Southern Pioneer Electric and solar
Southern Pioneer Electric is an electric cooperative serving about 12,608 homes in Kansas. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 17.2¢14% above Kansas average
- Typical bill
- $130757 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~17%Reduced export credit
- Typical payback
- 13.6 yrs5.6 kW, cash
Export rules for Southern Pioneer Electric 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 Southern Pioneer Electric home
| System | 5.6 kW (91% of 757 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $17,780 |
| First-year savings | $1,364 |
| Payback | 13.6 years |
| 25-year net | $16,847 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 78
- Share of customers
- 0.6%
- Residential solar capacity
- 1 MW
- Residential customers
- 12,608
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Southern Pioneer Electric and solar
Does Southern Pioneer Electric have net metering?
Southern Pioneer Electric 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 Southern Pioneer Electric?
Residential customers paid an average of 16.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 17.2¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 757 kWh a month, a bill of about $130.
Is solar worth it with Southern Pioneer Electric?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 5.6 kW system costing about $17,780 pays back in about 13.6 years, with $16,847 net over 25 years.
How many Southern Pioneer Electric customers have solar?
About 78 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.6% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Southern Pioneer Electric Company (EIA ID 60839). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.