Mountain Parks Electric and solar
Mountain Parks Electric is an electric cooperative serving about 19,571 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.)
- 18.5¢12% above Colorado average
- Typical bill
- $135730 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- RetailFull retail net metering
- Typical payback
- 11 yrs5.5 kW, cash
Export rules for Mountain Parks Electric 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 Mountain Parks Electric home
| System | 5.5 kW (99% of 730 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $17,525 |
| First-year savings | $1,550 |
| Payback | 11.0 years |
| 25-year net | $29,673 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 419
- Share of customers
- 2.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 3 MW
- Residential customers
- 19,571
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Mountain Parks Electric and solar
Does Mountain Parks Electric have net metering?
Mountain Parks Electric 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 Mountain Parks Electric?
Residential customers paid an average of 17.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 18.5¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 730 kWh a month, a bill of about $135.
Is solar worth it with Mountain Parks Electric?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 5.5 kW system costing about $17,525 pays back in about 11 years, with $29,673 net over 25 years.
How many Mountain Parks Electric customers have solar?
About 419 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 2.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Mountain Parks Electric, Inc (EIA ID 13050). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.