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79R4673 JJT-F
By: Carona S.B. No. 711
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to metering services provided to certain electricity
customers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 39.107, Utilities Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a) and (b) and by adding Subsections (a-1),
(h), and (i) to read as follows:
(a) In this section, "large commercial and industrial
customers" includes:
(1) nonresidential customers with a peak demand
greater than 200 kilowatts; and
(2) nonresidential customers that:
(A) are commonly owned or are franchisees of the
same franchisor; and
(B) have an aggregated peak demand greater than
200 kilowatts.
(a-1) On introduction of customer choice in a service area,
metering services for the area shall continue to be provided by the
transmission and distribution utility affiliate of the electric
utility that was serving the area before the introduction of
customer choice. The commission shall determine a schedule for
making metering [Metering] services available [provided] to large
commercial and industrial customers [shall be provided] on a
competitive basis [beginning on January 1, 2004].
(b) Metering services provided to residential customers and
to commercial customers other than large commercial and industrial
customers shall continue to be provided by the transmission and
distribution utility affiliate of the electric utility that was
serving the area before the introduction of customer choice [until
the later of September 1, 2005, or the date on which at least 40
percent of those residential customers are taking service from
unaffiliated retail electric providers]. Metering and billing
services provided to residential customers shall be governed by the
customer safeguards adopted by the commission under Section 39.101.
(h) The transmission and distribution utility affiliate
that was serving the area before the introduction of customer
choice shall deploy advanced meter information networks to
residential customers and commercial customers other than large
commercial and industrial customers. The commission shall require
advanced digital meters that meet commission requirements to be
used in new construction. The commission shall determine a
schedule for deploying advanced meter information networks
required under this subsection that includes standards for
equipment, communications, and information technology and access.
The standards must facilitate system capabilities such as:
(1) automatic meter-reading;
(2) load control;
(3) demand response;
(4) interval information;
(5) time of use and critical peak pricing;
(6) outage assessment;
(7) remote service connection and disconnection;
(8) detection of tampering and theft; and
(9) easy access to generated information by a
customer.
(i) The commission shall establish a procedure for the
establishment of a nonbypassable surcharge or other rate mechanism
for an independent system operator and the transmission and
distribution utility to use to recover net costs incurred in
deploying advanced meter information networks to residential
customers and commercial customers other than large commercial and
industrial customers. The expenses must be allocated to the
customer classes receiving the services.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.