Three Points, Arizona is a rural community southwest of Tucson characterized by large desert parcels, horse properties, ranch-style homes, unpaved roads, and expansive views across the Altar Valley toward surrounding mountain ranges. Compared with Tucson’s suburban neighborhoods, homes around Three Points are much more dispersed, and many properties include workshops, barns, wells, gates, and other equipment that can add to household electricity demand. The area receives abundant Southern Arizona sunshine, making residential solar particularly well suited for homeowners who want to produce more of their electricity directly on their property.

The primary electricity provider serving Three Points is Trico Electric Cooperative, a member-owned electric cooperative rather than an investor-owned utility regulated through traditional Arizona Corporation Commission rate cases. Trico implemented new residential rates on January 1, 2026, and estimated that a typical residential member using 935 kWh per month would see a 7.23% increase in the monthly electric bill. Because Trico is a cooperative, Three Points customers are not directly affected by the current APS, TEP, or UniSource rate-increase proposals pending before the Arizona Corporation Commission. Those ACC cases nevertheless illustrate the broader upward pressure on electricity costs across Arizona. For Three Points homeowners facing Trico’s recent 7.23% typical-bill increase and substantial summer cooling demand, rooftop solar can reduce grid purchases and provide greater control over long-term electricity expenses.

Adding battery storage can be especially useful for Three Points’ rural and horse properties. Batteries store surplus daytime solar production for use during the evening or other periods when the home would otherwise purchase electricity from Trico, increasing solar self-consumption and reducing dependence on the grid. When appropriately sized and configured for backup, a battery system can also support selected essential loads during outages—including refrigeration, lighting, communications, gates, and potentially well or ranch equipment depending on their electrical requirements. For Three Points homeowners dealing with Trico’s 7.23% typical residential bill increase, combining solar panels with battery storage can provide greater control over rising energy costs while adding valuable resilience for rural properties.