This website will be unavailable from Friday, April 26, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. through Monday, April 29, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. due to data center maintenance.

	Amend CSHB 1777 by adding the following section, 
appropriately numbered:   
	SECTION     . (a)  It is the policy of this state to ensure that 
all electric customers in ERCOT, including low-income customers and 
customers in rural and other high-cost areas, have access to 
electric energy service at reasonable rates.
	(b)  The Public Utility Commission of Texas shall conduct a 
study to determine methods or mechanisms to ensure that residential 
customers who are currently being served by an affiliated retail 
electric provider at the "price-to-beat" rate will continue to have 
default electric service available at reasonable rates.  On 
September 1, 2005, the commission shall begin the review required 
by this subsection. The review must include the methods other 
competitive regions, including Ohio, Maine, Maryland, 
Massachusetts, and New Jersey, use to provide default services to 
residential customer classes at reasonable rates.
	(c)  The study required by Subsection (b) of this section must                 
		(1) evaluate:                                                                 
			(A)  extending or modifying the "price-to-beat;"                             
			(B)  local governmental aggregation, including 
municipal "opt-out" mechanisms; and
			(C)  competitive procurement load auctions; and                              
		(2)  compare, regarding various mechanisms or methods 
considered:           
			(A)  resulting prices for service at wholesale;                              
			(B)  resulting prices for service at retail;                                 
			(C)  key features of each mechanism or method and 
key differences between the mechanisms or methods;
			(D)  the level of wholesale supplier competition 
under each mechanism or method, measured by factors such as:
				(i)  numbers of participants;                                               
				(ii)  volumes bid; or                                                       
				(iii)  other relevant factors; and                                          
			(E)  any other factors or variables the commission 
considers necessary to arrive at a conclusion and to make 
recommendations under this section.
	(d)  The Public Utility Commission of Texas shall conclude 
the study under this section not later than February 1, 2006, and 
shall determine at that time a mechanism by which residential 
customers served by an affiliated retail electric provider will be 
able to receive the lowest cost default electric service on and 
after January 1, 2007.
	(e)  The Public Utility Commission of Texas shall present a 
report of the study and the recommendations made as a result of the 
study to the joint electric utility restructuring legislative 
oversight committee on or before March 1, 2006.
	(f)  The joint electric utility restructuring legislative 
oversight committee shall hold hearings on the study and 
recommendations in each region of the state served by an affiliated 
retail electric provider and following the hearings shall make 
recommendations to the 80th Legislature on the best means to 
provide residential customers default electric service at the 
lowest cost.