Houston Energy Guide: Solar, Batteries, Backup Power and EV

In short: in 2024 the average CenterPoint customer in the Houston area lost about 72 hours of power, almost all of it during the May windstorm and Hurricane Beryl; on ordinary days the total was about 2.5 hours (EIA). Here, backup power for multi-day outages comes first; solar is a second decision that hinges on your retail provider’s buyback plan.

This page covers what is specific to the Houston area: its wires companies, their outage records and programs, and local permits. Statewide rules (the Texas solar sales law, TDLR licensing and the property tax exemption) are on our Texas energy guide.

Houston at a glance

• CenterPoint Energy (wires company for most of the metro): 4,316 minutes without power per customer in 2024 counting major events, 150 minutes without them; 3.7 interruptions a year with major events (EIA-861, 2024). You buy power from a retail provider; across Texas’s competitive areas homes paid about 16.7¢ per kWh on average in 2024, of which roughly 4.9¢ covered CenterPoint’s delivery charges.
• Entergy Texas (parts of Harris and Montgomery counties): sells power directly at about 13.7¢ per kWh (2024 average); 1,728 minutes without power with major events, 305 without, across its Southeast Texas system.
• Co-ops at the edges: EIA lists Sam Houston, Mid-South and San Bernard electric co-ops in Harris or Montgomery County, and Texas-New Mexico Power and Jackson Electric in Brazoria County.
• Sun: about 4.65 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,360 kWh a year per kW of panels.
• Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Harris County “very high” for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind, tornadoes, lightning, ice storms and cold waves; Fort Bend County “very high” for hurricanes, lightning and tornadoes.
• Public charging: Houston had 1,562 public charging ports, Katy 139, Sugar Land 68 and Pearland 26 (AFDC Station Locator, October 3, 2026; public charging ports).

Your utility and what it means

• CenterPoint areas (most of Houston; the only wires company EIA lists for Fort Bend County): CenterPoint owns the poles and wires and approves solar and battery connections; your retail provider sets your price and any solar buyback. CenterPoint pays a solar incentive of $135 per kW of panels (DC), capped at 15 kW, so up to about $2,025, through participating contractors who credit it on your installation invoice. It applies to existing single-family homes, not new construction or homes that already have solar.
• Entergy Texas: a traditional utility outside the ERCOT retail market, so there is no retail provider to choose; it sets its own solar rules. Ask Entergy Texas for its current interconnection and credit terms.
• Co-ops: each sets its own solar credit and programs; check your co-op’s distributed generation page before signing.

Backup power in Houston

2024 showed what Houston outages look like. CenterPoint reports that the May 2024 windstorms cut power to about 922,000 customers at the peak, and that Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall on July 8, 2024, cut power to more than 2.1 million. CenterPoint said it had restored more than 98% of affected customers by July 17, nine days later. Those are the outages to plan for: days, not hours, in summer heat.

• Standby generator: on natural gas, the usual way to keep air conditioning and a refrigerator running for a week. It needs gas and electrical work by licensed contractors and a permit.
• Portable generator: cheaper, but fuel runs short after a hurricane. Never run it in a garage or near windows; keep it at least 20 feet from the house (CPSC), and use a transfer switch or interlock installed by a licensed electrician.
• Battery with solar: recharges every sunny day after the storm passes, and is silent. One battery will not run central air for long, so plan which circuits it covers.
• Power station: for phones, Wi-Fi, fans, lights and medical devices; see portable power stations.

Compare them in our backup power guide, size them with the generator sizing tool and the battery backup calculator, and read what generator installation involves. Flooding is a local factor too: Harris County’s inland flooding risk is rated “very high”, so ask your installer to place generators, batteries and transfer equipment above likely flood levels.

Solar in Houston

Houston gets a bit less sun than Central Texas, about 1,360 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate. In CenterPoint areas, every kWh you use yourself saves your plan’s full price (about 16.7¢ on 2024 averages, so up to roughly $225 a year per kW if you used it all at home, our estimate). Exports earn whatever your retail provider’s buyback plan pays. CenterPoint’s $135 per kW incentive lowers the upfront cost a little; your contractor applies it.

Hurricane winds matter for the roof work: Harris County is rated “very high” for hurricanes and strong wind, so mounting and roof attachments must meet the wind design for your address; in Houston every solar job needs a structural permit as well as an electrical one. Panels alone do not keep your lights on in an outage; that takes a battery or a special inverter. Start with the solar potential tool, the solar savings calculator and our guide to solar installation.

Batteries

Can a battery replace a generator here? For a short outage, yes; for a week without power in July, a battery needs solar to recharge or a generator alongside it. A battery also lets you keep midday solar for the evening when your buyback plan pays little for exports. We found no CenterPoint home battery rebate. See home battery installation and battery costs.

EV charging

At about 16.7¢ per kWh, a typical EV using 30 kWh per 100 miles costs about $5 per 100 miles to charge at home (our estimate, before losses); a plan with free or cheap night hours can cut that sharply. We found no CenterPoint EV charger rebate. A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit and an electrical permit; see EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.

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

Permits and inspections

• City of Houston: the Houston Permitting Center requires structural and electrical permits for any solar system, issued under one project number, applied for through iPermits by licensed contractors registered with the city. Since July 15, 2024, registered contractors can use SolarAPP+, an automated review for standard rooftop systems on one- and two-family homes; addresses in the highest wind-design zone still go through regular plan review.
• Standby generators in Houston: a registered electrical contractor pulls the generator permit, and the gas connection takes a separate plumbing permit from a licensed plumber.
• Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, The Woodlands and unincorporated areas: ask your city, township or county, and your utility, which permits apply. A 2025 state law (SB 1202) lets licensed third-party reviewers handle home backup power permits; ask your city how it applies it.
• Utility approval: CenterPoint, Entergy Texas or your co-op must approve solar and grid-tied batteries before you switch them on.
• HOAs: under Texas Property Code section 202.010, homeowners associations generally cannot ban solar panels but can set placement rules; check yours before you sign.

Cities we cover

• Houston
• Katy
• Sugar Land
• The Woodlands
• Pearland

Get help

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Houston energy questions

How long did Houston lose power after Hurricane Beryl?

Beryl made landfall on July 8, 2024 and cut power to more than 2.1 million CenterPoint customers at the peak. CenterPoint reported more than 2 million restored by July 15 and more than 98% of affected customers by July 17. Across all of 2024, its customers averaged about 72 hours without power (EIA).

Does CenterPoint pay for solar?

CenterPoint pays an installation incentive of $135 per kW (DC), up to 15 kW, through participating contractors, for existing single-family homes. It does not buy your exported power; in CenterPoint areas your retail electricity provider decides whether to credit exports, through optional buyback plans. Compare plans before installing.

Generator or battery for Houston hurricanes?

For multi-day outages in summer heat, a natural gas standby generator is the most dependable way to run air conditioning. A battery with solar is quiet and recharges daily but covers fewer circuits. Many homes pair a small battery for short outages with a generator for long ones. Keep portable generators outdoors, 20 feet from the house.

Can I choose my electricity provider in The Woodlands or Katy?

If CenterPoint delivers your power, yes: you pick a retail provider and plan. If your bill comes from Entergy Texas or an electric co-op, which EIA lists in parts of Harris and Montgomery counties, you buy directly from that utility and its own solar rules apply. Your current bill shows which one you have.

Sources

Utility prices, delivery charges, service areas and outage minutes: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 2024 data (prices are 2024 averages). Storm figures: CenterPoint Energy Form 10-Q for the third quarter of 2024 and CenterPoint’s Hurricane Beryl restoration updates. CenterPoint solar incentive page. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001–2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Permits: Houston Permitting Center. Texas Property Code section 202.010; CPSC generator safety. Checked October 3, 2026. Estimates are ours and labelled as such.