Laurens Electric Cooperative and solar
Laurens Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 59,786 homes in South Carolina. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 16.2¢3% above South Carolina average
- Typical bill
- $1731,071 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~19%Net billing (reduced export credit)
- Typical payback
- 11.4 yrs8 kW, cash
Export rules for Laurens Electric Cooperative customers
Net billing (reduced export credit) (South Carolina rule).
Since June 2021 new solar customers of Duke Energy and Dominion Energy SC are on 'Solar Choice' tariffs: you're billed on time-of-use rates, solar offsets usage within the same period, and monthly excess is credited at the low avoided-cost rate (~2-4 c/kWh). Duke has a $30 minimum bill.
Solar for a typical Laurens Electric Cooperative home
| System | 8 kW (90% of 1,071 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $23,100, $19,600 after incentives |
| First-year savings | $1,801 |
| Payback | 11.4 years |
| 25-year net | $27,502 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 1
- Share of customers
- 0.0%
- Residential solar capacity
- 0 MW
- Residential customers
- 59,786
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Laurens Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Laurens Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Laurens Electric Cooperative follows South Carolina's rules: Since June 2021 new solar customers of Duke Energy and Dominion Energy SC are on 'Solar Choice' tariffs: you're billed on time-of-use rates, solar offsets usage within the same period, and monthly excess is credited at the low avoided-cost rate (~2-4 c/kWh). Duke has a $30 minimum bill.
How much does electricity cost with Laurens Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 15.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 16.2¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,071 kWh a month, a bill of about $173.
Is solar worth it with Laurens Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 8 kW system costing about $19,600 pays back in about 11.4 years, with $27,502 net over 25 years.
How many Laurens Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 1 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.0% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Laurens Electric Coop, Inc (EIA ID 10768). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.