In short: San Antonio buys power from CPS Energy, the city-owned utility, at about 12.4¢ per kWh in 2024, and its customers lost only about 74 minutes of power that year (EIA). CPS has no general home solar rebate, but it offers net metering, battery event credits and EV charging rewards. New Braunfels has its own utility with a solar rebate.
There is no retail electricity choice in CPS Energy or New Braunfels Utilities territory, so the utility’s own rules decide how solar, batteries and chargers pay off. For statewide rules (the Texas solar sales law, TDLR licensing and the property tax exemption), see our Texas energy guide.
San Antonio at a glance
- CPS Energy (City of San Antonio): about 12.4¢ per kWh for homes in 2024; 74 minutes without power per customer with major events, 62 without; about one interruption a year (EIA-861, 2024).
- New Braunfels Utilities (NBU): about 13.2¢ per kWh; 76 minutes without power with major events, 43 without.
- Co-ops at the edges: EIA lists Guadalupe Valley (GVEC), Pedernales, Bandera and Karnes electric co-ops in Bexar County, and GVEC and Pedernales in Comal County. GVEC averaged about 12.5¢ per kWh and 200 minutes without power with major events (132 without).
- Sun: about 4.84 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,410 kWh a year per kW of panels, a little more than Houston or Dallas.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Bexar County “very high” for hail, inland flooding and tornadoes and “relatively high” for cold waves, heat waves, lightning and winter weather.
- Public charging: San Antonio had 658 public charging ports and New Braunfels 61 (AFDC Station Locator, October 3, 2026; public charging ports).
Your utility and what it means
- CPS Energy: offers net metering for home systems up to 25 kW (AC) that are sized to match your use; you must own the system, and credits for extra power are figured under CPS’s rate rider, so ask CPS for the current credit. Batteries in a net-metered system may not send power to the grid, but they can back up your essential circuits during an outage. CPS ended its general residential solar rebate in December 2022 and said future home rebates would focus on lower-income customers; we found no new general home solar rebate in October 2026.
- New Braunfels Utilities: pays qualifying homes a solar rebate of up to $3,000 and credits solar production on the bill. You take NBU’s Going Solar course first and use a participating solar contractor; check NBU’s rebate guidelines for current terms.
- Co-ops: each sets its own solar credit. Pedernales, for example, credits exports at about 7.2¢ per kWh (see our Austin page); check your co-op’s page for its terms.
Backup power in San Antonio
CPS Energy’s 2024 numbers were close with and without major events (74 and 62 minutes), so 2024 had no big storm outage here. That is one good year, not a promise: Bexar County’s top risks are hail, tornadoes and flash flooding, and freezes and winter weather are rated high too, all of which can bring longer outages. For most homes, a portable power station or a modest home battery covers the usual short interruptions. If you need to keep heat, air conditioning, a well pump or medical equipment running through a multi-day event, plan for a generator.
Compare the options in our backup power guide, and size them with the battery backup calculator and the generator sizing tool. Run any generator outdoors, at least 20 feet from the house with the exhaust pointed away (CPSC), and have a licensed electrician install the transfer switch; see generator installation.
Solar in San Antonio
A kW of panels here might make about 1,410 kWh a year (our estimate, flat-panel basis). At CPS’s 2024 average of about 12.4¢, power you use yourself is worth roughly $175 a year per kW (our estimate); what extra power earns depends on CPS’s net metering credit, so ask for the current figure before you size the system. Without a rebate, solar here pays back on bill savings alone, so get two or three quotes and run them through our solar savings calculator. In New Braunfels, the NBU rebate of up to $3,000 changes the math.
The process in San Antonio is a joint one: CPS Energy reviews the application (usually about 10 business days) and sends a construction letter, the city issues the electrical permit and inspects, and then CPS runs a commissioning test and sets the meter. With hail rated “very high” in Bexar County, ask about the panels’ hail rating and your insurance. Start with the solar potential tool and our guide to solar installation.
Batteries
CPS Energy’s My Battery Rewards program pays a $10 bill credit each time you let your battery help the grid during a program event, all year. You must own and control a battery behind your meter and have finished CPS’s interconnection process. That is a small reward; in San Antonio a battery is mainly about backup, since net-metered batteries may not export. See home battery installation and battery costs.
EV charging
CPS Energy has two home charging programs instead of a charger rebate: EV Smart Rewards ($30 when you enroll plus $10 a month when your charging is scheduled automatically) and EV Off-Peak Rewards ($30 when you enroll plus $5 a month when you charge at home off-peak; peak is weekdays 4 to 10 p.m.). Eligible chargers or vehicles apply. At about 12.4¢ per kWh, a typical EV using 30 kWh per 100 miles costs about $3.70 per 100 miles to charge at home (our estimate). See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in San Antonio: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- City of San Antonio: the Development Services Department and CPS Energy publish Information Bulletin 153 on solar. The solar permit is a type of electrical permit, applied for in the BuildSA portal by a state-licensed master electrician registered with the city, and the electrician who applies does the work. Homes in historic districts go to the Historic Design and Review Commission first.
- Unincorporated Bexar County: the county says it has no legal authority to regulate single-family home construction and issues residential permits only on request, for example when an HOA or lender asks. Your utility’s interconnection approval still applies.
- New Braunfels and other cities: ask your city’s building department. A 2025 state law (SB 1202) lets licensed third-party reviewers handle home backup power permits; ask your city how it applies it.
- HOAs: under Texas Property Code section 202.010, homeowners associations generally cannot ban solar but can set placement rules.
Cities we cover
- San Antonio
- New Braunfels
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San Antonio energy questions
Does CPS Energy have net metering?
Yes, for customer-owned home systems up to 25 kW (AC) that are sized to match the home’s use. Your solar first covers your own use, and credits for extra power are calculated under CPS’s rate rider. Ask CPS for the current credit before sizing your system, since it decides what exports are worth.
Is there a solar rebate in San Antonio?
Not a general one from CPS Energy: its residential solar rebate ended in December 2022, and rebates continued for small businesses, non-profits and schools. New Braunfels Utilities customers can get up to $3,000. Statewide, the value solar adds to a home is exempt from property tax; see our Texas page.
Can I choose my electricity provider in San Antonio?
No. CPS Energy is owned by the City of San Antonio and is the only provider in its territory, and New Braunfels Utilities is the same for its city. Co-op members buy from their co-op. That means solar credits and programs come from your utility, not from a choice of retail plans.
Can a battery in a CPS net-metered system send power to the grid?
No. CPS’s interconnection manual says storage in a net-metered installation may not export power, but it can run essential loads during an outage. You can still earn $10 per event in My Battery Rewards by using the battery to cut your home’s demand when CPS asks.
Sources
Utility prices, service areas and outage minutes: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 2024 data (prices are 2024 averages). CPS Energy Distributed Generation Manual (May 1, 2024), solar rebate announcement (September 13, 2022), My Battery Rewards and EV programs pages. New Braunfels Utilities solar page. City of San Antonio Development Services Information Bulletin 153 (May 2025). Bexar County building permit FAQ. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001–2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Texas Property Code section 202.010; CPSC generator safety. Checked October 3, 2026. Estimates are ours and labelled as such.