Inter County Energy Cooperative and solar
Inter County Energy Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 26,993 homes in Kentucky. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 14.5¢4% above Kentucky average
- Typical bill
- $1681,156 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~52%Net billing (reduced export credit)
- Typical payback
- 17.9 yrs5.2 kW, cash
Export rules for Inter County Energy Cooperative customers
Net billing (reduced export credit) (Kentucky rule).
Kentucky requires net metering for systems up to 45 kW, but since SB 100 (2019) the PSC sets the export credit in each utility's rate case. For the big investor-owned utilities, power you send to the grid earns a bill credit of roughly 7-10 cents/kWh, well below the retail rate.
Solar for a typical Inter County Energy Cooperative home
| System | 5.2 kW (50% of 1,156 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $15,720 |
| First-year savings | $887 |
| Payback | 17.9 years |
| 25-year net | $7,821 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 198
- Share of customers
- 0.7%
- Residential solar capacity
- 2 MW
- Residential customers
- 26,993
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Inter County Energy Cooperative and solar
Does Inter County Energy Cooperative have net metering?
Inter County Energy Cooperative follows Kentucky's rules: Kentucky requires net metering for systems up to 45 kW, but since SB 100 (2019) the PSC sets the export credit in each utility's rate case. For the big investor-owned utilities, power you send to the grid earns a bill credit of roughly 7-10 cents/kWh, well below the retail rate.
How much does electricity cost with Inter County Energy Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 13.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 14.5¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,156 kWh a month, a bill of about $168.
Is solar worth it with Inter County Energy Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 5.2 kW system costing about $15,720 pays back in about 17.9 years, with $7,821 net over 25 years.
How many Inter County Energy Cooperative customers have solar?
About 198 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.7% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Inter County Energy Coop Corp - (KY) (EIA ID 9292). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.