Electrical Service in PEC Territory
What Hill Country Homeowners Should Know About Pedernales Electric Cooperative
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If your Hill Country property is served by Pedernales Electric Cooperative, the most important thing to know about backup power is this: a standby generator that does not export power to PEC's system is not an interconnection project. Per PEC's published standby generation requirements, standby generators must not export power to PEC's distribution system, and members may connect a generator using a UL-approved open-transition transfer switch. Solar and battery storage are different — those are distributed generation, and they require a formal interconnection application and PEC's permission to operate before the system can run.
Most electricians in the Austin metro spend their days working inside a municipal utility's territory. Head west into the Hill Country and the rules of engagement change — you're no longer dealing with a city utility, you're dealing with a member-owned electric cooperative that has its own tariff, its own business rules, and its own requirements for generators, new service, and distributed generation.
At Malco Electric, we've worked Austin and the Texas Hill Country since 1983 — and a large share of that work sits west of the city, where PEC serves the meters. Led by Master Electrician Randy Mallory (Lic. #6328), our team handles generator installs, new service, rural electrical, and panel work on Hill Country properties, and we know which requirements come from the cooperative and which come from the county. Learn more about our team and licensing.
Backup Power: The Distinction That Matters Most
This is the single most common point of confusion we see on Hill Country properties, and getting it wrong can stall a generator project or create a genuine safety hazard. PEC treats standby generation and distributed generation as two entirely different things.
Standby Generation
A standby generator provides an alternate source of power for all or part of your home when the grid goes down. It does not push power back onto PEC's system.
- Must not export power to PEC's distribution system
- Can be connected using a UL-approved open-transition transfer switch
- Not handled through the interconnection application process
- Local electrical permits and inspection still apply
Distributed Generation
Solar arrays and battery storage systems that operate in parallel with the cooperative's system fall under PEC's interconnection policy.
- Requires a formal interconnection application
- Application requirements are based on system nameplate capacity
- PEC must grant permission to operate before the system generates
- Larger systems may require an engineering study, which can trigger system upgrades
Buying a Hill Country property that already has solar or battery storage?
PEC's guidance is that you need to establish electric service in your name before applying for interconnection on existing distributed generation equipment. That sequencing catches people off guard during a move, and per PEC's tariff and business rules, a member may not generate on a DG system until PEC provides permission to operate. Worth sorting out before closing rather than after.
How a Cooperative Differs From a City Utility
PEC is not a municipal utility or an investor-owned company. It's a member-owned electric cooperative, founded in 1938 and headquartered in Johnson City. That structural difference shows up in practical ways.
How a Hill Country Generator Project Actually Runs
Free Consultation
We visit the property, run a load calculation, and confirm generator sizing and placement. See our sizing guide.
Transfer Switch & Panel Plan
We specify the correct transfer switch for a non-exporting standby installation and confirm whether your panel needs work first.
Permits & Utility Coordination
We handle the county or municipal electrical permit and coordinate with the cooperative where the work requires it.
Install, Test, Inspect
Licensed installation, full system test under load, and inspection sign-off before we consider the job finished.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a standby generator require an interconnection application with PEC?
No. Per PEC's published standby generation requirements, standby generators must not export power to the cooperative's distribution system, and members may connect a generator using a UL-approved open-transition transfer switch. The interconnection application process applies to member-owned generation intended to operate in parallel with PEC's system — solar and battery storage — not to a standby generator that simply takes over during an outage.
What is the difference between standby generation and distributed generation?
A standby generator supplies power to your home only when the grid is down and never sends power back to the utility. Distributed generation — typically solar panels or battery storage — operates in parallel with the cooperative's system and can export power. PEC treats them under different rules: distributed generation requires an interconnection application and PEC's permission to operate before the system may generate, while standby generation does not go through that process.
Is my Hill Country property served by PEC or Austin Energy?
It depends on your address, not your city. Much of the Hill Country west and northwest of Austin is served by Pedernales Electric Cooperative rather than the City of Austin's utility, but service territory boundaries do not follow city limits, and neighboring properties can fall in different territories. Check the utility name on your electric bill, or confirm your address directly with the cooperative.
Do PEC requirements replace my county electrical permit?
No — they are separate. Meeting the cooperative's requirements for service or generation does not satisfy your local electrical permit obligation, and pulling a county or municipal permit does not satisfy the cooperative's requirements. Most Hill Country projects involve both. Malco Electric handles the permitting and inspection side and coordinates with the utility where the work calls for it.
How does electric service work for a new Hill Country build?
New construction follows a different intake path at PEC than an existing home with an existing meter — new service requests go through the cooperative's construction and development process. If the property has never had power, extending service also involves a cost calculation covering the labor and materials to build those facilities, which is a significant planning factor on rural acreage. See our new construction electrical services.
Hill Country Areas We Serve
We work throughout Austin and the Texas Hill Country, including communities where PEC serves the meters:
Working With a Cooperative? So Are We.
Generators, new service, rural runs, panel work — on Hill Country
properties, done by an electrician who knows the territory.