BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1877

By: Schwertner

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC) represents the interests of residential and small commercial consumers in public utility matters in Texas. OPUC's responsibilities include assessing the effects of utility rate changes and other regulatory actions on residential consumers. The bill sponsor has informed the committee that while this role provides legal and technical expertise in contested cases and rulemakings, as well as valuable analysis on key issues impacting the public, OPUC is limited in its ability to obtain sufficient data thorough analysis and issue-specific assessments. S.B. 1877 seeks to address this issue by expanding the statutory authority for OPUC to request and receive electricity market data, including data related to market reliability, generation resource adequacy, long-term transmission planning, and transmission system resiliency, from the Public Utility Commission of Texas, ERCOT, and an electric utility.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1877 amends the Utilities Code to entitle the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC) under the Public Utility Regulatory Act to request and receive electricity market data, including data related to reliability, generation resource adequacy, long-term transmission planning, and transmission and distribution system resiliency, from the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), ERCOT, and an electric utility. The bill establishes that information submitted to OPUC under these provisions is confidential and not subject to disclosure by OPUC under state public information law if that information would be confidential and not subject to disclosure by the PUC under that law or other law if the PUC held the information.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.