Central Florida Electric Cooperative (CFEC) Solar & Net Metering Guide
Last updated: 2026-05-17 by Goldin Solar permitting team
Central Florida Electric Cooperative — CFEC — is a member-owned electric cooperative headquartered in Chiefland (Levy County). CFEC serves rural north-central Florida — primarily Levy, Dixie, and Gilchrist counties, plus rural portions of Marion and Alachua counties. Working-ag (timber, row crops, cattle) dominates the member profile; CFEC’s territory includes Cedar Key and the rural Gulf-coast Big Bend.
Who CFEC serves
CFEC covers north-central FL Big Bend:
- Levy County — primary utility, including Cedar Key
- Gilchrist County — primary utility
- Dixie County — significant coverage
- Alachua County — rural southern portions
- Marion County — rural western portions
- (Lafayette County is not in CFEC territory — its core is the Levy/Dixie/Gilchrist tri-county area southwest of Gainesville)
If you’re a CFEC member, your meter swap and net metering tariff run through CFEC directly.
CFEC net metering: the basics
- Eligibility: Customer-sited residential PV at member’s premises; CFEC membership
- System size cap: Customer-sited residential PV (Florida’s general net-metering ceiling is 2 MW); a $100 interconnection fee applies
- Bill credit structure: Per current tariff
- Compensation for exports: Excess kWh are bought back at CFEC’s avoided cost (~4.1¢/kWh) — well below the retail rate — credited on the member’s bill (not full retail banking)
- Interconnection application: Required before installation
- PTO process: CFEC-managed meter swap and PTO
What makes CFEC different from Duke / FPL
- Cooperative governance. CFEC is owned by its members.
- Big Bend coastal context. Levy and Dixie service areas include Gulf-coast exposure; salt-air considerations apply on near-coast properties. Cedar Key has a city historic-district overlay.
- Hurricane Idalia (2023) impact. CFEC’s Dixie/Levy service was hit by Idalia; rebuild documentation widespread.
- Rural-ag / timber footprint. Larger lot sizes; ground-mount frequently feasible.
Permit + utility coordination for CFEC members
1. Building permit with the relevant county building department 2. CFEC interconnection application — submitted in parallel 3. HOA / ARC approval if applicable (Cedar Key historic-overlay verified) 4. Installation after permit issuance 5. Final inspection by the building department 6. CFEC meter swap after final inspection 7. PTO grant
Typical CFEC timeline
End-to-end: typically 8 to 12 weeks (Cedar Key historic-district extends).
What we’ve learned working with CFEC
- Cedar Key historic-district overlay is verified first.
- Idalia rebuild documentation widespread in Dixie/Levy.
- Ground-mount frequently feasible on larger inland lots.
- Salt-air hardware on near-coast Levy/Dixie properties.
- Battery + solar supported.
Frequently asked questions
Is CFEC net metering as good as Duke? Different structure. We model your case.
Cedar Key historic-district? Verified pre-quote. Cedar Key has historic-district provisions.
My Levy/Dixie property was rebuilt after Idalia — different process? Often simpler. Post-2023 FBC documentation is current.
Battery + solar supported? Yes. Additional ESS documentation.
Does Goldin Solar handle CFEC interconnection paperwork? Yes — included on every contract at no additional charge.
Talk to a CFEC solar specialist
Goldin Solar, LLC · 1105 US Highway 1, Vero Beach, FL 32960 · (855) 765-2730 · CVC 57300
Related guides: Solar permits in Levy County · Solar permits in Gilchrist County · Solar permits in Dixie County