Utility rules
CoServ standby generator requirements
CoServ Electric asks for three things: an application filed before installation, an open-transition automatic transfer switch, and a generator that never exports power to its lines. It does not certify or recommend generator installers.
1. Apply before installation
“Fill out the Application for Operation of Customer-Owned Generation found on Page 16 in the DG Manual.”
The application is Exhibit A of CoServ’s Distributed Generation Procedures & Guidelines Manual (February 2026). The form lists “Standby or Portable Generator (please specify fuel type)” among the technologies it covers, and the manual says “A separate application must be submitted for each installation.” CoServ’s requirements page says to send it to DG@coserv.com; the form’s own contact section lists solar@coserv.com.
Members connecting a standby generator “agree to the terms of the Tariff for Electric Service and DG Manual,” and CoServ says it may refuse or disconnect an interconnection that causes safety, reliability or power quality issues, or breaches the meter seal.
2. An open-transition automatic transfer switch
“Members should understand that standby generators shall not export power (or operate parallel) to CoServ Electric’s distribution system and shall use an open transition transfer switch.”
CoServ’s FAQ answers “Does CoServ require an automatic transfer switch?” with “Yes.” Its manual puts the same rule in electrical terms: “When the DG is used for backup power only, a break before make transition is required to avoid back feed.” Open transition and break-before-make mean the same thing: the switch opens the utility connection before it closes the generator connection. The Cummins switches we sell are listed with prices on Cummins transfer switches, and what a service-entrance rating changes is in service-entrance transfer switches.
CoServ also has a disconnect rule for distributed generation generally: coServ requires a visible, lockable, labeled AC disconnect with a visible break and an external handle, on an exterior wall within 10 feet of the CoServ meter (a placard is required at the meter if it is farther), and lockable open with a cooperative lock. For backup-only generation, its manual says a visible load-break disconnect switch is “preferred but not required pending evaluation of the member’s proposed configuration and equipment selection.”
3. No export, ever
A standby generator in CoServ territory runs the house only while it is cut off from the CoServ system. The manual: members with backup-only generation “shall not operate their DG facilities at any time unless disconnected from the Cooperative system,” and CoServ may require an interlocking switch to make sure of it. CoServ’s generator safety page gives the reason: power fed back through a transformer can be stepped up to 14,000 volts on the line a crew is working on.
Who can install it
CoServ’s FAQ says an electrician is required and “should follow all applicable CoServ policies and the current National Electric Code,” and that a plumber is generally needed on natural gas or propane. It answers “Does CoServ recommend specific electricians?” with “No.”
The CoServ Certified Installer Program is a list of solar installers CoServ has vetted on its solar policies. It is not a generator program. When you choose a generator installer in CoServ territory, check the Texas electrical contractor license and the manufacturer’s dealer locator instead; the questions to ask are in how to choose a generator installer. UTS ElectricPros holds TECL #40628 and installs Cummins generators through its own crews.
Permits are separate
CoServ: “Permits are required by most cities or towns within CoServ’s service territory.” The CoServ application does not replace the city permit, and the city permit does not replace the CoServ application. CoServ serves addresses in Plano, Frisco, Fort Worth, McKinney, Allen, Flower Mound, Prosper, Coppell, Celina, Denton and Argyle, usually alongside Oncor or another utility, so your bill is the way to tell. Fees by city are in generator permit fees by DFW city.
On a solar home, where the solar connects changes once a generator goes in: adding a generator to a solar home.
Questions
Does CoServ have a certified generator installer?
Not that CoServ publishes. CoServ's Certified Installer Program is a list of solar installers. On standby generators, CoServ's own FAQ answers "Does CoServ recommend specific electricians?" with "No.", and says the same about specific generators. What it requires is that an electrician installs the generator and follows CoServ policy and the National Electrical Code.
Do I need to apply to CoServ before installing a standby generator?
Yes. CoServ's FAQ: "prior to installation, the Application for Operation of Customer-Owned Generation found on Page 16 in the Distributed Generation (DG) Manual should be completed and submitted." Its requirements page gives DG@coserv.com as the address. The form's own contact section, in the February 2026 manual, lists solar@coserv.com, so confirm with CoServ if you do not hear back.
What transfer switch does CoServ require?
An automatic transfer switch, using open transition. CoServ says standby generators "shall use an open transition transfer switch", and its manual requires "a break before make transition" when generation is for backup power only. An open-transition switch disconnects the house from the CoServ line before it connects the generator, so the two are never connected at once.
Is there a CoServ fee for a standby generator application?
The manual's fee table lists a $150 application fee for systems up to 250kW. It waives the fee for a facility under 50kW that is "of standard design and intended entirely as an emergency or back-up power supply" with no intention to export, but that clause is written for facilities operated in parallel with CoServ's system, which a standby generator on an open-transition switch is not. The manual also says all fees are at CoServ's discretion, so ask CoServ which applies to yours.
Can I use a GenerLink meter-socket switch on CoServ?
CoServ says it allows one and requires it to be installed by a qualified licensed professional. CoServ's generator FAQ says it allows a GenerLink transfer switch, which mounts at the meter socket. That sits uneasily with its own meter-socket rule, so we confirm with CoServ before relying on either.
Sources, read 9 October 2026: CoServ, Requirements for Residential Emergency/Standby Generation; CoServ, Standby Generation and its Backup Generator FAQ; CoServ, Certified Installer Program; CoServ, Distributed Generation Procedures & Guidelines Manual for Members (February 2026), sections II.2, II.3, V.2, VII.4 and Exhibit A.
On CoServ and want a standby generator?
The survey confirms which utility serves the address, the service size the transfer switch is sized to, and the gas supply.
Rather just talk to someone?
Leave a number and we will call you. No sales script, no obligation.
Got it. We will call you. If you would rather not wait, ring (214) 957-4307 and ask for whoever is on generators.