Otis Singleton
Tri-County Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative that serves customers in several states, including Texas, Illinois, and Missouri. The cooperative offers a range of services, including solar programs and net metering solutions, to its customers. Net metering allows customers to sell extra megawatt hours back into the grid, making alternative energy sources like solar panels more economically viable. Tri-County Electric Cooperative's net metering and solar programs vary by state and location, and interested customers are encouraged to contact their local cooperative for more information.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Texas, Illinois, Missouri |
| Coverage Area | 16 counties in Texas, 4 counties in Illinois, 5 counties in Missouri |
| Number of Customers | 137,482 in Texas, 17,709 in Illinois, 6,435 in Missouri |
| Customer Type | Industrial, Commercial, Residential |
| Average Residential Price per kWh | 14.55 cents in Texas, 15.80 cents in Illinois, 17.30 cents in Missouri |
| Average Monthly Bill | $215.73 in Texas, $203.97 in Illinois, $192.30 in Missouri |
| Energy Loss | 6.45% in Texas, 4.24% in Illinois |
| Net Metering | Available in Texas and Illinois |
| Solar Program | Available |
| Application Fee for Solar | $500 |
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What You'll Learn
Tri-County Electric Cooperative (Texas)
Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. is a member-owned electric provider based in Aledo, Texas. Since 1939, the cooperative has provided safe and reliable energy to its member-owners across North Texas. With 9,294 miles of energised line and over 120,000 active meters, Tri-County Electric Cooperative is one of the largest electric co-ops in Texas. The cooperative currently has over 107,000 members and serves customers in 16 counties in Texas, including Tarrant County, Denton County, Parker County, Wise County, and Hood County.
Tri-County Electric Cooperative's customers are billed an average residential electricity price of 14.55 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is 9.40% below the nationwide average price. The cooperative's outages last, on average, around 146.3 minutes per outage. The average monthly bundled electric bill for customers is $215.73, while the state and nationwide average is $167.15.
Tri-County Electric Cooperative offers a solar program for members interested in solar energy. The cooperative does not provide a production meter but uses smart meters to track kWh purchased and kWh exported. Members interested in the solar program can submit an application, with a $500 application fee, and the cooperative's engineering team will review the applications within 10 business days.
Tri-County Electric Cooperative also offers net metering solutions for customers with solar panel installations. Net metering allows customers to sell extra energy back into the infrastructure system, which makes solar panel installation more economically feasible. Without net metering, citizens would have no way to sell their excess energy and would suffer from higher energy losses.
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Tri-County Electric Cooperative (Illinois)
Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. is headquartered in Mount Vernon, Illinois, at the intersection of Interstates 64 and 57. The cooperative provides electric power to over 16,000 residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial customers in Jefferson, Marion, and Washington counties.
The cooperative was formed by a group of progressive individuals who believed that the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) would bring electricity to the dark countryside. Tri-County Electric Cooperative was preceded by 20 Illinois electric cooperatives, including the Wayne-White Counties Electric Cooperative, which was organised two years prior.
Tri-County Electric Cooperative's mission is to "safely provide our member-owners with reliable electric service, superior customer service, and practical energy solutions, all at reasonable prices." Over the years, they have faced challenges such as the 1957 tornado, a 1979 ice storm, the blizzard of 1982, the ice storm of 1999, and the wind storm of 2006.
Tri-County Electric Cooperative offers a solar program for members interested in utilising solar energy. They provide trusted energy advisors to answer questions and work with members to determine if solar is a good fit for their household. There is a $500 application fee for each solar application, and additional fees for changes to the system design after approval. Tri-County's smart meters track kWh purchased and kWh exported, and members will receive a monthly statement with this information, including a minimum monthly charge of $30.
It is unclear if Tri-County Electric Cooperative (Illinois) offers net metering solutions. However, another electric cooperative with the same name, located in Texas, does offer net metering.
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Tri-County Electric Cooperative Association
In Missouri, the Tri-County Electric Cooperative Association serves Adair County and four other counties in the state. As of 2019, the cooperative had a total of 6,435 customers, including 5,846 residential and 589 commercial accounts. The average electricity rate for customers in this region is higher than the Missouri and nationwide averages, at 17.30 cents per kilowatt-hour. The average monthly bundled bill for customers in this area is $192.30.
In Texas, the Tri-County Electric Cooperative provides electricity to 137,482 customers across 16 counties, including Tarrant, Denton, Parker, Wise, and Hood Counties. The average residential electricity price is 14.55 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is 9.40% below the national average. The average monthly bundled electric bill for customers in Texas is $215.73.
In Illinois, the Tri-County Electric Cooperative covers 4 counties: Marion, Jefferson, Perry, and Washington. In 2023, the cooperative served 51 industrial, 440 commercial, and 17,709 residential customers, charging an average of 15.80 cents per kilowatt-hour for residential electricity. This rate is 5.98% higher than the Illinois state average of 14.91 cents.
Net metering is offered by the Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Texas and Illinois. Net metering allows customers with alternative energy sources, such as solar panels, to sell excess electricity back into the grid. This makes the installation of these sources economically viable, as citizens can offset the cost of energy production. The Texas cooperative has an energy loss of about 6.45%, while the Illinois cooperative reported an annual loss of around 4.24%, which is higher than the state and national averages.
The Tri-County Electric Cooperative also offers solar programs in some regions, assisting customers in transitioning to solar energy. The cooperative provides resources, advice, and assistance on interconnecting with the grid and offers solar installation services in certain areas. There are fees associated with the solar application and installation process, and customers are encouraged to research and plan their solar system carefully before investing.
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Net metering and solar energy
Net metering is a system that allows electricity consumers to feed any excess energy they produce back into the grid. This is particularly useful for those who have solar panels installed, as it makes the installation of these alternative energy sources economically viable. Without net metering, solar panel installation is significantly less financially realistic, as citizens have no way to sell extra energy back into the infrastructure system.
Tri-County Electric Cooperative Texas offers net metering solutions to its customers. Tri-County currently averages a loss of about 6.45% of the total electricity they produce, ranking them 96th best out of 170 providers that operate in Texas and report energy loss.
Tri-County Electric Cooperative Illinois also offers net metering. The cooperative reported an annual loss of around 4.24% of the electricity they generate, ranking them 884th best out of 3530 providers reporting energy loss in the US.
Tri-County Electric Cooperative Association, which operates in Missouri, does not explicitly mention net metering. However, they do encourage their customers to go solar and offer solar programs.
Tri-County Electric offers a range of solar programs and resources to its members. They provide advice and assistance on interconnecting with the grid and can supply information on a member's energy usage history to help size their system and evaluate savings. Tri-County also offers solar installation services, and new solar systems will be interconnected to the Tri-County Electric system under the Surplus Generation Rider. The established Value of Renewable Generation to the Tri-County Electric system is $0.065/kWh.
There are fees associated with the solar application process, including a $500 application fee and a potential additional $100 fee for two failed reviews of the distributed generation application. A $12 Distributed Generation fee is also applied to the monthly bill to offset operation and maintenance expenses related to solar.
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Energy loss and ranking
Tri-County Electric Cooperative (Texas) offers net metering solutions to its customers. Net metering is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid. Net metering is particularly important for renewable energy sources like wind and solar, which are non-dispatchable when not coupled with storage.
Energy loss is a common issue when dealing with electricity transmission, and Tri-County Electric Cooperative (Texas) is no exception. The company averages a loss of about 6.45% of the total electricity they produce. This energy loss amount ranks them 96th best out of 170 providers in Texas and 1266th best out of 3530 in the US.
The ranking of energy loss among electricity providers is influenced by various factors, including the age and efficiency of infrastructure, the distance between generation sources and consumers, and the mix of energy sources used. Older transmission lines, for instance, tend to have higher energy losses due to resistance and other factors.
In terms of ranking, Tri-County Electric Cooperative (Texas) fares better than many other providers in terms of energy loss. However, it is important to note that the company's ranking in other aspects, such as electric rates, may differ. For example, the company ranks 1735th best for average electricity price out of 2885 providers in the US, as their average residential electricity price of 14.55 cents per kilowatt-hour is 9.40% below the nationwide average.
In summary, while Tri-County Electric Cooperative (Texas) has a relatively good ranking in terms of energy loss, its rankings in other areas, such as pricing, may be less favourable. The company's net metering offerings can help incentivize private investment in renewable energy and provide customers with more control over their energy use and costs.
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Frequently asked questions
Net metering allows purchasers of electricity to sell extra megawatt hours back into the grid, making the installation of alternative energy sources economically viable.
Yes, Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Texas and Illinois offers net metering solutions to its customers.
Without net metering, solar panel installation is significantly less economically realistic, as citizens have no way to sell extra energy back into the infrastructure system.
Tri-County Electric uses smart meters that track kWh purchased and kWh exported. Once the installation of a solar system is complete, Tri-County will verify that the installed system meets the Interconnection Standard and will commission the installation of a pre-programmed, bi-directional, net-metering unit.
