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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating a requirement for electric utilities to seek grants or |
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loans related to the deployment of advanced meters and transmission |
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for renewable energy. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 39.107(h), Utilities Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(h) The commission shall establish a nonbypassable |
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surcharge for an electric utility or transmission and distribution |
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utility to use to recover reasonable and necessary costs incurred |
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in deploying advanced metering and meter information networks to |
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residential customers and nonresidential customers other than |
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those required by the independent system operator to have an |
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interval data recorder meter. The commission shall ensure that the |
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nonbypassable surcharge reflects a deployment of advanced meters |
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that is no more than one-third of the utility's total meters over |
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each calendar year and shall ensure that the nonbypassable |
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surcharge does not result in the utility recovering more than its |
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actual, fully allocated meter and meter information network costs. |
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The expenses must be allocated to the customer classes receiving |
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the services, based on the electric utility's most recently |
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approved tariffs. An electric utility or transmission and |
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distribution utility that deploys advanced meter and meter |
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information networks shall seek to obtain and utilize funds, |
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including grants, loans, and loan guarantees, made available by the |
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federal government if such funds would lower the overall cost of |
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deployment. The commission shall reflect the funds obtained by the |
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electric utility or transmission and distribution utility when |
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establishing the surcharge required by this subsection, including |
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timely ordering reductions to surcharges approved prior to the |
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receipt of the funds. |
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SECTION 2. Section 39.904, Utilities Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (h-1) to read as follows: |
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(h-1) An electric utility, transmission and distribution |
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utility, or river authority that has been designated by the |
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commission to construct transmission capacity pursuant to |
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Subsection (g) shall seek to obtain and utilize funds, including |
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grants, loans, and loan guarantees, made available by the federal |
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government if such funds would lower the overall cost of |
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construction. The commission shall reflect the funds obtained by |
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the electric utility, transmission and distribution utility, or |
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river authority when establishing or modifying the rates of the |
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electric utility or transmission and distribution utility, |
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including timely ordering reductions to rates approved prior to the |
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receipt of the funds. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |