Sunprint
The short answer
TNMP is a wires company. You buy electricity from a retail provider you choose, and that provider decides whether and how much it pays for solar power you send to the grid. TNMP approves your system, swaps in a solar meter and passes your readings to the provider.
Two things set TNMP areas apart. TNMP's delivery charge, 7.8 cents a kWh, is the highest of the five delivery areas in the PUCT's October 2026 reports, so every kWh your panels save at home avoids it. And TNMP runs a 2026 solar incentive, paid to installers, worth $1,250 to $3,750 a system. In our estimate a system for a $150 bill pays back in 15 to 17 years in West Texas and 17 to 20 on the Gulf Coast, before any incentive.
TNMP's delivery charges
TNMP residential delivery, as of October 1, 2026
Your retail provider bills these for TNMP and adds its own energy charge, any base charge and taxes.
TNMP's share of a month's bill
Source: PUCT monthly rate report for TNMP.
Homes in TNMP areas used about 1,152 kWh a month in 2024, according to federal EIA data for TNMP's 233,056 residential customers. At October 2026 delivery rates, that much power carries about $97 of TNMP charges a month before your provider adds its energy charge.
Why solar you use at home counts more here
A kWh your house uses straight from the panels is a kWh you don't buy, so it saves your plan's full price, delivery included. A kWh you send to the grid earns only your plan's buyback credit, and buyback credits usually apply to the energy part of the price, not to TNMP's delivery charge. Take a plan priced at 16.7 cents a kWh, the 2024 Texas average in EIA data:
A generous plan credits up to its energy charge; we take that as the plan price minus TNMP's delivery charge. Wholesale: ERCOT's 2025 average for solar output, from the grid's independent market monitor.
In our model of Texas homes, about 46% of a typical system's output is used in the home as it's made. For a $150 bill, that's about $310 a year of TNMP delivery charges you stop paying, roughly a third of the $930 a year a typical system saves. Running the dishwasher, laundry and pool pump in the middle of the day raises that share.
What solar saves in TNMP areas
| Average monthly bill | Yearly use | Yearly savings, wholesale buyback | Yearly savings, full energy-charge buyback | System size, West Texas to Gulf Coast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 6,658 kWh | $470 | $770 | 3.4 to 4.2 kW |
| $150 | 10,260 kWh | $720 | $1,180 | 5.2 to 6.4 kW |
| $200 | 13,861 kWh | $980 | $1,600 | 7.0 to 8.7 kW |
| $250 | 17,463 kWh | $1,230 | $2,020 | 8.8 to 10.9 kW |
Our estimate, from the same model as our calculator: the 2024 average Texas retail plan price, TNMP's delivery charges, panels sized to cover 85% of your use (the savings columns use 75% and 95%) and NREL PVWatts sun. See our is solar worth it page for the method.
Savings follow your bill, not your town: a system sized to the same share of your use saves about the same everywhere. What changes is how many panels that takes. Midland-area sun makes about 24% more per panel than Houston's, so a Fort Stockton home needs a smaller system than one in League City, and pays back sooner. The plan you pick moves savings more than the town does; our Texas buyback guide explains the plan types.
TNMP's 2026 solar incentive
TNMP's 2026 Residential Solar+ program sets aside $100,000 for home solar and EV chargers inside its residential efficiency program. The incentive depends on system size, and it's higher when the panels come with a new battery:
Source: TNMP's 2026 Residential and Hard-to-Reach program manual, updated May 2026. Sizes are panel kW (DC).
- It's paid to the installer, not to you. TNMP's manual says installers don't have to pass it on, but their contract with you has to say they're receiving it. Look for it as a line on the quote.
- It has to be lined up before you sign. TNMP's manual says projects contracted without a written assumption that incentive money is available don't qualify.
- The money is limited. $100,000 covers somewhere between about 23 and 80 homes, depending on size. Funds go first come, first served, and the 2026 program ends November 30, 2026. We couldn't see how much is left.
- A 10% bonus in some counties. Cooke, Eastland, Erath, Franklin, Hill, Hood, Johnson, McLennan, Stephens and Van Zandt counties get 10% more, because few homes there have used TNMP's programs so far.
- Equipment rules. Panels and inverters must be new and on the California Energy Commission's lists of certified solar equipment.
Connecting to TNMP
- InstallerApplies in TNMP's portal. With a site plan, a wiring diagram and the inverter's specs. The plans have to show an outdoor, lockable disconnect switch, normally within 10 feet of TNMP's meter.
- YouConfirm the email. TNMP's system emails you to confirm the installer may apply for you. The application waits until you click.
- TNMPReviews and studies the system, then sends you an interconnection agreement.
- YouSign and return the agreement.
- TNMPSends a Letter of No Objection. That's the approval to install, so installation should wait for it.
- InstallerInstalls and reports completion, with photos of the panels, the disconnect, the meter and the inverter, plus any city or county inspection.
- TNMPInstalls its solar meter. That's your permission to turn the system on. TNMP charges $227 for the meter change.
- TNMPUpdates your load profile to show the solar, 30 to 45 days after the meter swap. Buyback credits depend on your plan.
TNMP requires a disconnect switch with an outside handle that can be locked, on an outside wall within 10 feet of its meter, and reachable at all times. Farther away, it needs warning placards at both spots. A breaker inside your electrical panel doesn't count. Check where it's drawn on the site plan.
Outages, hail and the coast
Average hours without power per TNMP customer, all events included. Without the worst storm days it was 1.5 to 2.0 hours a year. Source: EIA Form 861.
- Outages. From 2020 to 2023, TNMP customers averaged 1.7 to 3.4 hours without power a year, but 2024 averaged 32 hours. Panels alone shut off when the grid goes down; a battery keeps chosen circuits running, and TNMP's incentive pays installers $1,000 more for solar with a new battery. See our battery guide.
- Hail. TNMP's north and west areas sit in hail country: from 2016 to 2025, NOAA logged 373 hail reports in Denton County, 181 in Grayson and 183 in Pecos County, around Fort Stockton. See solar panels and hail in Texas.
- The coast. Around League City, Texas City and Angleton, a home policy might not cover wind and hail; the Texas Department of Insurance says the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association sells that coverage. Check how your panels are covered before hurricane season.
Your estimate in three steps
- Enter your billYour ZIP code, your utility and last month's bill.
- See your estimateA yearly savings range based on your utility's rates and the sun where you live.
- Choose what's nextAsk for a quote call if you want real pricing, or just keep the number.
See what solar could save you
It takes about a minute. You don't need a site visit, a commitment or a sales call to see your number.
Common questions
Does TNMP buy back solar power?
No. TNMP delivers power but doesn't sell it, so it doesn't pay for solar you send to the grid. Your retail electricity provider does, if your plan includes a buyback, and the PUCT says buyback rates are usually lower than the retail price you pay.
What does TNMP charge to deliver electricity?
For homes, a $1.70 customer charge, a $5.86 metering charge and 7.771 cents per kWh, according to the PUCT's rate report as of October 1, 2026. That's $85.27 for 1,000 kWh, before your provider's energy charge.
Does TNMP have a solar rebate in 2026?
TNMP's 2026 Residential Solar+ program pays installers $1,250 to $2,750 a system, or $2,250 to $3,750 with a new battery, plus $500 for an EV charger installed with the solar, up to $4,250 a home. It has $100,000 for the year, first come, first served, and ends November 30, 2026.
How do I connect solar to TNMP?
Your installer applies in TNMP's online portal, you confirm by email, and you sign TNMP's interconnection agreement. After TNMP's Letter of No Objection, the system is installed, and TNMP installs its solar meter, which is your permission to operate. TNMP charges $227 for the meter change.
Is solar worth it in TNMP areas?
In our estimate, a system sized to a $150 monthly bill pays back in about 15 to 17 years in West Texas and 17 to 20 on the Gulf Coast at $3.00 to $3.50 a watt, before any incentive. Your retail plan's buyback can move that by several years.
Where does TNMP deliver power?
TNMP's tariff lists four areas: Central Texas (Gatesville, Clifton, Glen Rose), Southeast Texas (League City, Texas City, Friendswood, Alvin), North Texas (Lewisville, Princeton, Farmersville) and West Texas (Fort Stockton, Pecos, Kermit). Federal data list 42 Texas counties.
Related guides
- Texas solar buyback plans
- Is solar worth it in Texas?
- Solar batteries and Texas outages
- Solar panels and hail in Texas
- How much solar panels cost in Texas
- How to check a solar company in Texas
Retail plans and their buyback terms change often, and TNMP's incentive money runs out when it's claimed; check current terms before you sign. Estimates are ours, not TNMP's. Sources: TNMP: interconnecting distributed generation · TNMP residential project requirements (PDF) · TNMP permission to operate guidelines (PDF) · TNMP 2026 residential program manual (PDF) · TNMP amended 2026 Energy Efficiency Plan and Report (PDF) · PUCT: TNMP rate report · TNMP tariff, chapter 2: service area (PDF) · TNMP: about us · PUCT: thinking about solar panels for your home? · TDI homeowners insurance guide · EIA Form 861, 2024 · NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database · PVWatts v8, National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL). Reviewed October 2026.
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