In short: Fort Worth has about 1,008,100 people and sits in Tarrant County. Denton County Elec Coop, Inc, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX) and United Electric Coop Service Inc serves different parts of Tarrant County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 12.65¢ to 13.77¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Tarrant County hail “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,410 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Fort Worth: 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 and the wider area is covered in the Dallas–Fort Worth guide.
Fort Worth at a glance
- Place: Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas; about 1,008,106 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Denton County Elec Coop, Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 13.77¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 27 minutes of power on normal days and 44 counting major storms, with 0.4 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Fort Worth).
- Utility: Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX) (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 12.65¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 111 minutes of power on normal days and 135 counting major storms, with 1.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Fort Worth).
- Utility: United Electric Coop Service Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 13.0¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 112 minutes of power on normal days, with 1.2 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Fort Worth).
- Sun: 4.84 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.70 in December to 6.87 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,410 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 2,850 cooling degree-days and 2,470 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so air conditioning is the big load.
- Top hazards in Tarrant County: hail “very high”, tornadoes “very high” and ice storms “very high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively high”).
- Public charging: 384 ports at 113 locations in Fort Worth, 146 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Denton County Elec Coop, Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 298,734 home customers in 2024; its 13.77¢ average was below the 15.88¢ statewide average for July 2026. Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX) is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 118,075 home customers in 2024; its 12.65¢ average was below the 15.88¢ statewide average for July 2026. United Electric Coop Service Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 88,324 home customers in 2024; its 13.0¢ 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, United Electric Coop Service Inc reported 112 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 Fort Worth
- Hail (very high): Hail is hard on rooftop solar; ask installers about impact-rated panels and your insurer about coverage.
- 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.
- Cooling load: an outage in Fort Worth summer means no air conditioning. A central unit is a big load; a large battery system or standby generator can run it, while a smaller setup keeps fans, a window unit or a mini-split going.
- 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 Fort Worth
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,410 kWh a year in Fort Worth (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Denton County Elec Coop, Inc’s 2024 average of 13.77¢, that is about $194 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: July is the sunniest month at 6.87 and December the dimmest at 2.70, a 2.5-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. Fort Worth has 384 public charging ports in the federal station list including 146 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 Fort Worth: 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 Fort Worth building or permitting department, or from Tarrant County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Fort Worth, 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: Dallas–Fort Worth energy guide, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Irving and Lewisville, or the whole Texas energy guide.
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Fort Worth energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Fort Worth?
Denton County Elec Coop, Inc, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX) and United Electric Coop Service Inc all serve parts of Tarrant County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Denton County Elec Coop, Inc 13.77¢, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX) 12.65¢, United Electric Coop Service Inc 13.0¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Fort Worth?
About 1,410 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 8,460 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 tornadoes in Tarrant 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.
Can solar and a battery run my air conditioner during an outage?
Yes if the system is sized for it. A central air conditioner needs a large battery or generator, so many people back up one room or a mini-split instead. Use the battery backup calculator to see the runtime for your appliances.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Fort Worth?
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.