Provides that, prior to granting a certificate for the construction of an electric transmission line facility, the public service commission must find that the facility conforms to the most recent state energy plan and consider whether approval of the facility would cause adverse impacts on the state's environmental quality due to electric generation.
Provides that in the siting of new electric transmission facilities, including high-voltage transmission lines, the following corridors shall be utilized in the following order of priority in accordance with feasibility of economic and engineering considerations, reliability of the electric system and the protection of the environment: existing utility corridors; highway (interstate, freeway and state trunk) and railroad corridors; recreational trails, to the extent that the facilities may be constructed below ground and that the facilities do not significantly impact environmentally sensitive areas; and new corridors; provides that the commissioner of transportation shall engage in coordination activities with a utility or transmission line developer to review requested highway corridors for possible permitted locations of transmission lines.
Requires certain construction project contracts with a value of greater than or equal to five million dollars to include siting of solar energy arrays, major renewable energy facilities, or major electric transmission facilities.
Relating to the use of the electric generating facility fund to finance construction and maintenance of electric generating and transmission facilities in the ERCOT power region; authorizing an assessment.