What is the Liberty Utilities Missouri rate increase phasing in starting 2026?

On January 14, 2026, the Missouri Public Service Commission approved a settlement agreement in Liberty's Missouri electric rate case that allows Liberty to recover part of its infrastructure investment costs. The new rates phase in over three years to ease customer impact. The average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month will see roughly a $7.83 per month increase in year one (approximately 4.9% over current rates), $8.91 per month in year two (approximately 5.31% over year one), and a third increment in year three. Total cumulative increase over three years is approximately 11 to 13% on top of Liberty's already higher residential rates. New rates take effect after Liberty meets customer service and billing performance standards specified in the settlement, with no specific implementation date yet announced as of April 2026.

How long does Liberty Utilities Missouri's solar application process take?

Liberty Utilities Missouri reviews residential applications for systems 10 kilowatts DC or smaller within 30 business days of receipt. Larger systems take up to 90 days under the Easy Connection Act. After approval, the customer has 12 months to complete installation. Liberty performs the post-installation review and bi-directional meter installation following completion. From signed contract to permission to operate, the typical end-to-end timeline for a Solar Assure install on Liberty Missouri runs 8 to 12 weeks, similar to the Ameren and Evergy timelines because all three follow the same RSMo 386.890 procedures.

Utility Guide · Missouri

Going solar on Liberty Utilities Missouri: net metering, rate increases, and Joplin service.

Liberty Utilities, operating as The Empire District Electric Company, serves about 165,000 customers across southwest Missouri including Joplin, Branson, Aurora, and Bolivar. Liberty has the highest average residential rates of Missouri's three investor-owned electric utilities (~16.20 cents per kilowatt-hour vs ~13.50 for Ameren and ~11.50 for Evergy), which makes solar economics work better here than on either of the larger utilities. With a three-year phased rate increase approved by the Missouri Public Service Commission in January 2026, those rates are heading higher. Here is what every Liberty Missouri homeowner needs to know about going solar.

By Joshua Hayeslip · Founder and CEO, Solar Assure

Service Territory

Liberty's southwest Missouri footprint.

Liberty Utilities is the third investor-owned electric utility in Missouri, serving the southwest corner of the state under the legacy Empire District Electric Company brand. Liberty is a subsidiary of Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp., headquartered in Canada, with North American electric and gas distribution operations across 13 US states and one Canadian province.

Cities and counties served

Liberty Missouri's electric service territory covers most of southwest Missouri including Joplin, Branson, Aurora, Bolivar, Carthage, Webb City, Neosho, Monett, Lebanon, Marshfield, Mount Vernon, and surrounding rural communities. The territory spans Jasper, Newton, McDonald, Barry, Lawrence, Polk, Greene, Christian, Stone, Taney, and adjacent counties in southwest Missouri.

If your home is in southwest Missouri and your electric bill comes from Liberty Utilities (or "The Empire District Electric Company" on older bills), you are on Liberty's Missouri tariff. Solar Assure serves all Liberty Missouri territory. Our existing Joplin solar guide walks through the local context for the largest city in Liberty's Missouri service area.

January 2026 Rate Settlement

The three-year rate increase phasing in now.

On January 14, 2026, the Missouri Public Service Commission approved a settlement agreement in Liberty's Missouri electric rate case (originally filed February 26, 2025, replacing a prior November 2024 filing that contained a technical error). The settlement allows Liberty to recover roughly $152 million in infrastructure investment costs over three phases.

Approved by Missouri PSC · January 14, 2026 · Three-Year Phase-In

Average residential customer impact (1,000 kWh per month)

Liberty must first meet customer service and billing performance standards before new rates implement, so no specific start date is announced as of April 2026. Once active, rates phase in over three years to ease impact:

+$7.83/moYear 1~4.9% over current

+$8.91/moYear 2~5.31% over year 1

TBDYear 3Final increment phasing

Cumulative impact over three years: roughly 11 to 13% on top of Liberty's already-highest-in-Missouri residential rates. The investment funds wind energy generation, distribution reliability upgrades (including converting Joplin's downtown 4 kV system to 12 kV), grid hardening (about 2,300 reinforced poles, 5,100 wildlife guards), new service centers in Aurora and Bolivar, and security upgrades.

For solar customers, this rate increase is a tailwind, not a headwind. Solar locks in your effective cost of electricity for the 25-year design life of the system, while utility rates continue to rise. A homeowner who installs solar on Liberty Missouri in 2026 effectively avoids the 11 to 13% three-year increase on every kilowatt-hour their panels produce. On a typical 9-kilowatt system producing roughly 12,000 kWh per year, that 11 to 13% increase compounds to several hundred dollars in additional annual savings by year three compared to a non-solar home.

Liberty has also separately filed with the Missouri PSC to construct a new natural gas-fueled combustion turbine generating unit at its State Line Power Station in Joplin. If approved, that adds further upward rate pressure beyond the current settlement.

Net Metering on Liberty MO

How net metering works (and the 12-month catch).

Liberty Utilities Missouri net metering is governed by Missouri's Easy Connection Act (RSMo 386.890), the same statute that applies to Ameren Missouri and Evergy Missouri. The mechanics are nearly identical, but Liberty's tariff has one specific catch worth understanding: the 12-month credit expiration.

The bi-directional meter

Your existing single-direction meter is replaced by a bi-directional meter at no cost to you for residential systems 10 kW DC or smaller. Per RSMo 386.890, Liberty cannot charge any fee unique to net metering customers. The new meter records two separate registers: kilowatt-hours delivered to your home from the grid (kWh delivered) and kilowatt-hours received from your home back to the grid (kWh received).

Monthly bill calculation

Each billing cycle, Liberty subtracts your kWh received from your kWh delivered. If you delivered more than you received, the difference rolls forward as a credit on your next month's bill at the full retail rate. If you received more than you delivered, you pay the retail rate for the net difference plus your fixed monthly customer charge.

12-month credit expiration (the Liberty-specific catch)

Per Liberty's Missouri Net Metering Rider, any kilowatt-hour credits remaining 12 months after net metering service began expire and are paid out at the avoided-cost rate, which is significantly lower than retail. Credits also expire if the customer terminates utility service or net metering relationship before the 12-month cycle. This is similar in spirit to Kansas's March 31 reset but timed to your individual net metering anniversary rather than a calendar date. For practical purposes, this means Liberty Missouri solar systems should be sized to roughly match annual consumption rather than oversized to maximize export.

Worked example: typical Joplin home, full year

Annual cycle · 9 kW system on Liberty Utilities Missouri

Total annual production:12,400 kWh

Total annual home consumption:12,000 kWh

Net excess at 12-month anniversary:+400 kWh banked

Annual buyback (avoided cost ~$0.025/kWh):400 × $0.025 = $10

Effective annual offset:~99% of bill plus $10 cash buyback

At Liberty's higher residential rate of about 16.2 cents per kilowatt-hour, this same 9-kilowatt system offsets roughly $1,944 per year in electricity costs at current rates, climbing to over $2,150 per year by the third year of the approved rate increase phasing. Compared to the same system on Ameren Missouri (~$1,620 annual offset at 13.5 cents per kWh) or Evergy Missouri (~$1,380 annual offset at 11.5 cents per kWh), Liberty Missouri solar has the strongest base-case savings of any of the three Missouri investor-owned utilities.

Application Process

From signed contract to permission to operate: the timeline.

Solar Assure handles all Liberty Missouri paperwork on behalf of customers we install for. This is what happens between contract signature and the day your meter starts spinning backwards.

Contract signed, design finalizedSolar Assure completes the in-person site assessment, finalizes the system design in Aurora Solar (a professional solar design tool), and prepares the application package: project-specific one-line electrical diagram, site plan, equipment specification sheets for inverter and modules, storage device specifications if batteries are included, and the licensed-electrician or licensed-engineer code certification required by the Missouri Easy Connection Act.Day 1 to 7

Application submitted to LibertyThe complete Net Metering Application (included in Liberty's Missouri Net Metering Rider on Liberty's central rate page) is uploaded with all supporting documentation. There is no application fee for residential systems. Solar Assure copies the customer on the submission so you have a paper trail.Day 7 to 10

Liberty review and conditional approvalLiberty reviews residential applications 10 kW DC or smaller within 30 business days. Larger systems take up to 90 days under the Easy Connection Act. Approval is conditional on the system being installed exactly as designed. If the design needs revision, Liberty returns the application with comments. Solar Assure handles any back-and-forth.Day 10 to 40

Local permits and physical installationWith Liberty approval in hand, Solar Assure pulls local building and electrical permits with your city's authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). The physical install is usually completed in a single day. Local AHJ inspection follows within a week or two. We then submit installation photos and equipment confirmation to Liberty.Day 40 to 60

Liberty post-installation reviewLiberty performs the post-installation review to verify the installed system matches the approved plans. This usually involves remote review of submitted photos and documentation rather than an in-person visit, similar to Ameren and Evergy procedures.Day 60 to 80

Bi-directional meter installed and PTO grantedLiberty schedules a meter exchange. A technician swaps your existing meter for a bi-directional net meter at no cost. Your account is updated to the Net Metering Rider tariff. The customer receives Permission to Operate (PTO), and the system officially begins generating credits. The 12-month credit cycle begins counting from this date.Day 80 to 100

Comparing Missouri's Three IOUs

Liberty vs Ameren vs Evergy.

All three investor-owned electric utilities in Missouri follow the same Easy Connection Act for net metering, but the underlying rates and incentives differ a lot. Here is the side-by-side as of April 2026.

Topic	Liberty Utilities MO	Ameren Missouri	Evergy Missouri
Service area	Southwest MO (Joplin, Branson)	Eastern MO (St. Louis, Columbia)	Western MO (KCMO, Lees Summit)
Customer count	~165,000	~1,200,000	~540,000
Avg residential rate	~$0.162/kWh	~$0.135/kWh	~$0.115/kWh average
Default rate structure	Flat-rate	Flat-rate (TOU optional)	Time-of-use (mandated since Oct 2023)
System cap (residential)	100 kW DC	100 kW DC	100 kW DC
Application review	30 business days (≤10 kW)	30 business days (≤10 kW)	30 business days (≤10 kW)
Application fee	$0 residential	$0 residential	$0 residential
Credit expiration	12 months · avoided cost	12 months · avoided cost	Customer billing anniversary
Solar rebate	Discontinued Aug 2023	Discontinued earlier	None
Recent rate change	+11-13% over 3 years (settled Jan 2026)	+12% effective June 2025	+14.9% requested for Jan 2027

FAQ

Common questions about Liberty Utilities Missouri solar.

Who is Liberty Utilities Missouri and what areas does it serve?

Liberty Utilities Missouri operates as The Empire District Electric Company and is a subsidiary of Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp. The Missouri division serves about 165,000 electric customers in southwest Missouri including Joplin, Branson, Aurora, Bolivar, Carthage, Webb City, Neosho, Monett, Lebanon, and surrounding rural communities. Liberty is one of three investor-owned electric utilities in Missouri (the other two being Ameren Missouri and Evergy Missouri) and is regulated by the Missouri Public Service Commission. Outside Missouri, Liberty serves over one million customer connections across seven US states plus Canada.

What is the residential solar system size cap on Liberty Utilities Missouri?

100 kilowatts DC for residential systems under Missouri's Easy Connection Act (RSMo 386.890). This is the same cap that applies to Ameren Missouri and Evergy Missouri because all three investor-owned utilities are governed by the same Missouri statute. For context, a typical Missouri home installs a 7 to 12 kilowatt system, so the 100 kW cap is well above what residential customers actually need. Systems exceeding 100 kW DC must apply under parallel generation rather than net metering.

How do Liberty's net metering credits work?

Within a single billing month, Liberty's bi-directional meter measures the net difference between energy delivered to your home and energy received from your solar system. If you delivered more than you received, the excess rolls forward as a kilowatt-hour credit on the next month's bill at the full retail rate. Per Liberty's Missouri Net Metering Rider, any credits remaining at the 12-month anniversary of net metering service expire and are paid out at the avoided-cost rate, which is significantly lower than retail. Credits also expire if the customer terminates utility service or net metering relationship before the 12-month cycle. This is why Liberty Missouri systems should be sized to roughly match annual consumption rather than oversized.

What is the Liberty rate increase phasing in starting 2026?

On January 14, 2026, the Missouri Public Service Commission approved a settlement agreement in Liberty's Missouri electric rate case. The new rates phase in over three years. The average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month sees roughly a $7.83 per month increase in year one (~4.9% over current rates), $8.91 per month in year two (~5.31% over year one), and a third increment in year three. Cumulative impact: approximately 11 to 13% over three years. New rates take effect after Liberty meets customer service and billing performance standards specified in the settlement; no specific implementation date is announced as of April 2026.

Why does Liberty have higher rates than Ameren or Evergy?

Liberty Utilities Missouri's average residential rate is approximately 16.2 cents per kilowatt-hour, with average monthly bills around $154. This is significantly higher than Ameren Missouri (~13.5 cents per kWh) or Evergy Missouri (~11.5 cents per kWh average). Several factors contribute: smaller customer base (~165,000 vs Ameren's 1.2 million) means less ability to spread fixed costs, more rural service territory with longer distribution lines per customer, and substantial recent investment in infrastructure including a 600-megawatt wind project (three wind farms with 277 turbines in southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas) plus the new natural gas combustion turbine planned at the State Line Power Station in Joplin. Higher utility rates make solar economics work better on Liberty than on lower-rate utilities because each kilowatt-hour your solar system displaces is worth more.

How long does Liberty's solar application process take?

Liberty reviews residential applications for systems 10 kilowatts DC or smaller within 30 business days of receipt. Larger systems take up to 90 days under the Easy Connection Act. After approval, the customer has 12 months to complete installation. From signed contract to permission to operate, the typical end-to-end timeline for a Solar Assure install on Liberty Missouri runs 8 to 12 weeks, similar to the Ameren and Evergy timelines because all three utilities follow the same RSMo 386.890 procedures.

What is Liberty's net metering application process?

Liberty's net metering application is included in the Net Metering Rider on its Missouri Electric Rate page at central.libertyutilities.com. The application package must include a one-line electrical diagram, site plan, equipment specification sheets for the inverter and storage devices, and a certification from a licensed electrician or engineer that the installation meets all applicable codes. For systems 10 kW DC or smaller, Missouri's Easy Connection Act requires Liberty to use a simplified all-in-one application form. There is no application fee for residential net metering on Liberty Missouri because RSMo 386.890 prohibits any fee unique to net metering customers. Solar Assure handles all application paperwork on behalf of customers we install for.

Does Liberty own its own solar generation in Missouri?

Yes. Liberty's first regulated Community Solar project is located near Joplin, Missouri, consisting of approximately 5,700 solar panels placed on an Environmental Protection Agency superfund site (using land otherwise unsuitable for development). Liberty also owns a 600-megawatt wind energy project consisting of 277 wind turbines on three wind farms in southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas. These utility-scale renewable assets are separate from residential rooftop solar and do not affect a homeowner's ability to install a solar PV system under net metering.

Can I add a battery later on a Liberty Missouri net metering system?

Yes, but it requires an amended interconnection agreement with Liberty. The amendment must be submitted with updated equipment specification sheets and a revised one-line diagram showing the battery, inverter changes if any, and how the battery is interconnected. Liberty reviews amendments under the same 30-day window for residential systems. Battery-ready system designs done at the time of original installation use a different interconnection topology than retrofit installs and are usually less expensive overall. Solar Assure typically recommends thinking through battery decisions at the original quote stage, especially in southwest Missouri where storm-related outages are more frequent than the Kansas City or St. Louis metros. Try the solar cost calculator with the battery option to see what adding a Franklin aPower 2 looks like for your home.

Who do I contact at Liberty with net metering questions?

Liberty Utilities customer service: (800) 782-2506. For net metering specific questions, customers should reference the Net Metering Rider on Liberty's Missouri Electric Rate page at central.libertyutilities.com. For solar quote questions, your installer (Solar Assure handles all Liberty Missouri paperwork on behalf of customers we install for) is typically the faster route. Note: Liberty operates separate web portals for its different state divisions, so customers should ensure they are on the central.libertyutilities.com domain (which serves Missouri and the central US states) rather than the New Hampshire or California Liberty sites.

Does Liberty offer a solar rebate?

No. Liberty Utilities discontinued its Missouri solar rebate program effective August 6, 2023. Applications received and approved before that date had to be operational by December 31, 2023 to qualify for the legacy rebate. New customers installing solar on Liberty Missouri after August 2023 receive net metering credits under RSMo 386.890 but no upfront rebate from the utility. The federal residential solar Investment Tax Credit also expired December 31, 2025, so 2026 Missouri solar customers no longer have access to that 30% credit either.

Joshua co-founded Solar Assure with his wife Tori in 2022 after a decade in solar sales and installation. He handles all Liberty, Ameren, and Evergy paperwork personally for residential customers in Missouri and Kansas. Reach him at josh@solarassure.net or (636) 679-0998. Read more →

Written by

Joshua Hayeslip

Founder and CEO, Solar Assure

Last updated September 10, 2026 · ~11 min read

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