650 |
| First-year savings | $1,156 |
| Payback | 21.6 years |
| 25-year net | $4,037 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 4
- Share of customers
- 0.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 0 MW
- Residential customers
- 7,417
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative and solar
Does East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative have net metering?
East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative follows Iowa's rules: Iowa's two investor-owned utilities (MidAmerican and Alliant) credit solar exports at the retail energy rate through net billing or inflow-outflow billing. Customers who connect before a future value-of-solar rate takes effect (by July 2027 at the latest) keep retail-rate export credit for 20 years.
How much does electricity cost with East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 13.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 13.6¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,420 kWh a month, a bill of about $193.
Is solar worth it with East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 6.2 kW system costing about $23,650 pays back in about 21.6 years, with $4,037 net over 25 years.
How many East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 4 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop (EIA ID 5588). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.