| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the approval of an application for a certificate of |
|
|
convenience and necessity by the Texas Public Utility Commission. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 37.056, Texas Utilities Code, is amended |
|
|
by adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows: |
|
|
(d) The commission shall not grant a certificate for a |
|
|
transmission line if: |
|
|
(1) The transmission line will have a voltage greater |
|
|
than 100,000 Volts AC phase to ground and would be located within |
|
|
1/4 mile of a public primary school or secondary school building; |
|
|
(2) The transmission line will have a voltage less |
|
|
than 100,000 Volts AC phase to ground and would be located within |
|
|
1/8 mile of a public primary school or secondary school building; |
|
|
(3) The transmission line will be used to supply a new |
|
|
electrical substation or switching station with voltage greater |
|
|
than 100,000 Volts AC phase to ground that would be located within 2 |
|
|
miles of the center of a city of population less than 50,000; or |
|
|
(4) The transmission line will have a voltage greater |
|
|
than 100,000 Volts AC phase to ground and would be located within |
|
|
the corporate boundaries of a municipality. |
|
|
(e) For purposes of calculating transmission line route |
|
|
impact, the commission shall consider residential lots that do not |
|
|
have constructed residential units as if the lot had a residential |
|
|
unit and was occupied by residents if: |
|
|
(1) The residential lots are in a platted subdivision; |
|
|
(2) The residential lots have completed roads for |
|
|
access; |
|
|
(3) The subdivision has at least 50% of its platted |
|
|
lots with constructed residential units or has at least 20% of the |
|
|
lots developed in the last 18 months prior to start of hearings. |
|
|
(f) In selecting route alternatives for transmission line |
|
|
certificates, the commission shall give preference to route designs |
|
|
that place transmission structures adjacent to or within major |
|
|
highway corridor right of ways. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |