Kit Carson Electric Cooperative and solar
Kit Carson Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 26,286 homes in New Mexico. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 16.2¢6% above New Mexico average
- Typical bill
- $80495 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~25%Varies by utility
- Typical payback
- 13.1 yrs3.3 kW, cash
Export rules for Kit Carson Electric 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 Kit Carson Electric Cooperative home
| System | 3.3 kW (99% of 495 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $11,420 |
| First-year savings | $889 |
| Payback | 13.1 years |
| 25-year net | $12,083 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 451
- Share of customers
- 1.7%
- Residential solar capacity
- 2 MW
- Residential customers
- 26,286
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Kit Carson Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Kit Carson Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Kit Carson Electric 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 Kit Carson Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 15.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 16.2¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 495 kWh a month, a bill of about $80.
Is solar worth it with Kit Carson Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 3.3 kW system costing about $11,420 pays back in about 13.1 years, with $12,083 net over 25 years.
How many Kit Carson Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 451 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 1.7% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc (EIA ID 10378). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.