McKinney, Texas
Your complete local energy guide: electricity rates, solar panels, home batteries, generators, and EV charging. Compare costs, incentives, permits, and find local installation professionals.
Your complete McKinney energy guide
Everything you need to find and understand about energy in McKinney: what electricity costs, who supplies it, and how solar, home batteries, generators and EV charging fit your home, with local incentives, permits and where to start.
McKinney energy dashboard
General information
What every McKinney home deals with, whatever you installWhat this means for your home
Short answers, from the local numbersCooling. McKinney has about 2,810 cooling degree-days a year against 2,410 for heating (NASA POWER, base 65°F), so air conditioning is the big load. Seal gaps around doors, windows and the attic, shade sun-facing windows, service the air conditioner and move big loads out of your utility’s peak hours.
Texas electricity costs →Rooftop solar in McKinney makes roughly 1,360 kWh a year per kW of panels (our estimate from NASA POWER sunshine of 4.64 kWh per square meter per day). Export rules differ by utility (see the table below). Size solar to what you use at home, or pair it with a battery.
Texas incentives →Tornado-season storms cut power quickly. A battery that switches on by itself, or a portable generator ready to go, covers the first night; sirens and weather radios need power too. FEMA rates Collin County tornadoes “very high”.
Get a quote →McKinney has 84 public ports at 27 locations, 38 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 2026). Home charging does most of the work.
EV charging stations in McKinney →Tell us your project and your city and we match you with a licensed installer who serves your area. It is free, with no obligation.
Request a quote →Tags show the scope of each number: McKinney, a whole utility, Texas, or the U.S. Data checked October 21, 2026; sources are listed at the bottom. Utility figures are for the whole utility, not McKinney alone. The numbers for each solution are in its own section below, in its own color: solar yellow, battery green, generator red, EV purple.
How we rank: price and outage ranks compare Texas with the other states and D.C. (EIA Electric Power Monthly, July 2026; EIA-861 reliability reports, 2024). Sun: NASA POWER. Public charging: AFDC, October 2026.
McKinney electricity providers
Do not assume every McKinney home has the same provider. Oncor and Grayson-Collin Elec Coop, serve different parts of Collin County. Check the top of your bill, or ask the utility with your address.
In much of Texas two companies appear on your bill: the wires company that delivers power and restores it in an outage, and the retail electric provider you choose to sell it. City-owned utilities and co-ops sell and deliver together, with no choice.
- Type: wires company (you choose your plan).
- Home customers (2024): 3,477,215.
- Price: no retail price: you choose a plan (the Texas average was 15.88 cents in July 2026).
- Outage minutes (2024): 67 normal days, 532 with major events.
- Solar export: Oncor delivers power and does not buy it; your retail electric provider decides what exported power earns. Your installer files the interconnection, and you cannot operate until Oncor sends its permission-to-operate letter (state rules give Oncor 30 days from a complete submission).
- Programs: Oncor’s older residential solar incentive page says that program is closed; its 2026 solar manual describes the current program, so check before planning around it.
- Type: member-owned cooperative.
- Home customers (2024): 90,464.
- Price: 16.4 cents per kWh on average, utility-wide (EIA-861).
- Outage minutes (2024): 136 normal days, 190 with major events.
- Solar export: Ask this utility for its current solar export rate and programs; we have not verified them. In the retail-choice area your retail electric provider sets what exported power earns.
- Programs: Check the utility’s own pages for rebates and rate plans.
Program details are from each utility’s own pages, read October 2026; we have not verified anything we do not state. Statewide: Texas utilities.
McKinney electricity rates and average bills
In the retail-choice area you pick your own plan on Power to Choose (fixed-rate, variable-rate, prepaid or time-of-use), so two McKinney neighbors can pay different rates; the wires company adds a regulated delivery charge. Where a city utility or co-op serves you, its own rates apply.
| Utility | Price we confirmed |
|---|---|
| Oncor | You choose a retail provider and plan; the delivery charge is regulated |
| Grayson-Collin Elec Coop, | 16.4 cents per kWh, utility-wide average, 2024 (EIA-861) |
Texas average residential price, July 2026: 15.88 cents per kWh (EIA Electric Power Monthly, preliminary), against 18.31 for the U.S. This state number is not a price for McKinney alone.
Why electricity bills are high in McKinney
- Cooling. McKinney has about 2,810 cooling degree-days a year against 2,410 for heating (NASA POWER, base 65°F), so air conditioning is the big load.
- Heat and long summers. Cooling runs for months across most of Texas, so a big share of the bill is air conditioning.
- Plan details. In the choice area the plan’s monthly charge, bill credits and contract length change what you pay per kWh; compare the Electricity Facts Label.
- Your plan and your home. The rate plan, the size and age of the house, and when you use power all change the bill; compare plans before you assume the price is fixed.
Most of this is cooling or heating and timing, which means a lot of it can be changed. See our guide to what uses the most electricity, and the next section.
How to lower your electric bill in McKinney
- Check your rate plan. In the choice area compare plans on Power to Choose, including time-of-use and free-night plans; read the Electricity Facts Label for the monthly charge and contract terms.
- Move big loads out of the peak. Run the dishwasher, laundry and EV charging when power is cheapest on your plan.
- Attack cooling first. Shade windows, seal and insulate the attic and ducts, service the air conditioner and use a smart thermostat.
- Pick efficient equipment. See our guide to lowering your electric bill.
- Size solar to your own use. It saves the most on power you use at home; see the solar section below.
- Add a battery if exports pay little. It moves midday power into the evening peak.
- Charge an EV cheaply. Use the cheap hours on your plan.
We have not put dollar savings on these steps because they depend on your home and plan. Use the calculators in the cost section to test your own numbers.
Power outages and backup power in McKinney
In 2024 the average Oncor customer lost 67 minutes of power in a normal year (532 with major events; EIA-861, whole utility). FEMA rates the biggest risks in Collin County as: tornadoes (very high); hail (very high); heat waves (relatively high).
- Tornadoes (very high): Tornado-season storms cut power quickly. A battery that switches on by itself, or a portable generator ready to go, covers the first night; sirens and weather radios need power too.
- Hail (very high): Hail is hard on rooftop solar; ask installers about impact-rated panels and your insurer about coverage.
- Heat waves (relatively high): Heat waves strain the grid just when air conditioning matters most. Decide what must stay cool, such as one room, medicine and the fridge, and size backup to that rather than the whole house.
| Backup option | Best for | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Portable power station | Phones, internet, a fan and small medical devices | Power stations |
| Home battery | Silent, automatic backup; works with solar | McKinney battery guide |
| Standby generator | Multi-day outages and central air conditioning | McKinney generator guide |
See also our backup power guide.
Solar panels in McKinney
About 1,360 kWh a year from each kW of rooftop panels here (our estimate). What exported power earns depends on your utility; solar pays best when it is sized to what you use at home or paired with a battery.
- Permits come from City of McKinney Building Inspections; the utility must approve the connection before you switch on.
Info about Solar Panel Installation in McKinneyGet solar quotes
Home batteries in McKinney
A battery keeps the essentials running in an outage and moves midday power into the expensive evening peak. Heat limits where it can go, and local permits apply.
- It earns the most where evening power costs more than midday power or where a utility pays for sharing it.
Info about Home Battery Installation in McKinneyGet battery quotes
Backup generators in McKinney
A standby generator runs as long as it has fuel, which suits multi-day storms and big loads like central air conditioning. A transfer switch keeps it from feeding power back to the grid.
- Natural gas or propane: a propane tank may need its own permit.
Info about Backup Generator Installation in McKinneyGet generator quotes
EV chargers in McKinney
Most charging happens at home on a Level 2 charger, and your rate plan decides what it costs.
- A licensed electrician installs it, usually with a permit.
Info about Home EV Charger Installation in McKinneyGet EV charger quotes
Find fueling and charging stations in McKinney
Looking for a charger or a fuel pump near you? Each card below opens its own page, with a map that starts on McKinney, the station counts, the price of the fuel, how it compares with the others, and what to know before you go. Station data: U.S. Department of Energy, read 2026-10-21.
Station counts: U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center, public stations open 2026-10-21.
Not on the map, or something wrong? Submit a new station or report a change to the U.S. Department of Energy, which runs the map.
McKinney energy system costs and savings
We could not find verified installed prices for McKinney alone, so these are the closest sourced figures, labeled by where they come from. Real quotes depend on your home, equipment and installer.
| Solution | Typical cost (source) | What it can save | Try the calculator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar panels | $2.25 a watt in Texas (EnergySage, October 2026); about $13,500 for a 6 kW system (our arithmetic) | Each kW makes about 1,360 kWh a year (our estimate); used at home it saves your retail price per kWh | Solar savings |
| Home battery | About $13,000 for 13 kWh in Texas (EnergySage, before incentives) | Moves cheap midday or night power into the expensive evening; some utilities pay for sharing it | Battery sizing |
| Standby generator | $8,000 to $16,000 installed incl. generator (Generac, U.S.) | No savings; avoids losses in outages | Generator sizing |
| EV charger | About $800 to $3,000 before the charger (EnergySage, U.S. range) | Charging at home costs less than most public fast charging | EV charging cost |
Each guide has a calculator built for McKinney: solar, battery, generator and EV.
Rebates, tax credits and financing in Texas (checked October 21, 2026)
| Program | Status | What we confirmed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D): solar and batteries | ENDED | Not allowed for expenditures after December 31, 2025; solar or a battery finished in 2026 gets nothing. | IRS |
| Federal charger credit (30C) | ENDED | Not allowed for chargers placed in service after June 30, 2026. | IRS |
| Federal EV purchase credit (30D) | ENDED | Not allowed for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025. | IRS |
| Texas property-tax exemption for solar (Tax Code 11.27) | ACTIVE | Exempts the value solar adds to your home from property tax; file Form 50-123 with your appraisal district. Texas has no state income tax credit for solar. | Texas Comptroller |
| Oncor: solar and programs | CHECK | Oncor delivers power and does not buy it; your retail electric provider decides what exported power earns. Your installer files the interconnection, and you cannot operate until Oncor sends its permission-to-operate letter (state rules give Oncor 30 days from a complete submission). Oncor’s older residential solar incentive page says that program is closed; its 2026 solar manual describes the current program, so check before planning around it. | See the utility’s own pages |
Financing. You can pay cash, borrow, or lease or sign a power purchase agreement, and each changes who gets any incentive. Ask any company offering a lease who claims what and what you pay in total. Compare the options in our buy versus lease guide.
A generator has never qualified for a federal credit. Rules and amounts change, so check each program page before you count on it, and talk to a tax professional about your own situation. Statewide detail: Texas incentives table.
Compare energy solutions for your McKinney home
| Solar panels | Home battery | Standby generator | EV charger | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Make your own power | Store power; backup; peak shifting | Make power in an outage | Charge a car at home |
| Typical cost (not McKinney quotes) | $2.25 a watt in Texas (EnergySage) | $13,000 for 13 kWh in Texas (EnergySage) | $8,000 to $16,000 installed incl. generator (Generac) | About $800 to $3,000 before the charger (EnergySage) |
| Installation factors | Roof, shade, panel size, utility approval | Location (heat), panel, program rules, permits | Gas line or propane tank, pad, transfer switch, permits | Panel capacity, distance to panel, outdoor rating |
| Operating cost | None; small inverter replacement later | None; may earn utility payments | Fuel while it runs | Electricity |
| Maintenance | Occasional cleaning and checks | Little; app monitoring | Oil and filter, annual inspection, exercise runs | Little |
| Financial benefit | Bill savings, mainly on power used at home | Evening-peak savings, any utility bonus | None; avoids loss during outages | Lower fuel cost than gasoline |
| Backup in an outage | Only with a battery or special inverter | Yes, silent and automatic | Yes, for as long as fuel lasts | No (unless vehicle-to-home equipment) |
| Works well with | Battery, EV | Solar, EV overnight | Battery for short outages | Solar, time-of-use plan |
Common combinations in McKinney: solar plus battery for bill savings and backup; battery plus generator for everyday outages and multi-day events; solar plus an EV charger on a time-of-use plan.
McKinney energy permits, regulations and installation rules
| Project | City permit office | Utility |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | City of McKinney Building Inspections. The page lists residential solar as a permit-required item: apply in the Citizen Self Service portal and attach the Solar and Wind Energy Conversion Systems checklist. Electrical contractors must register with the city before a permit is issued. | Interconnection approval before you switch on |
| Home battery | The same office; ask whether a fire-department or placement rule applies to batteries | Interconnection approval; ask about battery requirements |
| Generator | Electrical permit, and a gas or propane permit where required | Ask the utility about transfer-switch rules |
| EV charger | Electrical permit from the same office | Optional rate plans or rebates |
- City permit page: City of McKinney Building Inspections · 469-617-4800.
- HOAs: Texas law limits what an owners’ association can do to keep out solar panels, though it can set some placement rules (Property Code 202.010).
- Contractors: check the license on the TDLR license search.
- Details and links are on each guide: solar, battery, generator, EV charger. Statewide rules: Texas laws and permits.
Find local energy installers and get quotes in McKinney
We do not rank or rate companies. When you compare solar installers, battery installers, generator installers and EV charger installers in McKinney, ask each bid to include:
- License: a license you can check on the TDLR license search.
- Sizing to your loads and your rate plan.
- Itemized, written price: equipment models, permits, utility fees and what is excluded.
- Warranty and service: who services the system if the installer closes.
- Permits and inspections: who pulls them, and whether the utility paperwork is included.
Pick what you need, tell us about your home, and we will reply ourselves. Need more than one? Send a request for the first and mention the others in the message. Nothing is shared with an installer unless you choose one. We are lining up independent, licensed installers in the McKinney area. Read how it works.
McKinney energy FAQs
Which utility serves my McKinney home?
It depends on your address. Oncor and Grayson-Collin Elec Coop, serve different parts of Collin County. Check the top of your electric bill or ask the utility with your address.
Is solar worth it in McKinney?
The sun is strong (about 1,360 kWh a year per kW of panels, our estimate). Texas has no statewide net metering, so what exported power earns depends on your utility or retail provider; solar pays most when sized to your own use or paired with a battery. See the Texas incentives.
Is there a federal tax credit in 2026?
No. The 25D credit for solar and batteries ended for expenditures after December 31, 2025, the charger credit ended after June 30, 2026, and the EV purchase credit ended after September 30, 2025 (IRS). Texas has no state income tax credit for solar; the property-tax exemption (Tax Code 11.27) for the value solar adds to your home is separate.
Should I get a battery or a generator in McKinney?
A battery is silent and automatic, works with solar and can save money at the evening peak. A generator keeps running as long as it has fuel and suits multi-day outages. Many homes choose a battery first; see the comparison table above.
How much does home battery installation cost in McKinney?
EnergySage’s data shows about $13,000 for a 13 kWh battery in Texas before incentives; local quotes differ.
What do I need to power my air conditioner in an outage?
It takes a large battery system or a standby generator, because starting a central air conditioner needs far more power than running it. Check your unit’s nameplate and consider a soft starter, or back up a window or mini-split unit instead.
How much does a home EV charger install cost?
EnergySage’s U.S. range is about $800 to $3,000 before the charger; your panel and wiring decide your price. In the retail-choice area, compare plans on Power to Choose; some retail providers offer free or cheap nights. Austin Energy lists a charger rebate (up to $1,200 per EnergySage) and Entergy Texas advertises $250; ask your own utility.
Do I need a permit?
Usually yes for all four. City of McKinney Building Inspections handles permits in McKinney. The utility must approve any system that connects to your wiring.
Does weather affect solar panels, batteries and generators?
Yes. Panels lose a little output when hot, many batteries reduce power in extreme heat or cold, and generators derate in heat. Pick equipment rated for McKinney’s weather.
How do I choose an installer?
Ask for the contractor license number and look it up on the TDLR license search, get itemized written bids, make sure the installer sizes the system to your loads and your rate plan, and check warranty and service. We do not rank installers.
McKinney energy resources
- McKinney solar panel installation
- McKinney home battery installation
- McKinney backup generator installation
- McKinney home EV charger installation
- Dallas-Fort Worth energy guide
- Allen energy guide
- Frisco energy guide
- Plano energy guide
- Richardson energy guide
- Carrollton energy guide
- Texas energy guide
- Solar savings calculator
- Battery backup calculator
- Generator sizing calculator
- EV charging cost calculator
- DIY solar kits
- Solar generators
- Backup power guide
- Incentives guide
Sources and data checks
About the price and outage numbers at the top of this page: 2024 averages for each whole utility (EIA-861), not your plan or street. Outage time is a normal year without major storms. In the Texas retail-choice area the price shown is the state average, because the wires companies do not sell power.
Each linked guide lists its own sources and the items we could not confirm. We re-check these pages and welcome corrections.
| What | Applies to | Source | Checked | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utility prices and outages | Oncor and Grayson-Collin Elec Coop, (whole utility, 2024) | EIA Form 861 | October 21, 2026 | Verified |
| State price and rank | Texas | EIA Electric Power Monthly | October 21, 2026 | Verified (preliminary) |
| Sunshine and climate | McKinney | NASA POWER | October 21, 2026 | Verified (our estimate of output) |
| Hazards | Collin County | FEMA National Risk Index | October 21, 2026 | Verified |
| Public charging and fuel stations | McKinney | Alternative Fuels Data Center | October 21, 2026 | Verified |
| Federal credits | U.S. | IRS | October 21, 2026 | Verified |
| City permits | McKinney | City of McKinney Building Inspections | October 21, 2026 | Verified page; confirm details |
| Costs | Texas, U.S. | EnergySage; Generac | October 21, 2026 | Verified (not McKinney quotes) |
General information, not financial, tax, legal or electrical advice. Estimates are ours and are not promises. See our editorial policy.