Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative and solar
Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 11,593 homes in Louisiana. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 11.6¢11% below Louisiana average
- Typical bill
- $1651,422 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~33%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 19.1 yrs5.8 kW, cash
Export rules for Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative customers
Avoided-cost export credit (Louisiana rule).
Outside New Orleans, new solar customers since 2020 are credited for exported power at the utility's avoided cost, about 3.6-4 cents/kWh, versus retail rates of ~11-13 cents. Customers who interconnected before 2020 were grandfathered at retail for 15 years. New Orleans (City Council-regulated) still offers retail net metering.
Solar for a typical Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative home
| System | 5.8 kW (50% of 1,422 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $15,970 |
| First-year savings | $815 |
| Payback | 19.1 years |
| 25-year net | $6,542 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 63
- Share of customers
- 0.5%
- Residential solar capacity
- 1 MW
- Residential customers
- 11,593
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative and solar
Does Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative have net metering?
Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative follows Louisiana's rules: Outside New Orleans, new solar customers since 2020 are credited for exported power at the utility's avoided cost, about 3.6-4 cents/kWh, versus retail rates of ~11-13 cents. Customers who interconnected before 2020 were grandfathered at retail for 15 years. New Orleans (City Council-regulated) still offers retail net metering.
How much does electricity cost with Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 11.6¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,422 kWh a month, a bill of about $165.
Is solar worth it with Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 5.8 kW system costing about $15,970 pays back in about 19.1 years, with $6,542 net over 25 years.
How many Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative customers have solar?
About 63 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.5% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Northeast Louisiana Power Coop Inc. (EIA ID 13783). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.