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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study by the Public Utility Commission of Texas |
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regarding grid resilience and emergency response in electric power |
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generation. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "commission" means the |
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Public Utility Commission of Texas. |
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SECTION 2. GRID RESILIENCE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE STUDY. |
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(a) The commission shall conduct a study on electric grid |
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resilience and emergency response in electric power generation. |
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(b) The study conducted under this section must include: |
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(1) an analysis of: |
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(A) technologies, methods, and concepts that may |
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improve community resilience to frequent or long-duration power |
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outages; |
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(B) upgrades and improvements to grid |
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infrastructure to accommodate projected changes in power demand; |
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and |
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(C) previous long-duration power outages that |
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occurred over a large area to identify common elements and best |
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practices for electricity restoration and the mitigation and |
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prevention of future outages; and |
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(2) the development of: |
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(A) methods to improve government and community |
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preparation for long-duration power outages and power outages that |
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occur over a large area; |
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(B) tools to help electric utilities ensure |
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continuous delivery of electricity to emergency facilities; |
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(C) tools to improve coordination between the |
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independent organization certified under Section 39.151, Utilities |
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Code, for the ERCOT power region, entities that distribute electric |
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energy, and political subdivisions; |
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(D) technologies and capabilities to withstand |
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and address the current and predicted effect of extreme weather |
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events and other natural disasters, including the effect of the |
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changing climate on electric grid infrastructure; |
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(E) methods to improve information sharing |
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between relevant federal and state agencies in the event of a mass |
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power outage, or a physical or cyber attack on electric |
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infrastructure; |
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(F) advance monitoring, analytics, operation, |
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and controls of electric grid systems to improve electric grid |
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resilience; |
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(G) methods to maintain cybersecurity during |
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restoration of electric grid infrastructure and operation; and |
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(H) methods to strengthen against or otherwise |
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mitigate adverse effects on electric grid infrastructure from |
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natural hazards. |
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(c) In conducting the study, the commission may collaborate |
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with other state agencies, institutions of higher education, |
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nonprofit corporations, electric utilities, and other interested |
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persons. |
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SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than September 1, 2024, the |
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commission shall report the results of the study conducted under |
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this Act and any recommendations to the legislature. The report |
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must include any statutory changes necessary to implement the |
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recommendations made in the report. |
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SECTION 4. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS. The commission may |
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initiate a demonstration project to prove the effectiveness of a |
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concept, technology, strategy, practice, or method related to any |
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topic of the study conducted under this Act. |
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SECTION 5. EXPIRATION. This Act expires December 31, 2024. |
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SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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1, 2023. |