City of Fort Collins and solar
City of Fort Collins is a municipal utility serving about 71,804 homes in Colorado. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 15.2¢9% below Colorado average
- Typical bill
- $92610 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- RetailFull retail net metering
- Typical payback
- 14.6 yrs5 kW, cash
Export rules for City of Fort Collins customers
Full retail net metering (Colorado rule).
Colorado requires investor-owned utilities like Xcel Energy to credit solar exports at the full retail rate, with credits rolling over month to month indefinitely. Co-ops and large municipal utilities must also offer net metering, though their rules and size limits differ.
Solar for a typical City of Fort Collins home
| System | 5 kW (101% of 610 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $16,250 |
| First-year savings | $1,065 |
| Payback | 14.6 years |
| 25-year net | $15,349 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 4,412
- Share of customers
- 6.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 27 MW
- Residential customers
- 71,804
EIA-861, 2025.
Cities served
Questions about City of Fort Collins and solar
Does City of Fort Collins have net metering?
City of Fort Collins follows Colorado's rules: Colorado requires investor-owned utilities like Xcel Energy to credit solar exports at the full retail rate, with credits rolling over month to month indefinitely. Co-ops and large municipal utilities must also offer net metering, though their rules and size limits differ.
How much does electricity cost with City of Fort Collins?
Residential customers paid an average of 14.3¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 15.2¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 610 kWh a month, a bill of about $92.
Is solar worth it with City of Fort Collins?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 5 kW system costing about $16,250 pays back in about 14.6 years, with $15,349 net over 25 years.
How many City of Fort Collins customers have solar?
About 4,412 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 6.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: City of Fort Collins - (CO) (EIA ID 6604). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.