Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1942 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	2025S0155-1 02/28/25
2	2	By: Parker S.B. No. 1942
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to electricity planning for large loads.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is
12	12	amended by adding Section 39.169 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 39.169. LARGE LOAD INTERCONNECTION; RELIABILITY
14	14	PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "behind-the-meter generation" means
15	15	a new generation facility on the retail customer's side of the
16	16	meter.
17	17	(b) The commission by rule shall require the independent
18	18	organization certified under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power
19	19	region to develop and implement an interconnection program to
20	20	provide an expedited interconnection process for operators of large
21	21	loads who agree to cease consuming energy from the power grid
22	22	through deployment of their behind-the-meter generation when
23	23	directed to by the independent organization. The program must be
24	24	available only to large loads that are a facility at a single site
25	25	with an aggregate peak power demand that exceeds a demand threshold
26	26	established by the independent organization. The threshold must be
27	27	at least 75 megawatts unless the independent organization
28	28	determines that a lower threshold will better ensure reliability in
29	29	the ERCOT power region.
30	30	(c) The program must require the independent organization
31	31	certified under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power region and the
32	32	relevant electric cooperative, municipally owned utility, or
33	33	transmission and distribution utility to give priority to a large
34	34	load in the interconnection queue participating in the program.
35	35	(d) The program must provide that:
36	36	(1) an interconnection application for a
37	37	participating large load with behind-the-meter generation that
38	38	agrees to offer the energy generated by the behind-the-meter
39	39	generation to the power grid at times directed by the independent
40	40	organization or reduce its energy consumption from the power grid
41	41	to a minimum level established by the independent organization will
42	42	be given priority over other interconnection applications that are
43	43	pending before the independent organization and the relevant
44	44	electric cooperative, municipally owned utility, or transmission
45	45	and distribution utility, including any applications from other
46	46	participating large loads without behind-the-meter generation;
47	47	(2) if applicable, the generator interconnection
48	48	application for a participating large load's behind-the-meter
49	49	generation will be processed in parallel with the load
50	50	interconnection application; and
51	51	(3) an applicant for participation in the program may
52	52	choose:
53	53	(A) if authorized by the independent
54	54	organization and the relevant electric cooperative, municipally
55	55	owned utility, or transmission and distribution utility, to
56	56	contract with a vendor approved by the relevant electric
57	57	cooperative, municipally owned utility, or transmission and
58	58	distribution utility or by the independent organization to perform
59	59	all studies required by the relevant electric cooperative,
60	60	municipally owned utility, or transmission and distribution
61	61	utility before the approval of the interconnection application;
62	62	(B) to procure equipment required for the
63	63	interconnection in accordance with technical specifications
64	64	provided by the relevant electric cooperative, municipally owned
65	65	utility, or transmission and distribution utility; and
66	66	(C) to construct interconnection facilities in
67	67	accordance with technical and other requirements of the relevant
68	68	electric cooperative, municipally owned utility, or transmission
69	69	and distribution utility.
70	70	(e) The program shall provide that studies required by an
71	71	electric cooperative, municipally owned utility, or transmission
72	72	and distribution utility before the approval of an interconnection
73	73	application for a participating large load may evaluate the load as
74	74	non-firm.
75	75	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.