Bill Text: TX SB2076 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the prevention of and response to blackout conditions in the ERCOT power region.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-04-01 - Referred to Business & Commerce [SB2076 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB2076-Introduced.html
| 87R11824 JXC-D | ||
| By: Menéndez | S.B. No. 2076 | |
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| relating to the prevention of and response to blackout conditions | ||
| in the ERCOT power region. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 39.159 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 39.159. ENSURING RESERVE POWER CAPACITY. (a) The | ||
| commission by rule shall develop a process for obtaining emergency | ||
| reserve power generation capacity as appropriate to prevent | ||
| blackout conditions caused by shortages of generated power in the | ||
| ERCOT power region. The rules must provide: | ||
| (1) parameters for estimating the amount of emergency | ||
| reserve power generation capacity necessary to prevent blackout | ||
| conditions; and | ||
| (2) mechanisms for equitably sharing the costs of | ||
| making the reserve capacity available and the costs of generated | ||
| power provided to prevent blackout conditions. | ||
| (b) In accordance with rules adopted under Subsection (a), | ||
| an independent organization certified under Section 39.151 for the | ||
| ERCOT power region shall adopt procedures and enter contracts as | ||
| necessary to ensure the availability of a defined amount of | ||
| emergency reserve power generation capacity the organization may | ||
| call on to prevent blackouts caused by shortages of generated | ||
| power. | ||
| (c) Before the independent organization calls on the | ||
| emergency reserve power generation capacity to prevent blackout | ||
| conditions, the organization shall use all other sources of power | ||
| and demand reduction available in accordance with commission rules | ||
| adopted under this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 39.9031 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 39.9031. DISASTER BILL PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. (a) The | ||
| commission shall establish a program to provide bill payment | ||
| assistance using state money appropriated for that purpose to | ||
| retail customers of municipally owned utilities, electric | ||
| cooperatives, and retail electric providers in the ERCOT power | ||
| region. | ||
| (b) The program must: | ||
| (1) provide assistance only for unusually high bills | ||
| for services provided after February 13, 2021, and before February | ||
| 19, 2021, to low-income customers; | ||
| (2) establish criteria for determining whether a bill | ||
| is unusually high; | ||
| (3) allow a customer to apply for assistance to the | ||
| municipally owned utility, electric cooperative, or retail | ||
| electric provider that served the customer during the time period | ||
| in Subdivision (1); and | ||
| (4) require a municipally owned utility, electric | ||
| cooperative, or retail electric provider that receives an | ||
| application under Subdivision (3) to: | ||
| (A) submit the application to the commission; and | ||
| (B) provide to the customer any assistance sent | ||
| by the commission to the utility, cooperative, or provider in | ||
| response to the application. | ||
| (c) The commission shall consult with the counsellor to | ||
| adopt appropriate criteria for designating a customer as low-income | ||
| for the purposes of this section. | ||
| SECTION 3. 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, 2021. | ||
