Setting Up Utilities in Center, Texas
Center is outside Texas's deregulated electricity market — the state's Power to Choose site returns no competitive plans for ZIP 75935. Most of the city is served by AEP-SWEPCO at regulated rates, while portions of town and most of rural Shelby County are on Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative, so the first step is confirming which one covers your address.
The rest runs through familiar names: CenterPoint Energy provides natural gas, the City of Center handles water, sewer, and solid waste on one account, and internet comes mainly from AT&T and Optimum, depending on the block.
Electricity
Single regulated providerElectricity in Center is provided by AEP-SWEPCO, with portions of the city and most of rural Shelby County served by Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative. Neither offers plan shopping — Power to Choose returns no plans for ZIP 75935.
Provider: AEP Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO)
Natural Gas
CenterPoint Energy (Entex)
CenterPoint Energy is the natural gas provider for Center, named by the local economic development profile and the Railroad Commission's list of gas utilities by city.
Water & Sewer
City of Center Water & Wastewater
The City of Center provides water and wastewater service inside the city; rural Shelby County addresses are typically on a water supply corporation.
Trash & Recycling
City of Center Solid Waste
Solid waste collection is a City of Center service, set up alongside your city water account.
Internet
Optimum
Optimum cable serves part of Center — there's an Optimum store in town — while AT&T covers much of the rest with DSL and fiber. Availability varies block to block, so check the FCC map for your address.
Check your address (FCC map) →Electricity: One Regulated Provider, No Shopping
Center sits in Deep East Texas, outside the ERCOT grid that powers the state's deregulated market — Power to Choose returns no plans for ZIP 75935. Inside the city you'll almost certainly be an AEP-SWEPCO customer at regulated rates, but parts of town and most of the surrounding county belong to Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative, the San Augustine-based co-op serving eight counties.
Either way there's no plan shopping: you open an account with whichever utility serves the address, and that's also who you call about outages. Worth confirming before move-in day, since the two have separate offices and deposit processes.
Gas, Water, and Trash
Natural gas in Center comes from CenterPoint Energy. Water, sewer, and solid waste collection are all City of Center services on a single account, so one stop at City Hall covers the household basics. Rural Shelby County addresses usually swap city water for a water supply corporation and arrange trash separately.
Internet
Center's wired internet splits by neighborhood: Optimum's cable network covers part of the city — it keeps a local store in town — while AT&T serves much of the rest with DSL and growing fiber. Satellite options like Starlink cover rural Shelby County. Availability is address-specific, so the most reliable check is the FCC National Broadband Map.
FAQ: Utilities in Center
No. Center is outside Texas's deregulated market — Power to Choose returns no plans for ZIP 75935. AEP-SWEPCO serves most of the city at regulated rates, with Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative covering portions of town and most of rural Shelby County.
AEP-SWEPCO is the primary electric provider in Center, but parts of the city and most of the surrounding county are served by Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative — confirm which utility covers your specific address before setting up service.
CenterPoint Energy provides natural gas. The City of Center handles water, wastewater, and solid waste collection on one city account.
Optimum cable serves part of the city and AT&T covers much of the rest, with satellite filling rural gaps. Availability varies by address — check the FCC National Broadband Map for your exact location.
Sources & Verification
- Center EDC (Texas Sized Opportunities) — community utilities profile
- Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative — service area
- Power to Choose — no competitive plans for ZIP 75935 (verified June 2026)
- Railroad Commission of Texas — Natural Gas Service to Texas Cities (Table 1A)
- Optimum — Center, TX services
- FCC National Broadband Map
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