Nodak Electric Cooperative and solar
Nodak Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 20,715 homes in North Dakota. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 13.2¢7% above North Dakota average
- Typical bill
- $2031,538 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~23%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 18.3 yrs7.2 kW, cash
Export rules for Nodak Electric Cooperative customers
Avoided-cost export credit (North Dakota rule).
North Dakota's net metering rule only covers the three investor-owned utilities (Xcel, Otter Tail, Montana-Dakota) for systems up to 100 kW. Solar you use at home offsets retail power, but extra energy left over each month is bought at the utility's low avoided-cost rate (a few cents per kWh).
Solar for a typical Nodak Electric Cooperative home
| System | 7.2 kW (50% of 1,538 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $21,500 |
| First-year savings | $1,221 |
| Payback | 18.3 years |
| 25-year net | $9,393 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 14
- Share of customers
- 0.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 0 MW
- Residential customers
- 20,715
EIA-861, 2025.
Cities served
Questions about Nodak Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Nodak Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Nodak Electric Cooperative follows North Dakota's rules: North Dakota's net metering rule only covers the three investor-owned utilities (Xcel, Otter Tail, Montana-Dakota) for systems up to 100 kW. Solar you use at home offsets retail power, but extra energy left over each month is bought at the utility's low avoided-cost rate (a few cents per kWh).
How much does electricity cost with Nodak Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 12.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 13.2¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,538 kWh a month, a bill of about $203.
Is solar worth it with Nodak Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 7.2 kW system costing about $21,500 pays back in about 18.3 years, with $9,393 net over 25 years.
How many Nodak Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 14 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Nodak Electric Coop Inc (EIA ID 12301). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.