Menard Electric Cooperative and solar
Menard Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 9,036 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.)
- 20.7¢10% above Illinois average
- Typical bill
- $2111,022 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~44%Reduced export credit
- Typical payback
- 11.8 yrs8.2 kW, cash
Export rules for Menard 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 Menard Electric Cooperative home
| System | 8.2 kW (90% of 1,022 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $27,280 |
| First-year savings | $2,151 |
| Payback | 11.8 years |
| 25-year net | $45,103 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 275
- Share of customers
- 3.0%
- Residential solar capacity
- 3 MW
- Residential customers
- 9,036
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Menard Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Menard Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Menard 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 Menard Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 19.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 20.7¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,022 kWh a month, a bill of about $211.
Is solar worth it with Menard Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 8.2 kW system costing about $27,280 pays back in about 11.8 years, with $45,103 net over 25 years.
How many Menard Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 275 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 3.0% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Menard Electric Coop (EIA ID 12395). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.