Albuquerque Energy Guide: Solar, Batteries, Backup Power, EV

In short: Most Albuquerque-area homes buy power from PNM, which averaged 15.6¢ per kWh in 2024 and lost 279 minutes of power per customer, about 124 without major events. Each kW of panels here makes roughly 1,610 kWh a year, and PNM banks small systems’ extra solar as credits that never expire.

This page covers what those numbers mean in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Los Lunas and Bernalillo: PNM’s solar and EV programs, wildfire shutoffs in the East Mountains, and how city and county permits work. For statewide rules, including the 10% state solar and battery tax credit and contractor licensing, see our New Mexico energy guide.

Albuquerque at a glance

• Utility: PNM serves Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Los Lunas. Its homes paid about 15.6¢ per kWh on average in 2024, all charges included, and used about 6,900 kWh a year (EIA-861, 2024). Some outlying areas are served by co-ops, such as Central New Mexico Electric and Continental Divide Electric.
• Outages (2024): PNM customers averaged 279 minutes without power with major events, about 4.6 hours, and 124 minutes without them, over 1.3 interruptions.
• Sun: 5.53 kWh per square meter per day, from 2.8 in December to 8.1 in June (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,610 kWh a year per kW of panels.
• Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Bernalillo County’s overall risk “relatively high,” with winter weather and lightning “very high,” and hail and flooding “relatively high.”
• Public charging: 390 ports at 159 locations in Albuquerque; few are listed in Rio Rancho, Los Lunas or Bernalillo (AFDC, October 2026).

Your utility and what it means

PNM is New Mexico’s largest utility. Its average home bill rose about $6.23 a month on April 1, 2026, the second step of a rate change the Public Regulation Commission approved in 2025. If you live in Bernalillo or elsewhere in Sandoval County, check your bill: the area is split between PNM and rural co-ops, and co-op rules differ.

• Solar credits: under PNM’s net metering rules, a home system with an inverter of 10 kW-AC or less gets any monthly surplus as kWh credits on the next bill. The credits never expire, so spring surplus can cover summer cooling bills; leftover credits are paid out at PNM’s Rate 12 when you close the account. Larger systems are paid for surplus each month at Rate 12, which is lower than the retail rate.
• Plan for the wait: PNM says its average time to process a new solar application is six months. New systems must use advanced inverters (IEEE 1547-2018), and PNM works with no installer: it has no preferred list and no door-to-door sales. It warns never to sign a power of attorney to go solar. Details are on the Customer Solar Program page.
• EV programs: rebates on a home Level 2 charger and its installation, larger rebates for income-qualified homes, and a Whole Home EV pilot rate with cheaper power from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. (see EV charging below).
• No home battery program: we found no PNM incentive for customer batteries. The state tax credit on our New Mexico page covers batteries.

Backup power in Albuquerque

For most of the city, outages are short: about two hours a year on a normal year, more when storms hit. The exception is the East Mountains along the Sandias, one of PNM’s High Fire Risk Areas. There, PNM can switch lines off in dry, windy weather in a Public Safety Power Shutoff. It says a shutoff can last from a few hours up to 48 hours while crews inspect the lines. On March 6, 2025, PNM announced a shutoff for the East Mountains and told customers to plan for an outage through the night. On Red Flag days it can also put lines in a safety mode that turns power off on contact and makes outages longer. Check your area on PNM’s PSPS page, sign up for alerts by texting #REG and then #ALERT to 78766, and enroll in LifeWatch if someone at home relies on powered medical equipment.

• In town: a portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi, lights and a CPAP through a typical outage.
• East Mountains and rural lots: a home battery charged by solar rides through a 48-hour shutoff on a sunny day, the kind of day shutoffs happen. A standby generator covers well pumps and winter heating for longer; keep it on bare ground, clear of dry brush. See generator installation.

Size your system with the battery backup calculator or the generator sizing tool, and compare options in our backup power guide. Run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with exhaust pointed away, and keep carbon monoxide alarms inside (CPSC).

Solar in Albuquerque

At about 1,610 kWh per kW a year and PNM’s 2024 average of 15.6¢, each kW of panels is worth roughly $250 a year when its output replaces power you would buy (our estimate, not a quote). An average PNM home uses about 6,900 kWh a year, so a system of about 4.3 kW would cover a year’s use on paper. Because small-system credits never expire, sizing to your yearly use, and staying at or under 10 kW-AC, keeps every kWh at full value. About 45,000 PNM homes, roughly 9% of its residential customers, had net-metered solar in 2024.

Check your roof with the solar potential tool and the solar savings calculator, then read how solar installation works, what it costs and how net metering works.

Home batteries in Albuquerque

With credits that never expire, a battery adds little to bill savings for a PNM solar home; its value is backup. That matters most in the East Mountains and on lots with a well. PNM reported no battery-paired solar homes to EIA for 2024, so batteries are still rare here. Batteries in garages should stay within the maker’s temperature range in winter. See battery costs and battery installation.

EV charging in Albuquerque

At about 30 kWh per 100 miles and 15.6¢, home charging costs roughly $4.70 per 100 miles, about $560 for 12,000 miles a year (an estimate). PNM’s EV charger rebate lists up to $500 toward a qualified Level 2 charger and up to $1,500 toward installation. Income-qualified homes can get up to $750 and $3,500, plus up to $4,000 off an electric car. The Whole Home EV pilot rate gives a lower price from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. PNM notes that some solar customers may not benefit from it, since panels make nothing at night. Check the program pages for current terms. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.

Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Albuquerque: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Permits and inspections

• City of Albuquerque: solar needs a building permit and an electrical permit, and the electrical permit is pulled by a contractor. The city’s solar resources page says small rooftop permits are processed in under three business days and inspections get set appointment times. The roof-mounted checklist asks for an engineer’s roof review in some cases (for example, more than one layer of roofing or heavy arrays) and a fire department site plan showing access pathways.
• Bernalillo County (unincorporated areas, including much of the East Mountains): since December 2025, licensed contractors can apply for residential solar permits online through the county’s Accela portal.
• Rio Rancho, Los Lunas and Bernalillo: ask your city or town building office for its solar requirements.

Generators, batteries and EV chargers need electrical permits too; use a licensed electrician. PNM asks for a photo of the approved permit tag before it connects a solar system. If you have an HOA, get its written approval before you sign.

Cities we cover

• Albuquerque
• Rio Rancho
• Los Lunas
• Bernalillo

Get help in Albuquerque

Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Albuquerque area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.

Albuquerque energy questions

Do PNM solar credits expire?

Not for systems with an inverter of 10 kW-AC or less. PNM banks monthly surplus as kWh credits that never expire and pays any left when you close the account, at its Rate 12. Larger systems are paid for surplus each month at Rate 12 instead.

How long does PNM take to connect solar?

PNM says its average processing time for a new application is six months, so build that into your plans. The city’s permit review for a small rooftop system takes under three business days, but your installer cannot switch the system on until PNM approves it.

Can PNM shut off power in the East Mountains?

Yes. The East Mountains along the Sandias are one of PNM’s High Fire Risk Areas, where it may run a Public Safety Power Shutoff in extreme fire weather. PNM says these can last up to 48 hours. Sign up for alerts and keep backup for medical devices, well pumps and refrigeration.

What size solar system does an Albuquerque home need?

An average PNM home used about 6,900 kWh in 2024. At roughly 1,610 kWh per kW a year, about 4.3 kW would cover that on paper, by our estimate. Your own bills, roof direction and shade matter more, so start with the solar potential tool.

Does PNM pay for home EV chargers?

PNM’s rebate page lists up to $500 toward a qualified Level 2 charger and up to $1,500 toward installation, with more for income-qualified homes. Its Program Authorized Contractors can apply the rebate on the invoice, or you can use any licensed electrician and apply yourself.

Sources

EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; reliability; net metering); PNM Customer Solar Program, net metering, PSPS, EV rebate and WHEV pages, and March 6, 2025 media advisory; New Mexico PRC customer notice, April 1, 2026; City of Albuquerque solar resources page and roof-mounted solar checklist; Bernalillo County (December 2025); NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC; CPSC. Read October 2026. Estimates are ours and labelled.