Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative and solar
Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 82,224 homes in Texas. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 12.7¢20% below Texas average
- Typical bill
- $1641,290 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~47%No statewide net metering
- Typical payback
- 16.6 yrs5.1 kW, cash
Export rules for Trinity Valley 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 Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative home
| System | 5.1 kW (50% of 1,290 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $14,210 |
| First-year savings | $851 |
| Payback | 16.6 years |
| 25-year net | $9,530 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 1,769
- Share of customers
- 2.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 15 MW
- Residential customers
- 82,224
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Trinity Valley 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 Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 12.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 12.7¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,290 kWh a month, a bill of about $164.
Is solar worth it with Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 5.1 kW system costing about $14,210 pays back in about 16.6 years, with $9,530 net over 25 years.
How many Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 1,769 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 2.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Trinity Valley Elec Coop Inc (EIA ID 18976). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.