Bill Text: TX SB1945 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Comm Sub
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-Comm_Sub.html
| By: Fraser | S.B. No. 1945 | |
| (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2015; March 25, 2015, read | ||
| first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources and | ||
| Economic Development; April 16, 2015, reported adversely, with | ||
| favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, | ||
| Nays 3; April 16, 2015, sent to printer.) | ||
| COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1945 | By: Fraser | |
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| relating to electricity service provided by municipally owned | ||
| utilities. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 33, Utilities Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Subchapter F to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER F. REVIEW OF RATES OF CERTAIN MUNICIPAL UTILITIES | ||
| Sec. 33.151. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies only | ||
| to a municipally owned utility: | ||
| (1) that serves at least 400,000 customers; and | ||
| (2) whose service area is located in the ERCOT power | ||
| region in a municipality with a population of less than 1.3 million. | ||
| Sec. 33.152. REVIEW OF RATES; CUSTOMER CHOICE. | ||
| (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a retail customer or group of | ||
| customers with a total usage of more than 25 million kilowatt hours | ||
| per year may file a petition for commission review of current or | ||
| proposed rates of a municipally owned utility that apply to the | ||
| petitioning customers. | ||
| (b) Not later than the 90th day after the date a petition is | ||
| filed with the commission, the municipally owned utility that is | ||
| the subject of the petition shall file a rate application with the | ||
| commission that complies in all material respects with the rules | ||
| and forms prescribed by the commission. The commission for good | ||
| cause may extend the deadline for filing the rate application. | ||
| (c) The commission shall conduct a full review of the rates | ||
| that apply to the petitioning customers to determine whether the | ||
| rates are: | ||
| (1) just and reasonable under Chapter 36; and | ||
| (2) consistent with rates available to similarly | ||
| situated customers in areas of the state that have access to | ||
| customer choice. | ||
| (d) If the commission finds that the rates are not just and | ||
| reasonable or are not consistent with the rates available to | ||
| similarly situated customers in areas of the state that have access | ||
| to customer choice, the commission shall: | ||
| (1) 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 | ||
| (2) set cost-based transmission and distribution | ||
| rates for the municipally owned utility and allow a petitioning | ||
| customer or customers to purchase electricity through a retail | ||
| electric provider. | ||
| 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, 2015. | ||
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