Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4627 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R15023 CXP-D
2	2	By: McQueeney H.B. No. 4627
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to electric service quality and reliability.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 36.402, Utilities Code, is amended by
12	12	adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
13	13	(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), the commission may
14	14	not authorize an electric utility to receive a return on equity for
15	15	repaired or replaced damaged infrastructure that the commission
16	16	determines the utility should have reasonably anticipated could
17	17	have been damaged by the weather-related event or natural disaster.
18	18	SECTION 2. Section 38.005(b), Utilities Code, is amended to
19	19	read as follows:
20	20	(b) The commission may take appropriate enforcement action
21	21	under this section, including action against a utility, if any of
22	22	the utility's feeders with 10 or more customers has had a SAIDI or
23	23	SAIFI average that is more than 200 [300] percent greater than the
24	24	system average of all feeders during any two-year period[,
25	25	beginning in the year 2000]. In determining the appropriate
26	26	enforcement action, the commission shall consider:
27	27	(1) the feeder's operating and maintenance history;
28	28	(2) the cause of each interruption in the feeder's
29	29	service;
30	30	(3) the duration of each interruption in the feeder's
31	31	service;
32	32	(4) any action taken by a utility to address the
33	33	feeder's performance;
34	34	(5) [(4)] the estimated cost and benefit of
35	35	remediating a feeder's performance; and
36	36	(6) [(5)] any other relevant factor as determined by
37	37	the commission.
38	38	SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Utilities Code, is
39	39	amended by adding Section 38.006 to read as follows:
40	40	Sec. 38.006. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY STANDARDS FOR
41	41	TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION POLES. (a) This section applies
42	42	only to an electric utility, municipally owned utility, or electric
43	43	cooperative that operates transmission or distribution assets.
44	44	(b) The commission by rule shall adopt standards for the
45	45	structural integrity of transmission and distribution poles.
46	46	(c) The standards adopted under this section must:
47	47	(1) require an electric utility, municipally owned
48	48	utility, or electric cooperative to inspect transmission and
49	49	distribution poles and take appropriate remedial action as
50	50	necessary on a timeline established by the commission;
51	51	(2) account for geographic differences between
52	52	regions of the state;
53	53	(3) consider national guidelines such as the National
54	54	Electrical Safety Code and guidelines developed by the Rural
55	55	Utilities Service of the United States Department of Agriculture;
56	56	and
57	57	(4) establish a classification system to assess the
58	58	serviceability of transmission and distribution poles.
59	59	(d) Each electric utility, municipally owned utility, and
60	60	electric cooperative shall submit to the commission an annual
61	61	report on:
62	62	(1) the implementation of the utility's or
63	63	cooperative's transmission and distribution pole maintenance
64	64	schedule;
65	65	(2) the results of the utility's or cooperative's
66	66	inspection of transmission and distribution poles, including any
67	67	remediation or replacement action taken; and
68	68	(3) any other information the commission requires.
69	69	SECTION 4. The heading to Subchapter E, Chapter 38,
70	70	Utilities Code, is amended to read as follows:
71	71	SUBCHAPTER E. INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE [REPORT]
72	72	SECTION 5. Section 38.101(a), Utilities Code, is amended to
73	73	read as follows:
74	74	(a) Not later than May 1 of each year, each electric utility
75	75	shall submit to the commission a report describing the utility's
76	76	activities related to:
77	77	(1) identifying areas that are susceptible to damage
78	78	during severe weather and hardening transmission and distribution
79	79	facilities in those areas; and
80	80	(2) vegetation management[; and
81	81	[(3) inspecting distribution poles].
82	82	SECTION 6. (a) The changes in law made by this Act to
83	83	Section 38.005, Utilities Code, apply only to an enforcement action
84	84	initiated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas on or after the
85	85	effective date of this Act. An enforcement action initiated before
86	86	the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect
87	87	immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former
88	88	law is continued in effect for that purpose.
89	89	(b) In adopting rules under Section 38.006, Utilities Code,
90	90	as added by this Act, the Public Utility Commission of Texas shall
91	91	allow an electric utility, electric cooperative, or municipally
92	92	owned utility to complete any required inspection, remediation, or
93	93	replacement of transmission and distribution poles installed
94	94	before the effective date of the rules according to a reasonable
95	95	timeline approved by the commission that allows the utility or
96	96	cooperative to prioritize high-risk transmission and distribution
97	97	poles.
98	98	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.