87R11102 JXC-F
 
  By: Reynolds H.B. No. 2687
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the prevention of power blackouts.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is
  amended by adding Section 39.159 to read as follows:
         Sec. 39.159.  ASSURING RELIABILITY IN THE ERCOT POWER
  REGION. (a) The commission by rule shall require a power
  generation company operating in the ERCOT power region to: 
               (1)  weatherize the company's generation facilities and
  associated equipment on an annual basis so that the facilities and
  equipment are able to operate in extreme cold and heat; and
               (2)  submit annual weatherization plans to the
  commission and the independent organization certified under
  Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power region. 
         (b)  The rules adopted under Subsection (a) must require
  weatherization sufficient to withstand the extreme weather events
  in Texas in February 2011, August 2011, and February 2021.
         (c)  The commission shall consider standards recommended by
  federal agencies for weatherization when adopting rules under
  Subsection (a).
         (d)  The commission may: 
               (1)  inspect the generation facilities and associated
  equipment of a power generation company for compliance with the
  rules adopted under Subsection (a); and
               (2)  require a power generation company to take an
  action included in the company's annual weatherization plan. 
         (e)  If the commission or independent organization certified
  under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power region determines that
  changes in the amounts of existing ancillary service obligations
  required by load serving entities are needed:
               (1)  the commission by rule may address the imbalance;
  and 
               (2)  the independent organization may make changes to
  its ancillary service obligations through a stakeholder process to
  address the imbalance.
         (f)  The commission by rule shall establish a process for
  obtaining emergency response services in addition to ancillary
  services as appropriate to prevent rolling blackout conditions
  caused by shortages of supply in the ERCOT power region. The rules
  must include:
               (1)  parameters for estimating the amount of emergency
  response service capacity necessary to prevent blackout
  conditions; and 
               (2)  mechanisms for equitably sharing the costs of:
                     (A)  contracting for reserve capacity to be
  available; and 
                     (B)  power provided to prevent blackout
  conditions. 
         (g)  The commission shall ensure that the total cost for
  ensuring the emergency response services does not exceed $100
  million annually. 
         (h)  In accordance with rules adopted under Subsection (f),
  the independent organization certified under Section 39.151 for the
  ERCOT power region shall contract with qualified loads, electric
  storage companies, and power generation companies, including
  aggregation of loads and generators, for a defined amount of
  emergency response service capacity the organization may call on to
  ensure that power shortages or demand spikes do not create a need
  for rolling blackouts.
         (i)  Before the independent organization certified under
  Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power region calls on the emergency
  response service capacity to prevent rolling blackouts, the
  organization shall use all market sources of power, including
  electric energy storage and demand reduction, in accordance with
  commission rules adopted under this section.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is
  amended by adding Section 39.9053 to read as follows:
         Sec. 39.9053.  DEMAND RESPONSE IN ERCOT POWER REGION. (a)
  In this section:
               (1)  "Demand response" means changes in electric usage
  by customers from their normal consumption patterns in response to:
                     (A)  changes in the price of electricity use over
  time; or
                     (B)  incentive payments designed to induce lower
  electricity use at times of high wholesale market prices or when the
  system reliability is jeopardized. 
               (2)  "Demand response provider" means a competitive
  energy services provider that aggregates customer load reduction
  capabilities, including reliability demand response capability,
  and offers those capabilities into an electricity market or
  program.
               (3)  "Reliability demand response" means demand
  response to be dispatched by an independent system operator or a
  distribution utility in response to an electric grid reliability
  issue.
         (b)  The legislature finds that electricity markets function
  most efficiently when supply side and demand side resources both
  contribute to the adequacy of the electric system. The legislature
  also finds that the ERCOT power region has not yet achieved its
  potential for demand response, and, therefore, it is the policy of
  this state to promote the development of demand response to its
  maximum potential and to eliminate unnecessary barriers to demand
  response participation in the ERCOT power region.
         (c)  The commission by rule shall:
               (1)  require the independent organization certified
  under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power region to provide the
  commission not less frequently than December 1 of each odd-numbered
  year with an analysis of the potential demand response opportunity
  and penetration in the ERCOT power region;
               (2)  promote development of demand response
  participation by customers in all customer classes;
               (3)  remove barriers to demand response participation
  for demand response providers and for customers in all customer
  classes;
               (4)  ensure that customers in all customer classes have
  the option to contract for participation in demand response either
  directly with one or more demand response providers, including
  retail electric providers, with scheduling entities qualified by
  the independent system operator, or with a combination of entities
  consisting of the independent system operator and one or more
  demand response providers;
               (5)  establish and encourage markets, products,
  programs, or services for reliability demand response and other
  forms of demand response in wholesale and retail markets; and
               (6)  provide opportunities for demand response
  providers and customers to participate in wholesale energy markets
  and ancillary services markets on a comparable basis with other
  resources, while accommodating differences in operational
  capabilities of various customer loads among customer classes,
  including differences related to availability, dispatch
  notification timelines, curtailment response times, ramp rates,
  curtailment duration, and times required to return to service
  following an outage.
         SECTION 3.  The Public Utility Commission of Texas shall
  adopt rules as necessary to implement Section 39.9053, Utilities
  Code, as added by this Act, not later than May 1, 2022.
         SECTION 4.  (a) The Public Utility Commission of Texas shall
  work with the independent organization certified under Section
  39.151, Utilities Code, for the ERCOT power region to:
               (1)  assess the structure and amounts of existing
  ancillary service obligations required by load serving entities;
  and
               (2)  consider changes that may be required to improve
  reliability of the electric grid system, including reducing the
  need for rolling blackouts in extreme weather.
         (b)  In conducting the analysis under Subsection (a) of this
  section, the commission and independent organization must seek
  stakeholder input and consider all generation resources, including
  distributed generation, electric storage, demand response, energy
  efficiency, and power generation.
         SECTION 5.  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, 2021.