| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the use of grants or loans by an electric utility or |
|
|
transmission and distribution utility deploying advanced metering |
|
|
technology for use with renewable energy. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 39.107(h), Utilities Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(h) The commission shall establish a nonbypassable |
|
|
surcharge for an electric utility or transmission and distribution |
|
|
utility to use to recover reasonable and necessary costs incurred |
|
|
in deploying advanced metering and meter information networks to |
|
|
residential customers and nonresidential customers other than |
|
|
those required by the independent system operator to have an |
|
|
interval data recorder meter. The commission shall ensure that the |
|
|
nonbypassable surcharge reflects a deployment of advanced meters |
|
|
that is no more than one-third of the utility's total meters over |
|
|
each calendar year and shall ensure that the nonbypassable |
|
|
surcharge does not result in the utility recovering more than its |
|
|
actual, fully allocated meter and meter information network costs. |
|
|
The expenses must be allocated to the customer classes receiving |
|
|
the services, based on the electric utility's most recently |
|
|
approved tariffs. An electric utility or transmission and |
|
|
distribution utility that deploys advanced metering and meter |
|
|
information networks shall, to the extent practicable, obtain |
|
|
grants, loans, and loan guarantees available from the federal |
|
|
government specifically for that purpose, and other available |
|
|
revenue that would reduce the utility's cost of deployment. The |
|
|
commission shall reflect the revenue obtained when establishing the |
|
|
amount of a surcharge under this subsection and may reduce the |
|
|
amount of a surcharge approved before the utility received the |
|
|
revenue, if necessary. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 39.904, Utilities Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subsection (h-1) to read as follows: |
|
|
(h-1) An electric utility, transmission and distribution |
|
|
utility, or river authority that has been designated by the |
|
|
commission to construct transmission capacity under Subsection (g) |
|
|
shall, to the extent practicable, obtain grants, loans, and loan |
|
|
guarantees available from the federal government specifically for |
|
|
that purpose, and other available revenue to reduce the utility's |
|
|
or authority's cost of construction. The commission shall reflect |
|
|
the revenue obtained when establishing or modifying the rates of |
|
|
the utility or authority and may propose a rate reduction under |
|
|
Subchapter D, Chapter 36, if necessary. |
|
|
SECTION 3. 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. |