Pioneer Electric Cooperative and solar
Pioneer Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 5,038 homes in Kansas. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 12.4¢18% below Kansas average
- Typical bill
- $1261,021 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~24%Reduced export credit
- Typical payback
- 19.9 yrs4.2 kW, cash
Export rules for Pioneer Electric Cooperative customers
Reduced export credit (Kansas rule).
Kansas requires Evergy and Liberty (Empire) to offer net metering. Solar you use offsets retail, and monthly excess offsets usage, but net excess at the end of a billing period is credited at the utility's average cost of energy (only a few cents/kWh) rather than retail. Co-ops and city utilities aren't required to offer it.
Solar for a typical Pioneer Electric Cooperative home
| System | 4.2 kW (50% of 1,021 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $14,210 |
| First-year savings | $765 |
| Payback | 19.9 years |
| 25-year net | $4,000 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 27
- Share of customers
- 0.5%
- Residential solar capacity
- 0 MW
- Residential customers
- 5,038
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Pioneer Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Pioneer Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Pioneer Electric Cooperative follows Kansas's rules: Kansas requires Evergy and Liberty (Empire) to offer net metering. Solar you use offsets retail, and monthly excess offsets usage, but net excess at the end of a billing period is credited at the utility's average cost of energy (only a few cents/kWh) rather than retail. Co-ops and city utilities aren't required to offer it.
How much does electricity cost with Pioneer Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 11.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 12.4¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,021 kWh a month, a bill of about $126.
Is solar worth it with Pioneer Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 4.2 kW system costing about $14,210 pays back in about 19.9 years, with $4,000 net over 25 years.
How many Pioneer Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 27 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.5% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS) (EIA ID 15073). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.