Small towns and farm country along I-76
MCREA serves rural parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Logan, Morgan, Washington and Weld counties — places like Wiggins, Orchard, Roggen, Hoyt and Prospect Valley — from Fort Morgan. The residential rate is simple: $34 a month plus $0.1225/kWh, with no demand charge.
What the posted schedule means for sizing
MCREA’s posted schedule values excess generation at avoided cost and carries it forward in dollars, paying out any balance at the start of each year. Colorado law sets a kWh-for-kWh carryforward floor for co-op net metering, so ask MCREA how it applies to a residential system before you finalize size.
In either case, the power you use yourself saves 12.25¢; the power you export is worth less. We size MCREA systems to daytime and annual use, not to the 25 kW cap.
No grandfathering
MCREA says future rate changes won’t be grandfathered for net-metered members. That’s a real risk to price in: a solar system’s value here depends on MCREA’s future rates, not just today’s.
MCREA rules for businesses, farms and nonprofits
MCREA's tariff allows member generation of not more than 25 kW under any rate schedule other than time-of-use; anything larger must be approved by the association, and the program is offered first-come until member generation reaches 1,000 kW. Excess is credited at MCREA's avoided cost — the average cost of power for the preceding year — and carries to future bills. Small Power rates have no demand charge; Large Power pays $14.79/kW and industrial $23.60–$25.45/kW (April 2026), with irrigation at $21.00/kW in season. A $250 application fee applies. MCREA is a Tri-State member and offers no solar rebate.
Demand charges are the part of a commercial bill panels alone don't reliably cut, which is why our commercial proposals in MCREA territory usually model a peak-shaving battery alongside the array. County-by-county detail is on our commercial pages.
Rebates & programs
Programs change often. Status shown is what we could confirm on the date listed — always check with the program before you count on it.
Level 2 EV charger rebate
OpenMCREA’s 2026 Electrify & Save brochure lists the $250 non-managed Level 2 tier (50% of cost).
- 2026 brochure lists a non-managed Level 2 rebate of 50% up to $250; the $1,000 managed tier is not listed.(source)
FAQ
Questions we hear
What does MCREA charge to apply for net metering?
A $250 non-refundable application fee.
Can I combine solar with a time-of-use rate on MCREA?
No. MCREA’s net-metering schedule isn’t available with a time-of-use rate.
Will my solar terms be grandfathered if MCREA changes rates?
MCREA says rate changes will not be grandfathered, so savings estimates should allow for future changes.
Does MCREA offer a battery rebate?
We didn’t find one as of September 2026. Its posted rebates include a non-managed Level 2 EV charger rebate of up to $250.