Brownsville Public Utilities Board and solar
Brownsville Public Utilities Board is a municipal utility serving about 48,500 homes in Texas. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 11.6¢27% below Texas average
- Typical bill
- $1291,108 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~52%No statewide net metering
- Typical payback
- 18.3 yrs4.3 kW, cash
Export rules for Brownsville Public Utilities Board customers
No statewide net metering (Texas rule).
Texas has no statewide net metering. In the deregulated ERCOT market you pick a retail electricity provider, and a few offer 'solar buyback' plans (typically 3-9 c/kWh, some match retail). Municipal utilities and co-ops set their own rules, e.g., Austin Energy's Value of Solar credit.
Solar for a typical Brownsville Public Utilities Board home
| System | 4.3 kW (50% of 1,108 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $12,530 |
| First-year savings | $673 |
| Payback | 18.3 years |
| 25-year net | $5,968 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 1,015
- Share of customers
- 2.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 9 MW
- Residential customers
- 48,500
EIA-861, 2025.
Cities served
Questions about Brownsville Public Utilities Board and solar
Does Brownsville Public Utilities Board have net metering?
Brownsville Public Utilities Board follows Texas's rules: Texas has no statewide net metering. In the deregulated ERCOT market you pick a retail electricity provider, and a few offer 'solar buyback' plans (typically 3-9 c/kWh, some match retail). Municipal utilities and co-ops set their own rules, e.g., Austin Energy's Value of Solar credit.
How much does electricity cost with Brownsville Public Utilities Board?
Residential customers paid an average of 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 11.6¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,108 kWh a month, a bill of about $129.
Is solar worth it with Brownsville Public Utilities Board?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 4.3 kW system costing about $12,530 pays back in about 18.3 years, with $5,968 net over 25 years.
How many Brownsville Public Utilities Board customers have solar?
About 1,015 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 2.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Brownsville Public Utilities Board (EIA ID 2409). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.