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Senate Bill 1281 |
Senate Author: Hancock |
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Effective: 9-1-21 |
House Sponsor: King, Phil |
Senate Bill 1281 amends the Utilities Code to require ERCOT to conduct a biennial assessment of the ERCOT power grid to assess the grid's reliability in extreme weather scenarios. Each assessment must consider the impact of different levels of thermal and renewable generation availability and recommend transmission projects that may increase the grid's reliability in extreme weather scenarios.
Among other provisions, Senate Bill 1281 requires the Public Utility Commission of Texas, in considering the need for additional service when granting a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a reliability transmission project that serves the ERCOT power region, to consider the historical load, forecasted load growth, and additional load currently seeking interconnection. The bill establishes that an electric utility is not required to amend its certificate of public convenience and necessity to construct certain short‑length transmission lines that connect the utility's existing transmission facilities to a substation or metering point if each landowner whose property would be directly affected provides written consent and all rights‑of‑way necessary for construction have been purchased.