Bill Text: TX HB2264 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to the authority of the Public Utility Commission of Texas to participate in certain proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-04 - Laid on the table subject to call [HB2264 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB2264-Comm_Sub.html
| 82R17441 JJT-F | |||
| By: Ritter | H.B. No. 2264 | ||
| Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2264: | |||
| By: Cook | C.S.H.B. No. 2264 | ||
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| relating to the authority of the Public Utility Commission of Texas | ||
| to participate in certain proceedings before the Federal Energy | ||
| Regulatory Commission. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 39.4525 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 39.4525. HIRING ASSISTANCE FOR FEDERAL PROCEEDINGS. | ||
| (a) The commission may retain any consultant, accountant, auditor, | ||
| engineer, or attorney the commission considers necessary to | ||
| represent the commission in a proceeding before the Federal Energy | ||
| Regulatory Commission, or before a court reviewing proceedings of | ||
| that federal commission, related to: | ||
| (1) the relationship of an electric utility subject to | ||
| this subchapter to a power region, regional transmission | ||
| organization, or independent system operator; or | ||
| (2) the approval of an agreement among the electric | ||
| utility and the electric utility's affiliates concerning the | ||
| coordination of the operations of the electric utility and the | ||
| electric utility's affiliates. | ||
| (b) Assistance for which a consultant, accountant, auditor, | ||
| engineer, or attorney may be retained under Subsection (a) may | ||
| include: | ||
| (1) conducting a study; | ||
| (2) conducting an investigation; | ||
| (3) presenting evidence; | ||
| (4) advising the commission; or | ||
| (5) representing the commission. | ||
| (c) The electric utility shall pay timely the reasonable | ||
| costs of the services of a person retained under Subsection (a), as | ||
| determined by the commission. The total costs an electric utility | ||
| is required to pay under this subsection may not exceed $1.5 million | ||
| in a 12-month period. | ||
| (d) The commission shall allow the electric utility to | ||
| recover both the total costs the electric utility paid under | ||
| Subsection (c) and the carrying charges for those costs through a | ||
| rider established annually to recover the costs paid and carrying | ||
| charges incurred during the preceding calendar year. The rider may | ||
| not be implemented before the rider is reviewed and approved by the | ||
| commission. | ||
| (e) The commission shall consult the attorney general | ||
| before the commission retains a consultant, accountant, auditor, or | ||
| engineer under Subsection (a). The retention of an attorney under | ||
| Subsection (a) is subject to the approval of the attorney general | ||
| under Section 402.0212, Government Code. | ||
| (f) This section expires December 31, 2017. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
