Continental Divide El Cooperative and solar
Continental Divide El Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 20,474 homes in New Mexico. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 17.4¢14% above New Mexico average
- Typical bill
- $103592 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~23%Varies by utility
- Typical payback
- 11.8 yrs4.4 kW, cash
Export rules for Continental Divide El Cooperative customers
Varies by utility (New Mexico rule).
For systems up to 10 kW, New Mexico utilities either carry forward excess kWh credits or pay for them at avoided cost; most small residential systems effectively get retail offset for self-use and monthly netting. Larger systems get avoided cost for excess.
Solar for a typical Continental Divide El Cooperative home
| System | 4.4 kW (110% of 592 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $14,060 |
| First-year savings | $1,221 |
| Payback | 11.8 years |
| 25-year net | $18,505 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 142
- Share of customers
- 0.7%
- Residential solar capacity
- 1 MW
- Residential customers
- 20,474
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Continental Divide El Cooperative and solar
Does Continental Divide El Cooperative have net metering?
Continental Divide El Cooperative follows New Mexico's rules: For systems up to 10 kW, New Mexico utilities either carry forward excess kWh credits or pay for them at avoided cost; most small residential systems effectively get retail offset for self-use and monthly netting. Larger systems get avoided cost for excess.
How much does electricity cost with Continental Divide El Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 16.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 17.4¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 592 kWh a month, a bill of about $103.
Is solar worth it with Continental Divide El Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 4.4 kW system costing about $14,060 pays back in about 11.8 years, with $18,505 net over 25 years.
How many Continental Divide El Cooperative customers have solar?
About 142 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.7% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Continental Divide El Coop Inc (EIA ID 4265). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.