HILCO Electric Cooperative and solar
HILCO Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 27,850 homes in Texas. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 15.4¢4% below Texas average
- Typical bill
- $2261,469 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~39%No statewide net metering
- Typical payback
- 13.6 yrs5.8 kW, cash
Export rules for HILCO Electric Cooperative 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 HILCO Electric Cooperative home
| System | 5.8 kW (50% of 1,469 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $15,680 |
| First-year savings | $1,143 |
| Payback | 13.6 years |
| 25-year net | $17,448 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 1,345
- Share of customers
- 4.8%
- Residential solar capacity
- 14 MW
- Residential customers
- 27,850
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about HILCO Electric Cooperative and solar
Does HILCO Electric Cooperative have net metering?
HILCO Electric Cooperative 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 HILCO Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 14.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 15.4¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,469 kWh a month, a bill of about $226.
Is solar worth it with HILCO Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 5.8 kW system costing about $15,680 pays back in about 13.6 years, with $17,448 net over 25 years.
How many HILCO Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 1,345 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 4.8% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: HILCO Electric Cooperative, Inc. (EIA ID 8620). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.