Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative and solar
Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 16,384 homes in Ohio. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 17.7¢3% below Ohio average
- Typical bill
- $2391,349 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~45%Reduced export credit
- Typical payback
- 12.5 yrs10.1 kW, cash
Export rules for Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative customers
Reduced export credit (Ohio rule).
Ohio's investor-owned utilities must offer net metering. Within a month, solar offsets your usage at full retail; any extra energy beyond your monthly use is credited only at the generation (energy supply) price, roughly half of the retail rate.
Solar for a typical Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative home
| System | 10.1 kW (80% of 1,349 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $28,750 |
| First-year savings | $2,234 |
| Payback | 12.5 years |
| 25-year net | $38,063 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- —
- Share of customers
- —
- Residential solar capacity
- —
- Residential customers
- 16,384
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative follows Ohio's rules: Ohio's investor-owned utilities must offer net metering. Within a month, solar offsets your usage at full retail; any extra energy beyond your monthly use is credited only at the generation (energy supply) price, roughly half of the retail rate.
How much does electricity cost with Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 16.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 17.7¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,349 kWh a month, a bill of about $239.
Is solar worth it with Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 10.1 kW system costing about $28,750 pays back in about 12.5 years, with $38,063 net over 25 years.
How many Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative did not report residential net-metered solar to EIA for 2025.
Legal name: Pioneer Rural Elec Coop, Inc - (OH) (EIA ID 15054). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.