100% renewable electricity plans in Texas

How do you choose a good renewable electricity plan?

Start with 100% renewable content, then compare the bill and the contract. The renewable percentage tells you how much of your usage is matched with renewable generation. You still want a price that fits your usage and a provider you are happy to stay with.

If you don't have solar panels, a 100% renewable fixed-rate plan is a good place to start. The fixed rate keeps the plan's energy charge steady for the contract, and many plans are both renewable and fixed-rate. Your bill still moves with how much electricity you use, and delivery charges passed through from your utility can change.

This guide is for Texas homes that can choose their electricity provider. If a city utility or electric cooperative serves you, ask it about green-power options instead. Not sure which applies? Check the retail-choice area guide.

What does 100% renewable electricity actually mean?

A 100% renewable plan matches all the electricity you use with renewable generation. Your home gets the same grid power as your neighbors. What changes is what your plan pays for: wind and solar generation, tracked with renewable energy certificates (RECs). One REC stands for 1,000 kWh of renewable generation, roughly a month of electricity for many Texas homes.

Once a certificate is retired for a plan, no one else can sell or claim it. The EPA explains how RECs work and why avoiding double counting matters.

Does choosing a renewable plan help the environment?

Yes. A 100% renewable plan pays for renewable generation equal to all the electricity you use. It is the simplest way to put your electricity spending behind wind and solar power, with nothing to install or maintain. The EPA explains how that choice supports renewable generation, and Texas generates more wind power than any other state, according to the EIA.

For most homes, 100% renewable content on the plan's label is the commitment to look for. Some plans add more specific promises, such as named Texas projects or independent certification; if one matters to you, find the document that explains it. You can go further by using less electricity at home, which also lowers your bill.

How can you verify that a plan is 100% renewable?

Open the plan's Electricity Facts Label and find the renewable content line. Every Texas plan has an Electricity Facts Label (EFL), a standard summary of its prices, fees, contract terms, and renewable content. You can find it next to the plan before you enroll.

Texas rules back that number. Certificates count only when they are retired through the state's REC program, which ERCOT runs, and labels are updated each year with the previous year's figures. A brand-new plan may show an estimate that will be verified later. PUCT rule 25.476 has the details.

Before you enroll, make sure the EFL:

1. Matches your offer: same plan name, contract length, and utility area.
2. Says 100%: a green name or leaf icon doesn't tell you the plan's percentage; the label does.
3. Backs up any extra promises: if the offer mentions Texas solar, certification, or new projects, find where that is explained.

Save a copy of the EFL and Terms of Service you accept. Our guide to reading an EFL covers the rest of the document.

Are green, renewable, and carbon-neutral plans the same?

No. Each label promises something different:

• Renewable: in Texas, a plan can be called renewable without a number only if all of its electricity is renewable. Otherwise it must say "x% renewable."
• Green: under Texas rules, can include electricity made with Texas natural gas.
• Carbon-free: can include nuclear power, which produces no carbon dioxide while running but is not renewable.
• Carbon-neutral: may rely on carbon offsets, which pay for emissions reductions elsewhere rather than renewable electricity. The EPA compares RECs and offsets.

If 100% renewable is your goal, look for that number on the EFL.

How do you find a low-cost renewable plan?

Compare the whole bill at your usage, and look for a plan that stays fairly priced after the first term. Renewable plans are not automatically more expensive, and the lowest advertised rate is not always the lowest bill.

Start with the EFL's average prices at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh. They include delivery charges, fees, and credits, so they compare plans better than the energy charge alone. Then check the usage levels closest to your own low, typical, and high months: a monthly fee weighs more in small months, and some bill credits only apply above a usage threshold.

In this illustration, both renewable plans cost less than Plan A over the year. Real prices vary, so compare current offers before assuming renewable costs more.

What will the plan cost after the first term?

Check whether the plan renews at the new-customer price. An introductory price tells you what the first term costs; the renewal policy tells you what staying costs. A plan that renews at the new-customer price won't charge you more than a new customer pays for the same plan, in the same utility area, on the same day. That price can rise or fall between terms, but staying never costs extra.

When two renewable plans meet your needs, a slightly lower introductory price may be worth less than a provider you can comfortably stay with. When the renewal offer arrives, confirm the price, renewable content, and terms still fit; staying is a good outcome when they do. The renewal pricing guide explains how it works.

Are green electricity plans worth paying extra for?

First check whether there is a difference at all. If there is, it helps to know the scale: with everything else equal, 1¢/kWh more costs about $10 a month at 1,000 kWh, or $120 a year. Whether that is worth it depends on your budget and what else the plan offers, such as a better contract term or a documented sourcing commitment.

These links open the plan listings with your home type and renewable preference selected.

How do you choose a renewable electricity company you can trust?

Look at the company as well as the plan. You will deal with the provider for every bill, so check how it treats customers:

• Service history: the official PUCT complaint scorecard compares complaints relative to each provider's size. Check its reporting period and treat it as one signal among several.
• Clear pricing: you should be able to see the energy charge, delivery charges, fees, and any conditions on credits. The EFL analyzer can explain a plan's price formula.
• Fair contract terms: check the contract length, early termination fee, and how renewals are priced.
• Easy-to-reach support: look at support hours, ways to pay, and how to get a billing question answered.

Whichever provider you choose, your local utility still owns the poles and wires and still restores power after outages. The Texas electricity-market guide explains who does what.

Which renewable option fits your home?

You don't need solar panels or a house to get renewable electricity. What to compare depends on your home:

• Apartment or rental: if you pick your own provider, compare renewable plans like anyone else. If electricity comes through your landlord, check your lease first.
• House without solar: compare fixed-rate renewable plans using your past bills, or the electricity usage estimator if you are moving.
• Electric vehicle: count charging in your usage. Some plans offer cheaper off-peak charging; check both the renewable share and the price outside discounted hours.
• Solar panels: compare what you pay for grid power and what you earn for exports with the solar buyback guide. Buying back your solar power doesn't make the grid power you buy renewable, so check both.

What should you do before signing up?

Run through the three checks one last time: 100% renewable on the EFL, a bill that fits your usage, and a company and contract you are comfortable with. Then have your service address and start date ready, and save the documents you accept.

Switching at your current home? The switching guide explains timing and what happens to your current contract.