Oncor eTRACK interconnection: the 2026 process

If you're installing residential solar anywhere in Dallas-Fort Worth, the odds are very high that you'll deal with Oncor Electric Delivery. Oncor is the regulated transmission and distribution utility for most of north and east Texas, including all 15 of the DFW cities TexPTO has mapped today.

That means after the city issues your permit and your installer signs off the install, you go through Oncor — not the homeowner's retail electric provider — for the interconnection. Oncor reviews the package, reprograms the bidirectional meter, and issues Permission to Operate.

This article is written for installers and PV designers who need to understand the eTRACK process end-to-end. We focus on Level 1 residential rooftop, which covers the overwhelming majority of DFW projects.

What eTRACK is

eTRACK is Oncor's online interconnection application and tracking portal. It replaces the older email-and-PDF process that was standard into the early 2020s. Every Texas residential solar project served by Oncor flows through it.

Two important framing points:

1. eTRACK is interconnection, not permitting. It's separate from the AHJ (city) permit. Most installers file the AHJ permit and the eTRACK application in parallel; they touch different reviewers and have separate timelines.
2. Oncor's review is independent of your retail provider. The homeowner's electric bill comes from a Retail Electric Provider (REP) — TXU, Reliant, Green Mountain, etc. The REP buys back excess generation under whatever buyback plan the homeowner has, but they don't control whether the system can interconnect. Oncor does.

When you file

The canonical sequence is:

1. AHJ permit issued.
2. System installed.
3. AHJ inspection passed and permit finaled.
4. eTRACK application submitted with the as-built package.
5. Oncor reviews + schedules a meter reprogram if needed.
6. PTO letter issued.

You can technically submit eTRACK earlier in some cases, but Oncor generally won't issue PTO until they have evidence the AHJ has finaled. In practice, submitting eTRACK before the AHJ final just means Oncor's review sits in a holding state. There's no real benefit to early submission for residential.

What the application asks for

A complete Level 1 residential eTRACK package includes:

Customer + service info

• Service address and ESI ID (Electric Service Identifier). The ESI ID is a 17-digit number unique to the meter; the homeowner can find it on their REP bill or by logging into Smart Meter Texas.
• Account holder name as it appears on the REP bill. Mismatches here are a common rejection cause; if the bill is in one spouse's name, the application should match.
• Customer signature on the interconnection agreement (Oncor provides the form).

System specs

• DC system size in kW.
• AC system size in kW (post-inverter).
• Inverter make + model (must be UL 1741 SA listed; this is effectively automatic for any 2020+ inverter).
• Whether a battery is present and its size in kWh. Battery systems trigger additional review.

Drawings + diagrams

• One-line electrical diagram showing all panels, inverter(s), combiners, AC disconnect, point of common coupling, and the utility meter. The diagram must clearly label the Visible Lockable Lockable Disconnect (VLLD) location.
• Site plan showing the array, equipment locations, and the meter.

Photos

Oncor's photo requirements have tightened over the past few years. Plan to provide:

• Meter — exterior shot showing the meter and the visible disconnect together.
• Main panel — interior or exterior shot showing the breaker that feeds (or back-feeds) the system, with NEC 705.12 backfeed labeling visible.
• AC disconnect (VLLD) — with the lockable provision visible.
• Placards — close-ups of the NEC 690.13 PV system disconnect placard, the NEC 690.56(C) PV power source identification placard, and the NEC 690.12 rapid shutdown placard.
• Array — at least one full-array shot showing the installed modules.

If any photo is missing or unreadable, expect a correction request.

VLLD: the Oncor-specific gotcha

The Visible Lockable Lockable Disconnect (VLLD — yes, the double-"lockable" is the standard spelling Oncor uses) is the single most common rejection driver in eTRACK reviews.

Oncor requires:

• A dedicated AC disconnect between the inverter and the meter, separate from the inverter's internal disconnect.
• Visible from the meter location — Oncor's published spec generally cites a maximum of about 10 feet between the meter and the disconnect, with line-of-sight.
• Lockable in the open position — the disconnect must accept a standard padlock so a utility worker can lock it out.
• Labeled as a PV system disconnect with a permanent placard.

Common VLLD rejections we see:

• Disconnect installed behind a fence, gate, or HVAC unit (not visible from the meter).
• Inverter manufacturers' "all-in-one" combiners that include a disconnect but isn't separately lockable.
• Missing placard, or placard that's printed paper instead of UV-rated exterior label stock.

The fix is almost always physical: the disconnect needs to be moved or swapped before resubmitting. Plan for this in the install layout, not after the fact.

NEC labeling requirements

In addition to the photos, Oncor wants NEC-compliant labels on the actual installed equipment. The labels Oncor checks for in the photo package are:

• NEC 690.13 — "PV system AC disconnect" placard on the AC disconnect itself.
• NEC 690.56(C) — "Photovoltaic power source" placard with the rated DC max voltage and current values listed. Missing voltage/ current values is a common rejection — these are not optional.
• NEC 690.12 — "Rapid shutdown" placard at the location of the rapid-shutdown switch. Required for any rooftop system; the location matters (must be at the service equipment, not at the array).
• NEC 705.12 — backfeed-breaker label inside the main panel showing the breaker is back-fed by a PV source.
• NEC 705.10 / 706 (battery systems) — additional ESS placards if a battery is present.

If you generate these labels with a permitting tool, double-check that the DC voltage and current values are real numbers, not placeholders. Printing a 690.56(C) label with [MAX PV VOLTAGE] literally on it and installing it on a live disconnect is both a code violation and a common rejection.

Typical timeline

Oncor's published Level 1 service-level expectation is roughly 10 business days for the initial review. Real-world experience in DFW in 2025 was 2–4 weeks for clean packages, with summer peaks pushing 6+ weeks.

If your application has been in eTRACK for more than 14 days with no response, it's reasonable to email the eTRACK help desk for a status check. Don't wait three weeks before reaching out — by then the queue has moved past you and getting attention takes longer.

Common rejection reasons

Across the DFW projects we've seen, the most common eTRACK rejections break down roughly:

1. VLLD placement or specification — disconnect not visible, not lockable, or too far from meter. Roughly 30% of all rejections.
2. Missing or unreadable photos — typically the placard close-ups or the main-panel backfeed shot. ~25%.
3. One-line diagram errors — wrong polarity convention, missing labels, or inverter spec mismatching the system size declared. ~15%.
4. NEC label content — placards printed with placeholder values, wrong code section cited, or missing voltage/current numbers. ~10%.
5. Customer info mismatches — wrong ESI ID, name on application doesn't match REP bill. ~10%.
6. Everything else — battery-specific issues, ground-mount structural questions, equipment not on the approved list. ~10%.

Cleanly avoidable, almost all of them, with a thorough pre-submittal checklist.

Tips for keeping the queue moving

• Submit eTRACK the same day the AHJ finals. Don't let the interconnection queue start late — Oncor's queue is the long pole in most projects.
• Keep your photos in a single folder named by project. Lost resubmittals are surprisingly common; a clean local archive lets you respond to corrections in hours, not days.
• Pre-print labels before going to the site. Field-printing placards with a Sharpie is a known rejection trigger.
• Confirm the homeowner's REP and account holder before you submit. Last-minute name corrections cost a full cycle.
• Use the eTRACK reference number in any email follow-up. The help desk pulls the application by reference number much faster than by service address.

A note on residential battery storage

If the system has a battery, eTRACK adds a few items:

• A separate battery interconnection form (Oncor distinguishes battery-only from PV+battery).
• Additional placards per NEC 706 and NEC 480 (lead-acid systems, rare in residential).
• Sometimes a more detailed utility study if the battery's AC output exceeds the home's service capacity.

Battery projects routinely add 2–3 weeks to the eTRACK review timeline. Plan accordingly.

The short version

Oncor's eTRACK is a well-defined, documented process — but it's unforgiving about photos, placards, and the VLLD. The fastest path to PTO is submitting a clean package the first time and using the eTRACK reference number to track status proactively rather than waiting for the review to bounce.

If you're a DFW installer doing more than 5 systems a month, building a standard pre-submittal checklist that covers the rejection drivers above is the single highest-leverage operational improvement you can make.