Ever flip on a light switch and wonder where that power came from? Probably not. Most of us just expect electricity to be there, like magic. But there’s actually a whole system working behind the scenes to deliver that energy safely and quickly.
Let’s walk through the journey your electricity takes from the power plant to the outlet next to your nightstand.
Browse electricity plans.
The first stop is generation. That’s where electricity is made. Power plants take one form of energy and convert it into electrical energy.
There are different types of generators depending on the energy source:
Natural gas plants burn gas to heat water, creating steam that spins a turbine
Coal plants work the same way, just with coal
Nuclear plants split atoms to release heat and create steam
Wind farms use giant turbines spun by the wind
Solar farms use panels to convert sunlight into electricity
Texas gets electricity from all of these, but wind and natural gas are the big players here. No matter the method, all power plants create electricity that needs to get somewhere fast.
Once the electricity is generated, it has to travel a long way to reach cities, suburbs, and rural areas. This is where the transmission system kicks in.
High-voltage transmission lines carry electricity across large distances, kind of like interstate highways for power. These lines are the tall towers you see stretching across fields or running through remote areas.
Why high voltage? Because electricity travels better that way. It loses less energy on the way to your neighborhood.
When electricity gets closer to your home, it has to slow down. That’s when it enters the distribution system, which is the local network of wires, poles, and transformers that deliver electricity to houses and businesses.
At this point, the high-voltage power is stepped down at substations so it's safe to use in your home. The electricity travels through smaller power lines—either overhead or underground—and finally reaches your neighborhood transformer. From there, it runs through a service line to your home.
That service line connects to your electric meter, which tracks how much energy you use. If you're in Texas, you probably have a smart meter that gives real-time usage data to your provider and utility.
There are several key players that keep the power flowing:
Generators create the electricity
Transmission companies carry electricity across long distances
TDSPs (Transmission and Distribution Service Providers) manage the wires, poles, meters, and local infrastructure
Retail Electric Providers (REPs) like Rhythm sell you the plan and bill you for your usage
ERCOT runs the electric grid across most of Texas and makes sure supply and demand stay balanced
PUCT (Public Utility Commission of Texas) regulates the system and sets rules for how it operates
It’s a team effort. Each one of these groups plays a role in making sure your lights turn on when you hit the switch.
If something knocks out your electricity, such as a storm, car accident, or equipment failure, it’s the TDSP that jumps into action. These are the crews fixing poles and restoring service.
And in most of Texas, you can’t choose your TDSP. They’re assigned based on where you live. You can, however, choose your REP, which affects your plan, rate, and service experience.
Knowing how electricity gets to your home helps you:
Understand your bill and where your money goes
Know who to contact when there’s a problem
Make smarter decisions about usage and energy-saving
Appreciate just how big and fast this system really is
It also makes you more aware of how your choices—like using energy during off-peak hours or going with a renewable plan—fit into the bigger picture.
A generator creates electricity. A utility, or TDSP, is responsible for delivering it to your home and maintaining the infrastructure that makes it possible.
ERCOT stands for Electric Reliability Council of Texas. It manages the electric grid for most of Texas, balancing how much electricity is being used with how much is being produced in real time.
Not directly. You choose a retail electric provider, and they source electricity from various generators. If you're on a 100 percent renewable plan, your provider purchases renewable energy credits to match your usage.
Contact your TDSP (utility), not your provider. In Texas, that might be Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP, or TNMP, depending on your location.
Smart meters track how much electricity you use and send that data to your provider and utility. They allow for quicker reads, better usage tracking, and faster outage response.
