Bill Text: TX SB1945 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to electricity service provided by municipally owned utilities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-22 - Not again placed on intent calendar [SB1945 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB1945-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to electricity service provided by municipally owned utilities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-22 - Not again placed on intent calendar [SB1945 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB1945-Introduced.html
By: Fraser | S.B. No. 1945 | |
|
||
|
||
Relating to establishing competitive retail electricity options | ||
for customers served by certain municipally owned utilities. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 33.122, Utilities Code is amended by | ||
adding new subsection (1) as follows: | ||
(1) This section applies only to a municipally owned utility | ||
that has at least 400,000 customers, is governed by a municipality | ||
with a population of less than 1,300,000 and is located within the | ||
ERCOT power region. Notwithstanding any other provision, a | ||
customer or group of customers with a total usage of more than | ||
25,000,000 kwh per year may file a petition to have the commission | ||
review current or proposed rates applicable to the petitioning | ||
customers. | ||
(a) Within 90 days of a petition being filed under this | ||
subsection, the municipally owned utility shall file a rate | ||
application with the commission that complies in all material | ||
respects with the rules and forms prescribed by the commission. The | ||
90 period may be extended by the commission for good cause. | ||
(2) The commission shall conduct a full review of the rates | ||
applicable to the petitioning customers consistent with the | ||
standards prescribed in Chapter 36 to determine whether those rates | ||
are just and reasonable. The commission shall also consider | ||
whether the rates are consistent with the rates available to | ||
similarly situated customers in areas of the state that have access | ||
to customer choice. | ||
(3) If the commission finds that the rates are not just and | ||
reasonable, or not consistent with the rates available to similarly | ||
situated customer areas of the state that have access to customer | ||
choice, the commission shall either: | ||
(a) set rates for the petitioning customer or | ||
customers that are just, reasonable, and consistent with the rates | ||
available to similarly situated customers in areas of the state | ||
that have access to customer choice, or | ||
(b) set cost-based transmission and distribution | ||
rates for the municipally owned utility and allow a petitioning | ||
customer or customers to purchase electricity through a competitive | ||
retail electric provider. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the member 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, 2015. |