Plain-English answers to every Texas solar question worth asking.
Utility swaps, Oncor delivery fees, ERCOT outages, battery backup, the math on whether solar pencils for your home. Written for homeowners, no marketing speak. Updated as new questions come in.
01. Definitions
Start hereWhat things mean. Open one of these if you've heard a term thrown around (utility swap, PPA, delivery fees) and want a plain-English definition without sales language.
What is a utility swap?
Provider owns the panels + battery, you pay per kWh produced. No upfront cost.
Read → DefinedHow does a solar PPA work in Texas?
Power Purchase Agreement explainer. Contract terms, kWh rates, what happens if you sell.
Read → DefinedOncor delivery fees, explained.
What the line item is, why it keeps rising, why you can't shop on it.
Read →02. Buyer questions
Should I do this?Decision-stage answers. Real numbers, real conditions, honest "not for everyone" disclaimers.
Is solar worth it on Oncor in 2026?
Decisive yes-with-conditions. The 3 numbers to pull from your last 12 months. When it isn't worth it. Why "wait for prices to drop" is a losing move.
Read → BuyerUtility swap vs buying.
Side-by-side table + 5 honest Q&As + a clear decision rule.
Read → BuyerBest Texas solar company with no upfront cost.
5 questions to ask any provider. Three traps to watch out for.
Read →03. Outage prep + grid
When the power dropsTexas-specific prep, sized for the Beryl 2024 / Uri 2021 era of multi-day outages. What runs, what to do, what kind of backup actually works.
Texas grid outages and solar + battery backup.
What runs when the grid drops, sizing tiers, real performance during Hurricane Beryl 2024 and Winter Storm Uri 2021. Plus why solar panels alone don't power your home in an outage.
Read → OutageERCOT outage prep checklist.
Before / during / after. Generator vs battery decision rule. Dates and durations from the worst recent Texas events. CO safety rules that actually save lives.
Read →04. By utility
Texas isn't one utilityTexas has multiple electricity utilities, not one. Oncor covers north + east Texas, CenterPoint covers Houston, AEP covers south + west, plus municipal utilities like CPS Energy (San Antonio), Austin Energy, and El Paso Electric. Gridhack's utility swap currently focuses on Oncor; here's the full Texas map and what it means for your solar options.
Texas electricity utilities, by region.
Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP, TNMP, CPS Energy, Austin Energy, El Paso Electric — who delivers your power in each part of Texas, what type of utility you're on, and how it affects your solar + battery options.
Read → OncorOncor delivery fees, explained.
Specific to Oncor-territory homeowners. What the line item is, why it keeps rising, why you can't shop on it, what reduces your exposure.
Read →05. By city
Local intelCity-specific pages with local Oncor pricing, install timelines, HOA notes, and which suburbs we serve. Adding more cities as routes expand.
Solar in Dallas, TX.
DFW Oncor utility swap. Sized for Dallas's 350-500 dollar peak summer bills. Service area covers Dallas + Plano + Frisco + McKinney + Garland + Mesquite + Richardson + most DFW suburbs.
Read → CitySolar in Fort Worth, TX.
Fort Worth + Tarrant County: Oncor utility swap, install timeline, HOA notes. Served suburbs: Arlington, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Keller, Southlake, Mansfield, more.
Read →06. Deep dives
Going deeperExisting Gridhack long-form worth bookmarking. Charts, screenshots, and full data behind some of the broader claims.
Delivery fees deep-dive (with charts).
Earlier long-form on how delivery fees fund the Texas grid expansion, with screenshots and per-utility breakdowns. Source data for the explainer above.
Read → Deep diveGrid intelligence dashboard.
Live view of Texas grid load, outage patterns, and AI/data center demand forecasts. Updated continuously.
Read →