81R12421 JJT-D
By: Davis of Dallas H.B. No. 3533
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to surcharges for advanced metering of electric utility
services.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 39.107(h), Utilities Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(h) The commission shall establish a nonbypassable
surcharge for an electric utility or transmission and distribution
utility to use to recover reasonable and necessary costs incurred
in deploying advanced metering and meter information networks to
residential customers and nonresidential customers other than
those required by the independent system operator to have an
interval data recorder meter. The commission shall ensure that the
nonbypassable surcharge reflects a deployment of advanced meters
that is no more than one-third of the utility's total meters over
each calendar year and shall ensure that the nonbypassable
surcharge does not result in the utility recovering more than its
actual, fully allocated meter and meter information network costs.
The expenses must be allocated to the customer classes receiving
the services, based on the electric utility's most recently
approved tariffs, and the amount of the surcharge must be stated
separately on each customer's bill. The commission by rule shall
provide that a surcharge under this subsection may not be imposed on
a customer before the customer has an advanced meter installed
unless the electric utility or transmission and distribution
utility provides for the customer to recover the full amount of
surcharges paid by means of a discount for billed services after
installation of the meter.
SECTION 2. The Public Utility Commission of Texas shall
adopt rules to implement the changes in law made by Section
39.107(h), Utilities Code, as amended by this Act. The rules must
take effect not later than January 1, 2010.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.