Who Holy Cross serves
Holy Cross Energy serves more than 44,500 members in Eagle, Pitkin, Garfield, Mesa and Gunnison counties — including the Vail Valley and much of the Roaring Fork Valley outside the area served by the City of Aspen’s own electric utility. It has pushed hard on clean supply, reporting an average of 90% clean energy delivered through August 2026.
Mountain homes here are often large, all-electric or heading that way, and far from the next substation. That combination is why Holy Cross leans on member batteries as a grid resource and pays members for them.
Power+FLEX: the program that changes the battery math
Enroll a qualifying battery and Holy Cross pays $500 per enrolled kW up front, up to $12,500, and $10.60 per enrolled kW every month for five years. A Tesla Powerwall 3 — about $19,000 installed from us — nets out meaningfully cheaper in this territory than in most of Colorado.
In return, Holy Cross can discharge the battery during peak events, typically between 4 and 9 p.m. for two to three hours, targeting no more than 100 event hours a year and always leaving at least 20% charge. It can also ask batteries to charge from the grid during midday renewable surpluses. You keep your backup; you just share the battery on some evenings.
Holy Cross’s eligible list includes Tesla and Enphase, two of the three battery lines we install. SigEnergy isn’t on the list as of September 2026, so if you want the program, we’ll quote Powerwall or Enphase.
Power+FLEX or Time of Use — you pick one
You can’t be on Power+FLEX and the Time of Use rate at the same time. The Time of Use path pays a smaller battery incentive ($250/kW or $100/kWh, whichever is less, up to $12,500) but lets you run the battery yourself against a steep spread: $0.245/kWh from 4 to 9 p.m. every day versus $0.065 the rest of the time, with no separate demand charge.
For most households the FLEX path’s monthly credits come out ahead, but a family with heavy evening use — cooking, hot tub, EV charging — can do well on Time of Use. We model both before you enroll.
Solar at altitude in the Holy Cross valleys
The $100/kW solar incentive is modest — $800 on an 8 kW system — and the federal homeowner credit is gone for owned systems finished after 2025. What helps solar here is cold, high-altitude sun and generous sizing rules (up to 200% of last year’s use). What hurts it is steep, narrow valleys where ridgelines cut winter sun short and heavy snow loads, so site-by-site shading analysis matters more here than on the Front Range.
Holy Cross’s incentives stop at 40% of installed cost and $30,000 per member for generation, and a project has to be installed within 120 days of reserving the incentive, so timing matters.
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.
Power+FLEX (home battery)
OpenUp to $12,500 upfront ($500 per enrolled kW) plus a monthly bill credit of $10.60 per enrolled kW for a five-year agreement, in exchange for Holy Cross dispatching the battery during peak and renewable-oversupply events. Eligible brands include Enphase and Tesla.
- Power+FLEX pays up to $12,500 upfront ($500/kW of enrolled battery capacity) and a monthly credit of $10.60/kW of enrolled capacity; the agreement runs 5 years and the member owns the battery.(source)
- Eligible systems: Emporia (SolaX Xpower), Enphase, FranklinWH, Savant Power and Tesla.(source)
- Peak events typically fall 4–9 p.m., last 2–3 hours, target no more than 100 event hours a year, and keep at least 20% state of charge; renewable-oversupply charging events run 11 a.m.–4 p.m. on about 30 days a year.(source)
- Power+FLEX members cannot also be enrolled in Power+, Peak Time Payback, or Time of Use rates.(source)
Battery incentive with Time of Use rate
OpenMembers who take the Time of Use rate instead of Power+FLEX can receive $250 per kW or $100 per kWh of battery capacity, whichever is less, up to $12,500.
- Time of Use battery incentive: $250/kW or $100/kWh (lesser of the two), capped at $12,500, requires Time of Use Optional Rate enrollment.(source)
New solar incentive
OpenA flat $100 per kW, up to 25 kW, for new net-metered solar applications from April 1, 2026.
- $100/kW up to 25 kW for new net-metered solar applications effective April 1, 2026.(source)
Charge at Home (EV)
OpenA rebate of up to $549 per Level 2 charger (Emporia, ChargePoint or Wallbox), with optional on-bill repayment of installation over three years, in exchange for enrolling in managed charging.
- Charge at Home rebates up to $549 per charger (one per EV) for Emporia, ChargePoint or Wallbox units; requires the Distribution Flexibility tariff, activation within 60 days of signing, and allows Holy Cross to delay charging during peak events.(source)
FAQ
Questions we hear
Does Holy Cross Energy serve Aspen?
Holy Cross serves much of Pitkin County, but the City of Aspen runs its own electric utility for part of town. Check your bill — the programs are different.
What is Holy Cross’s Time of Use rate?
$0.245/kWh from 4 to 9 p.m. every day and $0.065/kWh the rest of the time, with no separate demand charge. It starts with a 90-day trial, then a one-year minimum.
Is Power+FLEX still open?
Holy Cross listed it as available as of September 2026. Program terms can change; we confirm current amounts with Holy Cross before you sign.
Does Holy Cross charge a demand charge on homes?
Yes, on the standard small-residential rate: $1.00 per kW of your highest 15-minute average in the month, measured all day.
How long do I have to install after reserving a Holy Cross incentive?
120 days from reservation, or the incentive lapses.