Farmers Electric Cooperative and solar
Farmers Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 12,497 homes in Missouri. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 14.3¢3% above Missouri average
- Typical bill
- $1631,139 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~31%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 14.9 yrs7.7 kW, cash
Export rules for Farmers 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 Farmers Electric Cooperative home
| System | 7.7 kW (80% of 1,139 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $21,595 |
| First-year savings | $1,535 |
| Payback | 14.9 years |
| 25-year net | $16,673 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 145
- Share of customers
- 1.2%
- Residential solar capacity
- 2 MW
- Residential customers
- 12,497
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Farmers Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Farmers Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Farmers 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 Farmers Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 13.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 14.3¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,139 kWh a month, a bill of about $163.
Is solar worth it with Farmers Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 7.7 kW system costing about $21,595 pays back in about 14.9 years, with $16,673 net over 25 years.
How many Farmers Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 145 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 1.2% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (MO) (EIA ID 6181). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.