Lea County Electric Cooperative and solar
Lea County Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 9,498 homes in New Mexico, 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.)
- 11.3¢26% below New Mexico average
- Typical bill
- $1251,111 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~35%Varies by utility
- Typical payback
- 15.9 yrs6 kW, cash
Export rules for Lea County 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 Lea County Electric Cooperative home
| System | 6 kW (80% of 1,111 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $17,900 |
| First-year savings | $1,188 |
| Payback | 15.9 years |
| 25-year net | $11,839 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- —
- Share of customers
- —
- Residential solar capacity
- —
- Residential customers
- 9,498
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Lea County Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Lea County Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Lea County 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 Lea County Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 10.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 11.3¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,111 kWh a month, a bill of about $125.
Is solar worth it with Lea County Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 6 kW system costing about $17,900 pays back in about 15.9 years, with $11,839 net over 25 years.
How many Lea County Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
Lea County Electric Cooperative did not report residential net-metered solar to EIA for 2025.
Legal name: Lea County Electric Coop, Inc - (NM) (EIA ID 10817). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.