CORE Electric Cooperative and solar
CORE Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 168,587 homes in Colorado. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 16.5¢0% below Colorado average
- Typical bill
- $139843 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- RetailFull retail net metering
- Typical payback
- 11.8 yrs6.3 kW, cash
Export rules for CORE Electric Cooperative 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 CORE Electric Cooperative home
| System | 6.3 kW (100% of 843 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $19,565 |
| First-year savings | $1,605 |
| Payback | 11.8 years |
| 25-year net | $28,900 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 10,448
- Share of customers
- 6.2%
- Residential solar capacity
- 59 MW
- Residential customers
- 168,587
EIA-861, 2025.
Cities served
Questions about CORE Electric Cooperative and solar
Does CORE Electric Cooperative have net metering?
CORE Electric Cooperative 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 CORE Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 15.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 16.5¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 843 kWh a month, a bill of about $139.
Is solar worth it with CORE Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 6.3 kW system costing about $19,565 pays back in about 11.8 years, with $28,900 net over 25 years.
How many CORE Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 10,448 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 6.2% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: CORE Electric Cooperative (EIA ID 9336). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.