In short: Shreveport’s energy risks are not the coast’s. FEMA rates ice storms “very high” in Caddo and Bossier parishes, and hurricanes only moderate. SWEPCO, the main utility, charged homes about 13.5¢ per kWh in 2024, and its Louisiana customers lost about 984 minutes of power, more than the state average of 728.
This page covers Shreveport and Bossier City. For statewide rules, contractor licensing and Louisiana’s averages, see our Louisiana energy guide. Below: SWEPCO’s numbers and recent storms, why winter backup matters here, what solar is worth and where permits come from.
Shreveport at a glance
- SWEPCO (Southwestern Electric Power Company): serves Caddo and Bossier parishes; about 13.5¢ per kWh for Louisiana homes (2024 average). Outages in 2024 for its Louisiana customers: 320 minutes on normal days, 984 minutes (about 16 hours) counting major events, about 2.8 interruptions (EIA-861).
- Entergy Louisiana: also listed by EIA in Bossier Parish; about 11.1¢ per kWh; 213 minutes on normal days and 610 with major events (company-wide, 2024). EIA also lists a small co-op, Panola-Harrison Electric, in Caddo Parish. Check your bill.
- Sun: 4.56 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020), about 1,330 kWh a year per kW of panels by our rough estimate. Its June sun is the strongest of our five Louisiana metros, its December sun the weakest.
- Top hazards: ice storms, lightning and strong wind rated “very high” in Caddo Parish, with cold waves, drought, hail, heat waves and winter weather “relatively high”; Bossier Parish rates ice storms “very high” (FEMA National Risk Index).
- Public charging: 26 public ports in Shreveport and 13 in Bossier City (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
SWEPCO. In Louisiana, SWEPCO follows the Public Service Commission’s rules: systems connected since 2020 save the retail price on solar you use as it is produced and earn an avoided-cost rate for exports, while older systems keep retail net metering until the end of 2034. We could not confirm SWEPCO’s current Louisiana export rate, so ask for it in writing. SWEPCO’s homeowner guide to connecting rooftop solar explains the hardware: a separate production meter, and an AC disconnect switch that is lockable and reachable by its crews at all times. It says most applicants (90 to 95%) are approved on the first review, and a complete application with acceptable equipment gets an interconnection agreement within 35 days.
Entergy Louisiana (parts of Bossier Parish). Exports earn $0.0259 per kWh from April 1, 2025; solar you use at home saves the full retail price. See Entergy Louisiana’s net metering page. Entergy’s eTech program lists a $250 incentive for an ENERGY STAR Level 2 home charger.
Backup power in Shreveport
SWEPCO’s own releases show both kinds of trouble. In April 2024, two rounds of storms with damaging winds, intense lightning and flooding left about 35,000 SWEPCO customers in the dark at the peak, and SWEPCO expected to restore 95% of the Shreveport area a day after Bossier City. In January 2026, Winter Storm Fern brought record cold and ice on the lines; more than 68,900 SWEPCO customers lost power at the peak, and the company listed warming stations on its outage map.
An ice-storm outage in deep cold is the hardest case for backup: a home needs heat, not just a fridge and fans. Plan for it:
- Heat: a gas furnace still needs electricity for its blower and controls. A modest generator on a transfer switch, or a home battery, can run it; a heat pump or electric furnace needs far more. Size it with the generator sizing tool.
- Fuel: natural gas standby units avoid refueling on icy roads. Portable units need fuel stored safely before the storm.
- Short outages from summer storms: a portable power station handles phones, lights, a CPAP and the internet. Compare in backup power options.
After a storm, SWEPCO notes that damage to the parts of the service on your house, such as the weatherhead, meter box and service entrance cables, must be repaired by a licensed electrician before it can reconnect you. Since January 2023, Louisiana’s construction code requires carbon monoxide alarms in each bedroom and the living area when a standby generator is installed outside. Never run a generator in a garage, even with the door open; read generator installation.
Solar in Shreveport
Each kW of panels makes about 1,330 kWh a year here by our estimate. On SWEPCO, every kWh you use as it is produced saves about 13.5¢, so a kW used entirely at home is worth about $180 a year, the highest self-use value of our five Louisiana metros because SWEPCO’s price is the highest. Exports earn far less, at an avoided-cost rate. On Entergy Louisiana, a kW is worth about $147 used at home or $35 exported. These are estimates, not promises.
Size the system to your daytime use. Panels produce little when covered in ice, so solar is a savings tool here more than an outage plan unless you add a battery. The federal 25D credit ended for systems completed after 2025. Try the solar potential calculator and read solar costs and solar installation.
Home batteries in Shreveport
EIA counted 1,378 net-metered home solar systems at SWEPCO in Louisiana in 2024, and just 2 paired with a battery. With exports credited at avoided cost, a battery lets you keep midday solar for the evening, and it keeps essentials running when the grid is down, which grid-tied solar alone cannot do. For a multi-day ice storm, pair it with a generator or plan to recharge from one. See battery installation, home battery cost and the battery backup calculator.
EV charging in Shreveport
Public charging is thin: 26 ports in Shreveport and 13 in Bossier City, so most drivers will rely on home charging. Using about 30 kWh per 100 miles, that costs about $4.05 per 100 miles at SWEPCO’s 2024 average, or about $3.30 on Entergy Louisiana (estimates). We found no SWEPCO charger rebate for Louisiana. Cold reduces EV range, so charge fully before an ice storm. A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit and a permit: see EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Shreveport: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- City of Shreveport: Permits and Inspections issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits online through MGO (My Government Online). A residential generator permit needs a site plan, and contractors must register with the division each year.
- Bossier City: the Permits and Inspections Division issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits and inspects the work, under the 2020 National Electrical Code and 2021 International Codes.
- Outside city limits: ask Caddo or Bossier Parish which office handles your permit.
Use a licensed contractor (state license lookup on the Louisiana page); they pull the permit and file SWEPCO’s or Entergy’s interconnection application. In HOA neighborhoods, check rules on roof panels and generator placement first.
Cities we cover
- Shreveport
- Bossier City
Get help in Shreveport
Are you a licensed installer in Shreveport? Join SolutionEnergy and get requests from homeowners and businesses →
Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Shreveport area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. See how it works.
Shreveport energy FAQ
Is Shreveport at risk from hurricanes?
Less than south Louisiana. FEMA rates hurricane risk in Caddo Parish relatively moderate, while ice storms, lightning and strong wind are rated very high. Plan your backup around winter ice and summer thunderstorms first.
How did Winter Storm Fern affect SWEPCO customers?
SWEPCO reported more than 68,900 customers without power at the peak in January 2026, as record low temperatures kept ice on the ground and on power lines. It listed warming stations on its outage map while crews worked.
How long does SWEPCO take to approve a solar connection?
SWEPCO’s homeowner guide says a fully completed application with acceptable equipment gets an interconnection agreement within 35 days, and most applicants are approved on the first review.
Why won’t SWEPCO reconnect my house after a storm?
If the weatherhead, meter box or service entrance on your house is damaged, or was under water, SWEPCO needs a licensed electrician to repair or inspect it first. After the repair, call SWEPCO to have power restored.
Sources
U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 for 2024 (sales, reliability, service territories, net metering), read October 3, 2026. SWEPCO homeowner solar guide and storm releases (April 2024; January 2026); Entergy Louisiana net metering page; Entergy eTech, read October 3, 2026. City of Shreveport Permits and Inspections; Bossier City Permits and Inspections Division. FEMA National Risk Index. NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. AFDC Station Locator, October 3, 2026.