Southwest Electric Cooperative and solar
Southwest Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 41,670 homes in Missouri. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 12.9¢7% below Missouri average
- Typical bill
- $1431,109 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~35%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 17.1 yrs6.1 kW, cash
Export rules for Southwest Electric Cooperative customers
Avoided-cost export credit (Missouri rule).
Missouri's net metering law nets usage and production within each monthly bill at full retail, but any net excess for the month is credited only at the utility's avoided fuel cost (a few cents/kWh), and unused credits expire after 12 months. Systems are capped at 100 kW.
Solar for a typical Southwest Electric Cooperative home
| System | 6.1 kW (65% of 1,109 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $17,835 |
| First-year savings | $1,113 |
| Payback | 17.1 years |
| 25-year net | $9,229 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 368
- Share of customers
- 0.9%
- Residential solar capacity
- 4 MW
- Residential customers
- 41,670
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Southwest Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Southwest Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Southwest Electric Cooperative follows Missouri's rules: Missouri's net metering law nets usage and production within each monthly bill at full retail, but any net excess for the month is credited only at the utility's avoided fuel cost (a few cents/kWh), and unused credits expire after 12 months. Systems are capped at 100 kW.
How much does electricity cost with Southwest Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 12.3¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 12.9¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,109 kWh a month, a bill of about $143.
Is solar worth it with Southwest Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 6.1 kW system costing about $17,835 pays back in about 17.1 years, with $9,229 net over 25 years.
How many Southwest Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 368 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.9% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Southwest Electric Coop, Inc (EIA ID 27238). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.