Southwest Louisiana E M C and solar
Southwest Louisiana E M C is an electric cooperative serving about 109,628 homes in Louisiana. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 12.0¢8% below Louisiana average
- Typical bill
- $1681,404 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~32%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 18.6 yrs5.7 kW, cash
Export rules for Southwest Louisiana E M C customers
Avoided-cost export credit (Louisiana rule).
Outside New Orleans, new solar customers since 2020 are credited for exported power at the utility's avoided cost, about 3.6-4 cents/kWh, versus retail rates of ~11-13 cents. Customers who interconnected before 2020 were grandfathered at retail for 15 years. New Orleans (City Council-regulated) still offers retail net metering.
Solar for a typical Southwest Louisiana E M C home
| System | 5.7 kW (50% of 1,404 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $15,755 |
| First-year savings | $826 |
| Payback | 18.6 years |
| 25-year net | $7,236 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 1,063
- Share of customers
- 1.0%
- Residential solar capacity
- 8 MW
- Residential customers
- 109,628
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Southwest Louisiana E M C and solar
Does Southwest Louisiana E M C have net metering?
Southwest Louisiana E M C follows Louisiana's rules: Outside New Orleans, new solar customers since 2020 are credited for exported power at the utility's avoided cost, about 3.6-4 cents/kWh, versus retail rates of ~11-13 cents. Customers who interconnected before 2020 were grandfathered at retail for 15 years. New Orleans (City Council-regulated) still offers retail net metering.
How much does electricity cost with Southwest Louisiana E M C?
Residential customers paid an average of 11.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 12.0¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,404 kWh a month, a bill of about $168.
Is solar worth it with Southwest Louisiana E M C?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 5.7 kW system costing about $15,755 pays back in about 18.6 years, with $7,236 net over 25 years.
How many Southwest Louisiana E M C customers have solar?
About 1,063 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 1.0% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Southwest Louisiana E M C (EIA ID 17684). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.