In short: Amarillo has about 203,700 people and sits in Potter County. Southwestern Public Service Co and Rita Blanca Electric Coop, Inc serves different parts of Potter County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 8.28¢ to 13.35¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Potter County winter weather “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,530 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is among the best in the country.
This page covers what is local to Amarillo: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Texas energy guide.
Amarillo at a glance
- Place: Amarillo, Potter County, Texas; about 203,729 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Southwestern Public Service Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 13.35¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 116 minutes of power on normal days and 197 counting major storms, with 1.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Amarillo).
- Utility: Rita Blanca Electric Coop, Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 8.28¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 82 minutes of power on normal days and 389 counting major storms, with 0.8 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Amarillo).
- Sun: 5.22 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.71 in December to 7.58 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,530 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 1,880 cooling degree-days and 3,590 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Potter County: winter weather “very high”, hail “very high” and tornadoes “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively moderate”).
- Public charging: 110 ports at 26 locations in Amarillo, 67 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Southwestern Public Service Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 222,146 home customers in 2024; its 13.35¢ average was below the 15.88¢ statewide average for July 2026. Rita Blanca Electric Coop, Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 1,255 home customers in 2024; its 8.28¢ average was below the 15.88¢ statewide average for July 2026. Those are utility-wide averages, not a quote for your address; your own bill is the real number.
For reliability, Southwestern Public Service Co reported 116 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, less than the statewide figure of 129 (EIA-861). Utility-wide numbers hide a lot: a home at the end of a long rural line usually has more outages than the average.
Net metering, export rates and incentives are set at state level and by each utility. Start with the Texas guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Amarillo
- Winter weather (very high): Winter storms and cold snaps combine outages with heating demand. Plan for the furnace blower or heat pump, not just lights, and keep a fuel supply you can reach in snow.
- Hail (very high): Hail is hard on rooftop solar; ask installers about impact-rated panels and your insurer about coverage.
- Short outages: a portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi, a CPAP and lights; a home battery switches over automatically.
Size your setup with the generator sizing tool and the battery backup calculator, and compare options in backup power. Generator safety (CPSC): outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from doors and windows, never in a garage, and battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms inside. A licensed electrician should install any transfer switch, with a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Amarillo
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,530 kWh a year in Amarillo (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Southwestern Public Service Co’s 2024 average of 13.35¢, that is about $204 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: June is the sunniest month at 7.58 and December the dimmest at 2.71, a 2.8-to-1 gap.
Check your own roof with the solar potential tool, see solar costs and net metering vs net billing, and read the steps in solar installation. Hail and storm exposure are worth raising with installers and your insurer.
Batteries and EV charging
A home battery earns its place when outages are frequent, when your utility pays little for exported solar, or when evening prices are high; compare in home batteries and battery costs. Amarillo has 110 public charging ports in the federal station list including 67 DC fast, but home charging is cheaper and easier: see the EV charging cost calculator and EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Amarillo: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
Solar, generator transfer switches and EV chargers normally need an electrical permit from the Amarillo building or permitting department, or from Potter County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Amarillo, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Texas guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: see all of Texas, or the whole Texas energy guide.
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Amarillo energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Amarillo?
Southwestern Public Service Co and Rita Blanca Electric Coop, Inc both serve parts of Potter County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Southwestern Public Service Co 13.35¢, Rita Blanca Electric Coop, Inc 8.28¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Amarillo?
About 1,530 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 9,180 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
Is a generator or a battery better for winter weather in Potter County?
It depends how long the outage lasts. A battery is quiet, automatic and good for short outages and for pairing with solar; a standby generator keeps going as long as it has fuel, which suits multi-day events. Many homes use a battery for everyday outages and add a generator for the rare long one.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Amarillo?
Almost always an electrical permit for a transfer switch, solar or an EV charger, issued by the city or county where you live. Your licensed electrician or installer normally pulls it. Never connect a generator to your house wiring without a transfer switch.
Sources: EIA Form 861 (2024) for utility prices and outages; NASA POWER climatology (2001 to 2025) for sun and degree-days; FEMA National Risk Index for county hazards; AFDC station locator for public charging; Census Bureau for population. Estimates are ours and are not promises; see our editorial policy. Prices and programs change, so check each program page.