Eastern Illinois Electric Cooperative and solar
Eastern Illinois Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 11,001 homes in Illinois. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 18.8¢0% above Illinois average
- Typical bill
- $2431,291 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~48%Reduced export credit
- Typical payback
- 12.6 yrs10.4 kW, cash
Export rules for Eastern Illinois Electric Cooperative customers
Reduced export credit (Illinois rule).
For ComEd and Ameren customers who connected on or after Jan 1, 2025, solar exports only offset the energy supply part of the bill (about 8-12 cents/kWh), not delivery charges. To compensate, the state pays an upfront $300 per kW rebate for solar with a smart inverter, and Illinois Shines pays for solar renewable energy credits.
Solar for a typical Eastern Illinois Electric Cooperative home
| System | 10.4 kW (90% of 1,291 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $33,660 |
| First-year savings | $2,488 |
| Payback | 12.6 years |
| 25-year net | $49,042 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 484
- Share of customers
- 4.4%
- Residential solar capacity
- 6 MW
- Residential customers
- 11,001
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Eastern Illinois Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Eastern Illinois Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Eastern Illinois Electric Cooperative follows Illinois's rules: For ComEd and Ameren customers who connected on or after Jan 1, 2025, solar exports only offset the energy supply part of the bill (about 8-12 cents/kWh), not delivery charges. To compensate, the state pays an upfront $300 per kW rebate for solar with a smart inverter, and Illinois Shines pays for solar renewable energy credits.
How much does electricity cost with Eastern Illinois Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 17.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 18.8¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,291 kWh a month, a bill of about $243.
Is solar worth it with Eastern Illinois Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 10.4 kW system costing about $33,660 pays back in about 12.6 years, with $49,042 net over 25 years.
How many Eastern Illinois Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 484 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 4.4% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Eastern Illinois Elec Coop (EIA ID 5585). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.