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House Bill 971 |
House Author: King, Phil et al. |
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Effective: 6-17-11 |
Senate Sponsor: Fraser |
House Bill 971 amends the Utilities Code to prohibit the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) from requiring an electric utility or other person that wants to obtain or amend a certificate of convenience and necessity to designate a preferred route for a proposed transmission line facility. The bill extends the power of eminent domain, for certain transmission facilities, to include all public land, except land owned by the state, on which the PUC has approved construction of the transmission line, without limiting a municipality's rights or an electric utility's obligations to a municipality, or preventing a public entity from expressing a route preference in a proceeding on an application for a certificate of convenience and necessity. The bill requires the PUC, by rule, to establish criteria for granting a certificate of convenience and necessity for certain transmission projects.