Laclede Electric Cooperative and solar
Laclede Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 35,275 homes in Missouri. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 13.0¢7% below Missouri average
- Typical bill
- $1661,279 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~35%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 16.6 yrs7.1 kW, cash
Export rules for Laclede 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 Laclede Electric Cooperative home
| System | 7.1 kW (65% of 1,279 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $20,185 |
| First-year savings | $1,303 |
| Payback | 16.6 years |
| 25-year net | $11,520 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 301
- Share of customers
- 0.9%
- Residential solar capacity
- 3 MW
- Residential customers
- 35,275
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Laclede Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Laclede Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Laclede 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 Laclede Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 12.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 13.0¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,279 kWh a month, a bill of about $166.
Is solar worth it with Laclede Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 7.1 kW system costing about $20,185 pays back in about 16.6 years, with $11,520 net over 25 years.
How many Laclede Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 301 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.9% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Laclede Electric Coop, Inc (EIA ID 10603). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.