By: Geren H.B. No. 3054
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to regulation of ownership and control of installed
  electric generation capacity.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Sections 39.152(a) and (d), Utilities Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The commission shall certify a power region if:
               (1)  a sufficient number of interconnected utilities in
  the power region fall under the operational control of an
  independent organization as described by Section 39.151;
               (2)  the power region has a generally applicable tariff
  that guarantees open and nondiscriminatory access for all users to
  transmission and distribution facilities in the power region as
  provided by Section 39.203; and
               (3)  no person owns and controls more than 25 [20]
  percent of the installed generation capacity located in or capable
  of delivering electricity to a power region, as determined
  according to Section 39.154.
         (d)  For a power region outside of ERCOT, a power generation
  company that is affiliated with an electric utility may elect to
  demonstrate that it meets the requirements of Subsection (a)(3) by
  showing that it does not own and control more than 25 [20] percent
  of the installed capacity in a geographic market that includes the
  power region, using the guidelines, standards, and methods adopted
  by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
         SECTION 2.  Section 39.154(a), Utilities Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  A [Beginning on the date of introduction of customer
  choice, a] power generation company may not own and control more
  than 25 [20] percent of the installed generation capacity located
  in, or capable of delivering electricity to, a power region.
         SECTION 3.  Section 39.156(f), Utilities Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (f)  The commission shall approve, modify, or reject a plan
  within 180 days after the date the plan is filed [of a filing under
  Subsection (b)]. The commission may not modify a plan to require
  divestiture by the electric utility or the power generation
  company.
         SECTION 4.  Section 39.407(a), Utilities Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  If an electric utility chooses on or after January 1,
  2007, to participate in customer choice, the commission may not
  authorize customer choice until the applicable power region has
  been certified as a qualifying power region under Section
  39.152(a). Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, the
  commission shall certify that the requirements of Section
  39.152(a)(3) are met for electric utilities subject to this
  subchapter only upon a finding that the total capacity owned and
  controlled by each such electric utility and its affiliates does
  not exceed 25 [20] percent of the total installed generation
  capacity within the constrained geographic region served by each
  such electric utility plus the total available transmission
  capacity capable of delivering firm power and energy to that
  constrained geographic region. Not later than May 1, 2002, each
  electric utility subject to this subchapter shall submit to the
  electric utility restructuring legislative oversight committee an
  analysis of the needed transmission facilities necessary to make
  the electric utility's service area transmission capability
  comparable to areas within the ERCOT power region. On or after
  September 1, 2003, each electric utility subject to this subchapter
  shall file the utility's plans to develop the utility's
  transmission interconnections with the utility's power region or
  other adjacent power regions. The commission shall review the plan
  and not later than the 180th day after the date the plan is filed,
  determine the additional transmission facilities necessary to
  provide access to power and energy that is comparable to the access
  provided in areas within the ERCOT power region; provided, however,
  that if a hearing is requested by any party to the proceeding, the
  180-day deadline will be extended one day for each day of hearings.
  The commission shall, as a part of the commission's approval of the
  plan, approve a rate rider mechanism for the recovery of the
  incremental costs of those facilities after the facilities are
  completed and in-service. A finding of need under this subsection
  shall meet the requirements of Sections 37.056(c)(1), (2), and
  (4)(E). The commission may certify that the requirements of Section
  39.152(a)(3) are met for electric utilities subject to this
  subchapter if the commission finds that:
               (1)  each such utility has sufficient transmission
  facilities to provide customers access to power and energy from
  capacity controlled by suppliers not affiliated with the incumbent
  utility that is comparable to the access to power and energy from
  capacity controlled by suppliers not affiliated with the incumbent
  utilities in areas of the ERCOT power region; and
               (2)  the total capacity owned and controlled by each
  such electric utility and its affiliates does not exceed 25 [20]
  percent of the total installed generation capacity within the power
  region.
         SECTION 5.  Section 39.453(b), Utilities Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  The commission shall certify that the requirement of
  Section 39.152(a)(3) is met for an electric utility subject to this
  subchapter only if the commission finds that the total capacity
  owned and controlled by the electric utility and the utility's
  affiliates does not exceed 25 [20] percent of the total installed
  generation capacity within the power region of that utility.
         SECTION 6.  Section 39.156(b), Utilities Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.