Who runs the utilities in Texas?
Texas has 12,415,431 residential customers, EIA-861 2024 sales file (99% of EIA's count). Cooperative 19.8%. Municipal 14.8%. Investor-owned 9.2%. State and federal 0.0%. Investor-owned is 9%, 48th of 51 states.
Texas homes by utility type
Texas: customers by type, %
- 9.2Investor-owned
- 14.8Municipal
- 19.8Cooperative
- 0.0State and federal
| Texas type | Utilities | Customers | Share | Price ¢/kWh | Gap ¢ (%) | kWh/mo | Nonmetro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor-owned | 7 | 1,148,362 | 9.2% | 13.33 | not shown | 1,004 | 52% |
| Municipal | 72 | 1,842,200 | 14.8% | 12.55 | -0.78 (-6%) | 1,010 | 2% |
| Cooperative | 69 | 2,461,060 | 19.8% | 12.73 | -0.60 (-5%) | 1,197 | 56% |
| Political subdivision | 2 | 0 | none | none | not shown | none | no county data |
| State and federal | 3 | 2 | 0.0% | not shown | not shown | none | 0% |
| Competitive supplier | 96 | 6,963,807 | 56.1% | not applicable | not shown | none | no county data |
Texas: 56% of customers sit with competitive retail providers rather than the wires utility, so the investor-owned share understates who runs the wires.
Texas prices by utility type
municipal utilities average 12.6 cents, 0.8 cents (6%) below investor-owned at 13.3; cooperatives average 12.7 cents, 0.6 cents (5%) below investor-owned at 13.3.
Texas gaps mix cost and customer mix; method.
Texas: which utilities set the averages
Investor-owned at 13.3 cents and municipal utilities at 12.6 are the widest pair in Texas, 0.8 cents (6%).
Investor-owned: Entergy Texas Inc. holds 40% of priced customers at 13.7 cents, group average 13.3. Among 4 with 5,000+ customers, Southwestern Electric Power Co charges 12.0 and Entergy Texas Inc. 13.7, 1.6 cents apart.
Municipal: City of San Antonio holds 47% of priced customers at 12.4 cents, group average 12.6. Among 16 with 5,000+ customers, Kerrville Public Utility Board charges 8.7 and City of Greenville 14.9, 6.2 cents apart.
Cooperative: Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc holds 17% of priced customers at 12.2 cents, group average 12.7. Among 51 with 5,000+ customers, Deaf Smith Electric Coop, Inc charges 8.8 and Rio Grande Electric Coop, Inc 18.5, 9.7 cents apart.
Texas territory, rural or urban
Texas has 254 counties, 66% of them nonmetro in USDA's 2023 codes. Customer-weighted: investor-owned territory is 52% nonmetro; municipal territory is 2% nonmetro; cooperative territory is 56% nonmetro.
Texas: largest utilities
| City of San Antonio | Municipal | 865,914 | 12.43 | 1,070 | 0% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Energy | Municipal | 507,291 | 12.58 | 834 | 0% |
| Entergy Texas Inc. | Investor-owned | 457,369 | 13.66 | 1,210 | 48% |
| Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 405,587 | 12.22 | 1,191 | 58% |
| El Paso Electric Co | Investor-owned | 312,576 | 13.46 | 710 | 33% |
| Denton County Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 298,734 | 13.77 | 1,208 | 17% |
| Southwestern Public Service Co | Investor-owned | 222,146 | 13.35 | 957 | 71% |
| Southwestern Electric Power Co | Investor-owned | 156,271 | 12.03 | 1,058 | 76% |
| Magic Valley Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 126,402 | 10.20 | 1,295 | 67% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX) | Cooperative | 118,075 | 12.65 | 1,487 | 69% |
| Bluebonnet Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 113,890 | 11.42 | 1,206 | 43% |
| Guadalupe Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | 92,189 | 12.49 | 1,197 | 46% |
| Grayson-Collin Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 90,464 | 16.40 | 1,132 | 50% |
Compare your Texas utility
- Pick a utility.
Texas next to its neighbors
Texas: municipal -6%, cooperative -5% against investor-owned. Gaps are within each state.
| State | Investor-owned | Municipal | Cooperative | Muni gap | Coop gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 9% | 15% | 20% | -6% | -5% |
| Arkansas | 54% | 12% | 34% | -25% | +0% |
| Louisiana | 76% | 5% | 19% | -15% | +3% |
| New Mexico | 78% | 5% | 16% | -7% | +8% |
| Oklahoma | 68% | 5% | 26% | -1% | +1% |
More
Similar cooperative share: North Carolina 22%, Alabama 22%, Louisiana 19%, Indiana 17%
Sources
Texas: EIA-861 (2024), USDA RUCC (2023); retrieval dates, checksums.
Questions
Which utility type serves most Texas homes?
Cooperatives, 19.8% of 12,415,431 customers.
Do Texas co-ops or municipal utilities charge less?
Municipal utilities averaged 12.6 cents per kWh against 13.3 for investor-owned (-6%). Cooperatives averaged 12.7 cents per kWh against 13.3 for investor-owned (-5%).
How many utilities does Texas have?
EIA-861 (2024) lists 153; residential sales are reported by 83.
Can Texas customers pick their utility?
No; Texas shows almost no energy-only supply and the address sets the utility.