Texas Energy Guide 2026: Solar, Batteries, Backup Power, EV

In short: Texas homes paid about 15.9¢ per kWh in July 2026, below the U.S. average of 18.3¢ (EIA). The bigger story is reliability: in 2024 the average Texas customer lost about 21 hours of power once major storms are counted. Plan backup first, then decide whether solar pays under your provider’s buyback plan.

This guide uses Texas’s own numbers, each with its source and date, to help you choose between a generator, a home battery, solar panels and a home EV charger.

Texas at a glance

• Home electricity price: 15.88¢/kWh in July 2026, up from 15.36¢ a year earlier; 16.06¢ on average for January to July 2026. The U.S. average was 18.31¢ in July 2026 (EIA, preliminary).
• Outages: 1,271 minutes (about 21 hours) without power per customer in 2024 counting major events, 129 minutes (about 2 hours) without them. Customers saw about 2.1 interruptions a year with major events and 1.2 without (EIA-861, 2024).
• Sun: about 4.65 kWh per square meter per day in Houston and 5.09 near the center of the state (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,360 kWh a year per kW of panels in Houston, more with good south-facing panels and toward central Texas.
• Net metering: no statewide rule. In competitive ERCOT areas, retail electricity providers offer optional buyback plans; city utilities and co-ops set their own (for example, Austin Energy’s Value of Solar and CPS Energy in San Antonio).
• Plug-in (balcony) solar law: none found as of October 2026; your utility’s interconnection rules apply.
• Electric cars: about 387,400 battery-electric and 79,900 plug-in hybrid cars and light trucks registered through 2025; 12,786 public charging ports at 3,780 locations, including 5,480 DC fast ports (AFDC, read October 2026).
• Main utilities by customers (2024): Oncor (about 4.0 million), CenterPoint Energy (2.8 million), CPS Energy, the City of San Antonio’s utility (962,000), and AEP Texas Central (916,000). In competitive areas Oncor, CenterPoint and AEP own the wires; you buy power from a retail provider.
• Weather hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Texas “very high” for winter weather, ice storms, cold waves, heat waves, tornadoes and strong wind, and “relatively high” for hurricanes and wildfire.
• Planned wildfire shutoffs: yes, in the Panhandle. Xcel Energy (Southwestern Public Service) uses Public Safety Power Shutoffs; one on February 17, 2026 affected about 14,500 customers.
• State incentive: a property tax exemption for the value a solar or wind system adds to your home (Texas Comptroller).

Backup power in Texas

The two outage numbers tell you what kind of backup to plan for. On an ordinary year, a Texas customer loses about two hours of power in total, spread over one or two short interruptions. A small battery or power station covers that. But 2024’s total jumped to about 21 hours once major events were counted, and the hazards list explains why: hurricanes along the coast, ice storms and hard freezes, heat waves, tornadoes and wind storms. Those are the outages that last a day or several, and they often hit when you need heating or cooling most.

Here is how the three main options fit Texas outages:

• Portable power station (a big rechargeable battery with outlets): quiet and safe indoors, good for phones, Wi-Fi, a CPAP, lights and a fridge for part of a day. It will not run central air conditioning. See portable power stations.
• Home battery wired to your panel: switches over on its own and runs chosen circuits for hours; with solar it can recharge each sunny day, which helps after a hurricane. Running a large air conditioner for long takes more than one battery. See home batteries.
• Generator: a portable or a standby unit on natural gas or propane is still the usual answer for multi-day outages and for heat or cooling loads. See home generators.

Size the job before you shop: our battery backup calculator shows how long a battery would run your essentials, and the generator sizing tool adds up the watts. If you choose a generator, follow the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC): run it outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from windows, doors and vents, never in a garage, and keep battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms on every level. Connecting a generator or battery to your house wiring takes a transfer switch or interlock installed by a licensed electrician; a standby generator also needs a licensed professional for the gas line, and usually a permit.

In the Panhandle, planned wildfire shutoffs add one more reason to keep at least a small battery charged: the utility cuts power on purpose during high wildfire risk.

Solar in Texas

Texas has plenty of sun, and an average-to-low electricity price. Whether panels pay off depends less on the sun and more on how your electricity provider pays for the power you send back to the grid.

A rough way to think about it (our estimate, not a quote): each kW of panels in Houston might make about 1,360 kWh a year. Every kWh you use yourself saves roughly the full price you pay, about 15.9¢ at July 2026 rates, so each kW is worth up to about $215 a year if you use all of its power at home. Power you export is worth whatever your buyback plan pays, which in Texas varies from provider to provider and can be well below what you pay. A home that uses most of its solar during the day (air conditioning on summer afternoons helps) gets more value than one that exports most of it.

Many Texans already do it: EIA counts about 133,500 net-metered home solar systems in Texas in 2024, totaling 984 MW. That count misses homes on plans that are not called net metering, so the real number is higher.

What to check before you sign:

• Your buyback plan. In Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston and other competitive areas, compare retail providers’ solar buyback plans; in Austin, San Antonio and co-op areas, read your utility’s own solar rate. See our net metering guide.
• The Texas solar sales law. Since September 1, 2025, residential solar contracts in Texas must name the licensed electrical contractor doing the work, spell out permits and utility approvals, and give you five business days to cancel without penalty. From September 1, 2026, solar retailers and salespeople must also register with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), unless they are licensed electrical contractors (SB 1036, TDLR).
• The property tax exemption. Under Texas Tax Code section 11.27, the value a solar or wind system adds to your home is exempt from property tax. You apply with Form 50-123 at your county appraisal district. Check the Comptroller’s page before you file; rules and forms change.
• No federal credit in 2026. The federal 30% residential clean energy credit (25D) ended for systems completed after December 31, 2025. Be wary of any pitch that still promises it.

Texas has no plug-in (balcony) solar law, so small plug-in kits fall under your utility’s normal interconnection rules; ask before you plug one in. To go deeper, see our solar guide, what solar costs and the solar potential tool for your own roof.

Home batteries in Texas

A home battery does two jobs in Texas. It keeps the lights, fridge and internet on during outages, and, if you have solar on a plan that pays little for exports, it lets you store daytime solar and use it in the evening instead of selling it cheaply. Batteries are still rare here: of the roughly 133,500 net-metered solar homes EIA counted in 2024, about 3,600 also had a battery.

We found no statewide Texas battery rebate. Some utilities and retail providers run their own battery or demand-response programs, so ask yours before you buy. The federal credit that covered batteries also ended after December 31, 2025. For prices and sizing, see home batteries and what a home battery costs.

EV charging in Texas

Texas had about 387,400 battery-electric cars and light trucks plus 79,900 plug-in hybrids registered through 2025, and 12,786 public charging ports: 7,306 Level 2 and 5,480 DC fast (AFDC). That is roughly 30 battery-electric vehicles per public port, so most owners charge at home.

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

Home charging is cheap at Texas prices. Our estimate: a typical EV uses about 30 kWh per 100 miles (the kind of figure fueleconomy.gov lists), so at 15.88¢ per kWh, 100 miles costs about $4.75 and 1,000 miles about $48, before charging losses. A plan with cheaper night rates lowers that further. Try your own numbers in the EV charging cost calculator.

A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit installed by a licensed electrician, usually with a permit. We did not find a confirmed statewide Texas charger rebate; some utilities offer their own, so check before you buy. The federal home charger credit (30C) ended for chargers placed in service after June 30, 2026, and the federal EV credit (30D) ended September 30, 2025. More in our EV charging guide.

Off-grid, small wind and micro-hydro

Ranches, hunting cabins and remote homes in Texas often run on solar plus batteries, with a generator as backup; our off-grid guide covers how to size that. Wind is a real option in open country: NASA POWER puts the average wind speed near the center of the state at about 6.7 meters per second at 50 meters high (4.6 at 10 meters), against about 5.3 near Houston. The U.S. Department of Energy says grid-tied small wind is practical at about 4.5 m/s or more at the turbine’s height, so our estimate is that open rural sites can work, while suburbs and wooded lots usually cannot. Terrain matters most; see wind energy. We have no Texas data on micro-hydro; for the basics, see hydroelectric power.

Licensing and permits in Texas

• Electricians: licensed statewide by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Solar panel installation needs a TDLR electrical contractor license; Texas has no separate solar installer license. Check any license on the TDLR license search.
• Solar sellers: from September 1, 2026, residential solar retailers and salespeople register with TDLR (licensed electrical contractors are exempt). You can file a complaint with TDLR about solar contracts signed on or after September 1, 2025.
• Permits: come from your city or, outside city limits, your county. Your installer should pull them.
• Interconnection: solar and grid-tied batteries need approval from the utility that owns your wires (for example Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas, CPS Energy, Austin Energy or your co-op) before you switch them on.

Where we cover in Texas

• Dallas–Fort Worth: Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Arlington, Denton
• Houston: Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Pearland
• Austin: Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown
• San Antonio: San Antonio, New Braunfels
• El Paso: El Paso
• Coastal Texas: Corpus Christi
• Rio Grande Valley: McAllen, Brownsville

Local pages for these areas will follow as we verify local information and installers.

Get quotes in Texas

Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves Texas. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works, and see what else may help in our incentives guide.

Texas energy questions

Does Texas have net metering?

Not statewide. In competitive ERCOT areas such as Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston, retail electricity providers decide whether and how much to pay for solar you export, through optional buyback plans. City utilities and co-ops set their own rules; Austin Energy uses a Value of Solar rate, and CPS Energy in San Antonio has its own program. Compare plans before you install.

Is there a solar tax credit in Texas in 2026?

We found no Texas state solar tax credit, and the federal 25D credit ended for systems completed after December 31, 2025. Texas does exempt the value solar adds to your home from property tax: file Form 50-123 with your county appraisal district. Check the Comptroller’s page first, since rules change.

Is a generator or a battery better for Texas outages?

For short, everyday outages, a battery or portable power station is quiet and needs no fuel. For multi-day outages after hurricanes, ice storms or freezes, and for running air conditioning or heat, a generator is usually the practical choice, and a battery with solar can recharge daily. Some homeowners combine a small battery with a generator. Always run generators outdoors, 20 feet from the house.

Who licenses solar installers in Texas?

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Installing solar panels requires a TDLR electrical contractor license; there is no separate solar license. Since September 1, 2026, people and companies that sell or lease home solar systems must also register with TDLR unless they are licensed electrical contractors. You can check any license on TDLR’s online license search.

Can I cancel a solar contract in Texas?

Yes. Under Texas’s residential solar law (SB 1036), you can cancel a solar purchase or lease contract without penalty by giving written notice by the fifth business day after you sign. The contract must show the last date of that cancellation period, and any loan tied to it must be cancelled too. Contracts signed on or after September 1, 2025 are covered.

How much does it cost to charge an EV at home in Texas?

At the July 2026 average of 15.88¢ per kWh, and assuming about 30 kWh per 100 miles, roughly $4.75 per 100 miles, or about $48 for 1,000 miles, before charging losses (our estimate). Your real cost depends on your plan’s rate; a plan with cheaper night hours can cut it noticeably. Use our EV charging cost calculator with your own rate.

Sources

Electricity prices: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Electric Power Monthly, July 2026 and January–July 2026 (preliminary). Outages, utilities and solar counts: EIA-861, 2024 data. Weather hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Sun and wind: NASA POWER, 2001–2020 averages; small wind threshold from the U.S. Department of Energy’s small wind guidebook. EV registrations (through 2025) and public chargers (read October 2026): U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC). Licensing and solar sales law: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), checked October 2026. Property tax exemption: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, checked October 2026. Planned shutoffs: Xcel Energy, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC. Estimates on this page are ours and are labelled as such.