Apply for Electric Service

First, make sure Austin Energy is your electric service provider. Visit the City of Austin Property Profile tool and follow the instructions in How to Tell if Austin Energy is Your Service Provider (pdf). If Austin Energy is your service provider, the City of Austin Development Services Department will issue your electric service permit.

Next, use the City of Austin Property Profile tool to locate your address. Zoom in until you can clearly see the jurisdiction labels. Your jurisdiction will indicate whether all your permits will come from the City of Austin or if you will also need permits from other municipalities.

• Austin Full Purpose - Austin Energy is your service provider. 
• ETJ labels such as Austin ETJ and Bee Cave ETJ - these designate that you are in an extra-territorial jurisdiction, where Austin Energy provides power outside the City of Austin; if you're in an ETJ or a different municipality, this may affect how you obtain permits for electrical work. In some cases, Austin Energy is your electric service provider but another city will manage your building permits.
  • If you are in an ETJ, you only need an electric permit from the City of Austin Development Services Department if the electric service provider is Austin Energy and the work performed will require an outage or changes to the electric service equipment.

In the Property Profile tool, zoom in to a level where you can see the jurisdiction labels like AUSTIN FULL PURPOSE and various ETJs, or extra-territorial jurisdictions. 

Austin Energy’s Design Criteria Manual contains the specifications approved by the Austin City Council for design and installation of electric facilities that will be served by Austin Energy. Please note that some processes described in the Design Criteria Manual are not up-to-date.

Download the Design Criteria Manual (pdf)

To apply for any kind of electric service, you will need to submit an address verification report that confirms you have a valid address for service. This also verifies that your address is registered correctly with 911.

1. Visit the City of Austin Development Services Property Profile map. 
2. Begin entering your address, and click on the address the map provides. 
3. Click on “Address Verification Report” and follow the prompts to download the report. 

You will need to submit the downloaded report when you apply for electric service. Typically, you attach this report to your Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) intake request, which is described in more detail below.

Important note: If you are adding units, you must request a new address for each new unit that will have metered service. Use the Request an Address, Building, or Unit form to add units, and the City of Austin Address Management Services department will email you the Address Verification Report for the new units.

Adding new addresses at the end of the process may delay your energization date.

Submit any addressing questions to the Address Management Services' General Question form. 

Most projects require approval of a building permit from the Austin Development Services Department before you can apply for an electric permit, although there are some exceptions. 

Here are two good starting points from the Development Services Department:

• Do I Need A Permit?
• Understanding the Development Process

You can get temporary service to your building site for remodeling or new construction, as well as seasonal service for businesses like holiday tree lots or firework stands. See section 1.7.0 of the Design Criteria Manual (pdf) for more information.

Small Load Projects

To sign up for temporary service for projects requiring service under 350 amps single-phase or 225 amps three-phase:

• Download and fill out the Electric Service Planning Application (ESPA) (pdf).
• Check the box for “Construction Power/Temporary Service (less than 24 months)."
• Submit your Electric Service Planning Application Form (ESPA) form by emailing it to the Austin Energy BSPA-ESPA email address.
  • Any temporary service requests for jobs that involve Austin Energy Design (that is, they have an active work order), must be sent to and reviewed by the Austin Energy Designer for the project.

Large Load Projects

For temporary service for projects requiring service over 350 amps single-phase or 225 amps three-phase, or in the Downtown Network Area, follow these steps:

• Download and fill out the Electric Service Planning Application (ESPA) (pdf).
• Check the box for “Construction Power/Temporary Service (less than 24 months)”.
• Submit your ESPA form through the Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) Portal under Austin Energy Additional Services Design Intake. (If you don't have an existing AB+C Portal account, you must create one.) 
  • Get help completing an Intake Request (pdf)

Important note: To get temporary service for commercial developments, you usually must request a new address for the temporary service by filling out the Request an Address, Building, or Unit form from the City’s Address Management department.

If You Have Questions

For questions about temporary service:

• Small load projects should email Austin Energy BSPA-ESPA. 
• Large load projects call:
  • North Austin: Kramer Service Center, 512-505-7181
  • South Austin: St. Elmo Service Center, 512‐505‐7682
  • Downtown (see section 1.11.5 of the Design Criteria Manual (pdf) for map): Downtown Network, 512-505-7682

Renovation and rebuild projects, as well as some new residential construction, may qualify as “service-only,” and follow the simplest process for obtaining building permits and connecting power. This designation is for projects that:

• Are outside the Downtown Network area (see section 1.11.5 of the Design Criteria Manual (pdf) for map)
• Require service under 350 amps single-phase or 225 amps three-phase
  •  If you are unsure of your power requirements, discuss with your electric contractor
• Already have Austin Energy infrastructure in place

If a “Service-Only” project requires more infrastructure for any reason, Austin Energy will let you know and will advise you on how to proceed.

Basic Steps for “Service-Only” Projects

These steps should be completed by a licensed electrician or contractor. See the Design Criteria Manual (pdf) section 1.4.2.3 section A. for further details about what to include.

• Download and fill out the Electric Service Planning Application (ESPA) (pdf).
• If your project is in an Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ), include a plot plan because Austin Energy cannot look up elements like easements outside of our own jurisdiction.

Austin Energy staff will review your application and communicate back to you about next steps.

If You Have Questions

For questions about “service-only” projects, email Austin Energy BSPA-ESPA.

The following process is for projects over 350 Amp Single-Phase or 225 Amp Three-Phase (if you are unsure of your power requirements, discuss with your electric contractor); any project in the Downtown Network area (see section 1.11.5 of the Design Criteria Manual (pdf) for map); or any project which requires design work from Austin Energy.

Basic Steps for Large Residential and Commercial Projects

1. Have your Site Plan approved by the City of Austin Development Services Department. Visit the City of Austin Development Services Department’s Site Plan Requirements to learn about site plan approval. Another good resource is the Development Services Department’s Do I Need a Permit? page.
2. Submit an intake request at the City of Austin permitting services’ Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) Portal and include the following documents. If you don't have an existing AB+C Portal account, you must create one:
   • A completed Electric Service Planning Application (ESPA) (pdf) for every address
   • AutoCAD file of site plan
   • Riser diagram (except subdivisions)
   • Address verification report (except subdivisions). See the “Before You Begin” section of this page for more information
   • Downtown Network projects must submit layouts for University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO) or Great Streets
     • Find out more about the University Neighborhood Overlay on the Overlays section of the City of Austin's Development Incentives and Agreements webpage
     • Learn about The Great Streets Plan
   • Multi-metered commercial projects must complete a Commercial Electric Permitting Application (pdf)

Get help completing an Intake Request (pdf)

Important Note: You can apply for “consultation” and/or “submission” for your Austin Build + Connect Portal (AB+C) intake request. Your overall project timeline to energization starts with the submission step, so be sure to file your intake “submission” as early as possible to avoid later delays.

You will be notified by Austin Energy when your Electric Service Planning Application (ESPA) has been approved. You will receive a stamped copy of the approval. If your Electric Service Planning Application (ESPA) is not approved, the Austin Energy Design department will contact you to tell you what needs to be fixed.

Next, the Austin Energy Design department will be in contact to guide you through the following steps and to share any specifications you need to follow. See the General Process for Customer-Requested Distribution Projects (pdf) flow chart for more detail:

• Austin Energy Design provides off-site/on-site design, point of service, meter locations, preliminary project time frame, estimated fees and costs to the customer, customer-installed civil work requirements, easement requirements, any tree-trimming required, metering specifications, and any other requirements of the customer.
  • Note that it is important to order metering equipment as soon as possible or supply chain delays may slow down your project. 
• Customer installs necessary civil work and required electrical metering equipment.
• Austin Energy inspects and approves civil work and metering equipment (as required).
• Customer has by now obtained a City of Austin Development Services Department electric permit and all other required permits.
• City of Austin Development Services Department inspects and approves the project.
• Customer applies for service, and sets up billing information, by calling 512-494-9400.
• Austin Energy energizes the location.

Please note that your electric permit is applied for through the Development Services Department. See Development Services’ Understanding the Development Process for more information.

If You Have Questions

Please direct questions about Commercial and Large Residential projects to the appropriate Austin Energy Design office depending on where the project is located:

• Downtown Network area (see section 1.11.5 of the Design Criteria Manual (pdf) for map): Downtown Network, 512‐505‐7682
• North Austin: Kramer Service Center, 512-505-7181
• South Austin: St. Elmo Service Center, 512‐505‐7682

For questions about building permits, contact the Development Services Department:

• Phone: 512-974-2000
• Use the chat feature on the Development Services website during business hours
• Development Services Department contact form

Track Your Project

If you have applied for Commercial and Large Residential service, you can track the progress of your request by contacting your Austin Energy Design representative.