Petit Jean Electric Cooperative and solar
Petit Jean Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 18,878 homes in Arkansas. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 17.3¢29% above Arkansas average
- Typical bill
- $166960 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~30%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 11.6 yrs8.2 kW, cash
Export rules for Petit Jean Electric Cooperative customers
Avoided-cost export credit (Arkansas rule).
Under Act 278 of 2023, new solar customers (applications after Sept 30, 2024) still offset their own usage at retail, but any excess electricity sent to the grid is credited only at the utility's avoided cost, often under half of retail. Customers who connected earlier keep 1:1 retail credit through 2039-2040.
Solar for a typical Petit Jean Electric Cooperative home
| System | 8.2 kW (100% of 960 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $21,950 |
| First-year savings | $1,880 |
| Payback | 11.6 years |
| 25-year net | $34,122 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 126
- Share of customers
- 0.7%
- Residential solar capacity
- 1 MW
- Residential customers
- 18,878
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Petit Jean Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Petit Jean Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Petit Jean Electric Cooperative follows Arkansas's rules: Under Act 278 of 2023, new solar customers (applications after Sept 30, 2024) still offset their own usage at retail, but any excess electricity sent to the grid is credited only at the utility's avoided cost, often under half of retail. Customers who connected earlier keep 1:1 retail credit through 2039-2040.
How much does electricity cost with Petit Jean Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 16.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 17.3¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 960 kWh a month, a bill of about $166.
Is solar worth it with Petit Jean Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 8.2 kW system costing about $21,950 pays back in about 11.6 years, with $34,122 net over 25 years.
How many Petit Jean Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 126 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.7% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Petit Jean Electric Coop Corp (EIA ID 14864). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.