Power Outage Risk & Generator Size in Houston, TX
Primary Utility: Entergy Texas Inc. (Investor-Owned) · Avg 28.8 hrs/yr annual blackout time across 3.46 outages/yr.
Dual-Fuel Home Backup Generator (7,500W–10,500W) + 30A Transfer Switch
Your local grid averages 28.8 hrs/yr of blackout time per year (500 min average restoration per outage). A 7,500W–10,500W gas/propane generator keeps your fridge, sump pump, and heating/cooling running through multi-hour severe weather.
⚡ Home Backup Wattage Sizer for Houston, TX
Check the appliances you need to keep running during a blackout. We calculate your continuous running watts, highest motor starting surge, and 20% NEC safety headroom automatically.
🌩️ Severe Weather Storms vs. Everyday Grid Equipment Outages
U.S. EIA Form 861 measures utility blackouts both With Major Event Days (hurricanes, ice storms, derechos, high winds) and Without Major Event Days (everyday tree limbs, transformer trips, and equipment aging):
Electric Utilities & Outage Reliability in Houston, TX
Source: Official U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA Form 861) utility filings and DOE OpenEI service territory lookups. SAIDI is total annual outage minutes per customer; SAIFI is annual outage frequency; CAIDI is average restoration minutes per outage. How we grade utilities.
| Electric Utility | Service Status & Type | Outages / Yr (SAIFI) | Normal Grid (No Storms) | Total Outage Time (With Storms) | Avg Restoration (CAIDI) | Residential Rate | Reliability Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Texas Inc. EIA #55937 (IEEE 1366) · 457,369 customers | Serves This Area Investor-Owned | 3.46x / yr | 305 min (5.1 hr) | 1728 min (28.8 hr) | 500 min | 13.66 ¢/kWh | Grade F · Severe |
| Mid-South Electric Coop Assn EIA #12452 (Utility Standard) · 36,267 customers | Serves This Area Cooperative | 3.28x / yr | 101 min (1.7 hr) | 1459 min (24.3 hr) | 445 min | 14.08 ¢/kWh | Grade F · Severe |
| Reliant Energy Retail Services EIA #15847 (861-S · TX Grid Avg) · 1,548,250 customers | Serves This Area Retail Power Marketer | 2.11x / yr | 129 min (2.2 hr) | 1271 min (21.2 hr) | 601 min | 17.38 ¢/kWh | Grade F · Severe |
| Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC EIA #44372 (Utility Standard) · 4,013,062 customers | In-State Comparison Investor-Owned | 1.71x / yr | 67 min (1.1 hr) | 532 min (8.9 hr) | 311 min | 14.96 ¢/kWh | Grade D · High |
| CenterPoint Energy EIA #8901 (IEEE 1366) · 2,847,806 customers | In-State Comparison Investor-Owned | 3.70x / yr | 150 min (2.5 hr) | 4316 min (71.9 hr) | 1166 min | 14.96 ¢/kWh | Grade F · Severe |
| AEP Texas Central Company EIA #3278 (IEEE 1366) · 913,164 customers | In-State Comparison Investor-Owned | 1.63x / yr | 150 min (2.5 hr) | 228 min (3.8 hr) | 140 min | 14.96 ¢/kWh | Grade B · Moderate |
| City of San Antonio - (TX) EIA #16604 (IEEE 1366) · 865,914 customers | In-State Comparison Municipal | 1.15x / yr | 62 min (1.0 hr) | 74 min (1.2 hr) | 64 min | 12.43 ¢/kWh | Grade A · Low |
| Austin Energy EIA #1015 (IEEE 1366) · 507,291 customers | In-State Comparison Municipal | 0.96x / yr | 76 min (1.3 hr) | 92 min (1.5 hr) | 96 min | 12.58 ¢/kWh | Grade A · Low |
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